Introduction
This week, I am asking you to go out into your community and find a historic graveyard to work on. There was a graveyard in the middle of a field not far from the childhood home of a friend of mine. Who owned it? Who was responsible for it? Whose field was it in? Today, that field has been built over, with a couple of big box stores and a Tim Horton’s. The graveyard is still there, around back behind some dumpsters. It’s mostly overgrown, but periodically somebody hacks back some of the brush and picks up the garbage. Near where I live now, there is a historic graveyard in a corner of a city park, and the city keeps it clean and mows the lawn.
Both of these graveyards should be studied, but one of these is a safer place to work than the other.
Personal Safety > Course Work
The first thing to keep in mind is that your personal safety is more important than course work. I have an alternative project for cases where it is either not safe or not feasible for you to go out to a historic (or currently active) graveyard. Just follow the instructions for the alternative project
Things to consider
This means that you will have to consider a number of elements before you go out:
- Can I actually get to the graveyard?
- Is it possible to work out who is responsible for the graveyard? If I see a graveyard called ‘Anytown United Cemetery’ then I would look for the Anytown United Church and contact its office. Similarly for the Anytown Roman Catholic or the Anytown Free Methodist and so on.
- Small historic graveyards are often family cemeteries, and might be in a field or parcel of land belonging to the family. Or it might belong to someone else. You can explore historical land registry books (the link is for the City of Ottawa, but you can switch that) to find out the older history of the site.
- Obtain permission to survey the graveyard; speak to an individual rather than writing (you’ll get a quicker response). Use this form of words:
I would like to ask for permission to do a study of the grave monuments in [name of cemetery], as part of my coursework. This would involve photographing and measuring the stones. I will not be interfering with the stones or any of the planting or landscape. I believe it should not take me more than three or four days. The information I collect will be used in my class and ideally will be online if you agree. I can put you in contact with my Professor, Dr. Shawn Graham, if you have any questions about that aspect of the work.
If you can’t find the owner (or if permission isn’t implied, as in the case of the graveyard in the public park mentioned above), or they decline your request, then do not survey that particular graveyard.
Conducting the Survey: Personal Safety
- Do not go alone; take a companion
- Let people know where you are going, and when, and when you believe you will return
- Take a cellphone with you
- Bring water
- Wear sunscreen
- Wear appropriate clothing for a graveyard. Appropriate means ‘suitable to the task’; if the graveyard is overgrown, wear long pants and socks (ticks are a very real issue in Ontario). Similarly, if the graveyard is still active, there may well be mourners present and so be respectful.
- You represent the University. Conduct yourself accordingly. Do not sit on gravestones, put your lunch on a stone, or otherwise interfere with a grave.
Conducting the Survey Itself
For instructions on how to conduct the survey itself, please begin by sketching the plan of the graveyard, and then how to record the graves
Safety Online in the Case of Virtual Sites
If you do the alternative project and the site you select features opportunities for online interactions, please take care; if it’s possible, create a character or use an account unrelated to your other online activities. Don’t engage with other players: ideally you want to be an observer in the space, rather than an active participant.