I seem to have missed the early discussions re headstones, and so can but add that there was no native stone throughout most of Tidewater VA and the Carolinas, hence they had no stone available for markers of any sort.  The result was that only those wealthy enough to import stone from the Northern Colonies or bring it east from the Appalachians had any raw material from which to carve any grave markers whatever.

Thus it is that, while I can direct others to numerous headstones of my maternal New England ancestors, not a single such marker exists for my usually near-poor VA/NC folks until well into the 19th century.  Paul           
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: [log in to unmask] 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 7:54 AM
  Subject: Re: headstones


  ....He left a wife with 5 boys so I just
  assumed they couldn't afford a marker and had a wooden  headstone erected that
  has long ago disappeared.  Any credence to this theory on the use of wooden
  markers in hard times and inaccessible places?
  Madaline
  .... Of more recent vintage, there has been an effort in some
  cemeteries to mark all the graves with wooden crosses with a small brass plaque
  identifying the grave.

  We have also discovered a couple made of stamped metal, as is illustrated in
  the photo found here:
  http://www.ls.net/~newriver/graysoncem/perkinswileycem.htm


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