Few early settlements could number experienced stone cutters or gravers among their residents, so early stone markers were often crudely inscribed. As families and settlement became more established, markers of a higher quality began to make their way into Island cemeteries. Stone cutters who specialized in headstones offered more durable markers, and many families chose to "upgrade" their sections of the graveyard. The wealthy might even choose to have their stones cut in Scotland or Ireland. Until the late 1800s, few here made their entire livings from cutting headstones. John Cairns in 1858, for instance, advertised his ability to cut headstones, but also offered customers his line of grist, shelling and other mill stones. The craft was a difficult one to learn ina community that had only soft red sandstone to practice on. Many of the best cutters thus apprenticed in the United States.

By the twentieth century, most headstone makers worked from pattern books. Stones cut before this era, however, strongly demonstrate the styles of individual gravers. Very seldom will you see two identical monuments. To reinforce this individuality, the maker usually cut his name into the base of the stone. When looking for gravers' marks, keep in mind that "P.C." stands for "Perpetual Care," not somebody's initials.

A grave marker's opulence depended on the budget of the family paying for it and the skill of the carver working on it. A few stones even incorporated freestanding sculpture as part of their design. Augustine and John MacDonald's stone in the St. Andrew's Cemetery features two gargoyles, and was carved by Antoine Vincent, a Quebec-born sculptor who came to Charlottetown to work on the first St. Dunstan's Cathedral in the early 1900s. A stone crafted of similar material stands in Kinkora. It marks the grave of Dr. Michael Wall and displays a bust of the deceased and a finial with the provincial crest. It is also believed to be Vincent's work.

A stroll through a cemetery offers much detail about family and Island life. You will notice that most graves are contained in family plots, marked by a single family monument. Such monuments serve entire family units - in one instance as many as sixteen family members! On the surface, these large, often granite stones seem to be a reflection of opulence or ego. Look further, and see them for what they are; an image of family, solidity and permanence expressed for succeeding generations.

A walk through an Island cemetery can reveal an entire community history. Notice how the stones placed in the 1930s tend to be smaller, made of soft Georgia granite with the sides left rough. Ornamentation and inscriptions tend to simplicity - a reflections of the economics and ethos of the era. In older cemeteries, note how British and French surnames dominate. Note when the more "unfamiliar" Lebanese, North European and Asian names begin to appear. Along with the Celtic crosses, don't be surprised to see Polish eagles, Orthodox crosses, even the occasional Estonian sun. Compare the ancient stones inscribed in Gaelic with the modern ones featuring Arabic or Mandarin. See how different eras seem to favour different symbols.

You don't have to be there just to visit an ancestor. Look a little more closely at certain stones, and ponder some of the community folklore. Is that really Lord Selkirk's daughter in St. John's Presbyterian in Belfast? Look at Elizabeth (MacDonald)