Some time ago I visited Liverton in North Yorkshire, where my Richardson, Shaw and Dale ancestors hail from.
Looking around the churchyard for family gravestones, I spotted this one which belongs to my 4x great uncle James Richardson and his wife Margaret (nee Hudson). He was born in Liverton in 1800 & died there on the 17th April 1887.
The inscription is difficult to read; this is a transcription:
Sacred to the memory of Margaret Elizabeth the beloved wife of James Richardson who died April 12th 1873 aged 67 years. Also the above James Richardson who died April 17th 1887 in the 87th year of his age
Soon after arriving at the church we were joined by a red admiral butterfly, which landed on the gravestone as I was photographing it and then followed us around the rest of the churchyard, only flying off when we left. It felt freakily like the ancestors were watching!
Last October, for my birthday, my Aunt painted a picture of the butterfly and gravestone which I was delighted with!
© Caroline Cox and Caroline’s Chronicles. 2011 – current year
Caroline's Chronicles 
That painting is almost indistinguishable from the photograph. Amazing! I also enjoy walking a graveyard and reading the inscriptions. Though I don’t know my 4X ancestors. There’s something about those messages literally written in stone that makes me feel as if those that passed aren’t entirely gone.
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Thanks for your comments, I’ll pass that on to my Aunt, she’ll be pleased!
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This is absolutely gorgeous! It’s always lovely to find pieces of your own history, and connect with your past! (Says the Historian 😊)
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Thanks! Always good to hear from a fellow history fan x 😊
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Tombstones can be so fascinating! And the painting is amazing!
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My aunt is very talented but sadly I didn’t inherit any of that! 😁
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But you write… that’s talent enough!
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That’s very kind, thank you x
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That is so cool you know your ancestors that far back! I wish I did. The pics are lovely too!
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Thanks! The family tree is a work in progress, I don’t think you ever really finish it x
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I would love to do ancestry.com but it’s waayyy to expensive a month.
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Wonderful! I’m assuming this is the Liverton close to Loftus? This is my old stomping ground, I’m from Middlesbrough/Yarm, North Yorkshire ☺ some of my ancestry is from all over North Yorkshire too, although I have yet to visit any churchyards to go name spotting. It’s definitely something I want to do. I loved the butterfly visit, there’s something quite special about that 😊
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Yes, that’s the place, I love it up there, the moors & the coastline are beautiful. I’ve spent some time in Middlesbrough archives in the past too. x
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Ahh fantastic! Yeah, I love the moors especially. I moved from Middlesbrough last year to come and live in Cumbria, but my heart is forever Boro 😉 my parents still live there too. I have a lot of North Yorkshire in my tree on both sides, how great that you have links there too 😍
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Lovely – we might be cousins! x
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