Introduction by Rob Walker as to why
he undertook the project:

"I have always had, for as long as I can remember, an interest in the local area, especially Northallerton itself, having lived here for over thirty years. I am also interested in social history especially since 1800 when I believe the biggest changes this world have ever seen have occurred. I have been with the Northallerton and District Local History Society since its instigation and have also served on the committee.

As for the cemetery project it started in about 1995 when a group of us at the local history society were looking at particular projects which could be undertaken in the area. Someone suggested that the MI's of the older part of the cemetery since they had not been done by the Family History Society, so a group of us decided that this would be our project - some people would go out and read the inscriptions and write them down, then others would type them up, etc.

For varieties of reasons various people dropped out and it ended up two of us in the cemetery one cold damp winter afternoon. We had a walk around and found what seemed to be good place to start and began recording the inscriptions, giving each a number, working roughly south to north, but quite haphazardly. Neither of us were really prepared and neither of us had ever seen any work done on other cemeteries to find out the way to do it. Anyway we got a few MIs written down, and I took the details home and typed them up. When I phoned this lady up again she was not able to continue with the project and so that left just me!

Anyway I set upon the task and devised a method for recording the inscriptions, dividing the cemetery into areas, then into rows and then numbering off each stone. I soon found short cuts too for recording the inscriptions by using a 'short hand' e.g. ilmo - in loving memory of, iaro - in affectionate remembrance of, b - born, d - died. etc.

I would go down to the cemetery evenings and on weekends and then come home and type the details up a bit at a time, many times having to return to try and make sense of my notes

It took most of the spring and summer to record these details and it was mid autumn 1995 when I eventually finished and had the document printed off. A large scale map of the cemetery was included showing the areas along with some notes from the health report of 1848.

Recently, that is November 2001, six years after completing this project and whilst in Northallerton Reference Library, I happened to look at some MI's for other local church yards/cemeteries, the first I have seen, and what really amazed me was the layout for recording in areas, rows and numbering is much the same as I did - what is it they say about great minds (and those of fools!)?"

Rob Walker   
November 2001
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