Help Transcribing Gravestone

[pistolm23]

I recently made a visit to an unidentified grave site believed to be from the 1820s. I do believe I found at least two stones with inscriptions. This is an example of one. As you can tell, it is badly worn. Can anyone help to identify the inscription here?

[Lesley Robertson]

Welcome to the British Genealogy Forum.

I’m afraid that my first question must be whether you can go back to the burial ground? I have always found that where inscriptions are so badly eroded, it is better to photograph them at an angle, rather than full on. You really need lighting from the other side as well, to make the most of any possible shadows. The sun is rarely shining from the necessary angle, so I normally take a strongish torch, put the camera on a tripod to one side and use a remote to trigger the shutter while holding the torch at the right angle. Making the stone wet with a little water (NOT anything else) can increase the contrast. Lastly, I have found that closing my eyes and running my fingers over the letters can help. Remember that some stone surfaces can be remarkably fragile after a century or more.

If you can’t go back, have you got software that can manipulate the photos? Sometimes, playing with the colors can help - Try making the photos black and white or removing individual colors from the mix. I have found that sometimes removing red helps. It’s a matter of trying different combinations.

If/when you do manage to transcribe anything, remember to deposit a copy of your findings with any local history group there is - legibility is only going to get worse with time!

[Gododdin]

See that you are based in the US; if you were closer I would suggest that you learn the position of the stone in the cemetery and try to find transcriptions or other burial records if available. Sympathy for the wretched state of the stone.