Some girls were married very young in those days

Two hundred years ago, some girls did marry quite young, but this is too young for early 1800s. In many places during the mid-1800s, parents had to give consent for a girl under 18.

One possibility: Both husband and wife were illiterate and did not know their true ages. but you'd think the engraver would have noticed and asked around before he sand blasted the stone.

This needs more research before accepting this date. The stone is clearly cut, 11 yrs.

Speaking of curious dates, I was researching an early cemetery in southern Illinois and wanted to know when burials began in it. A local person had already posted a list of burials that she could find from public records and data from existing tombstones. I re-ordered her list by date of burial to get a clue about how old this cemetery might be, and a curious thing appeared in the list. There were 2 burials in early 1830s and then none until 1848. After 1848, burials occured on a regular basis until this cemetery became largely inactive. Luckily, I found the answer. Those two early dates were not burials, but birthdates - problem solved.

Actually, the stone _isn't_ clearly cut. If you look very carefully at the first figure, the top is slightly different from the "1" on the right, and another faint line leads me to suspect it's actually a faded "4", making Lura 41 at the time of her death. Compare with the "4" in "4 mo's".

You could be right, Colleen; the first 1 is slightly different on top. The number 4 doesn't usually have a line underneath, and doesn't on this gravestone (I assume that's 4 months on this stone).

I listed it on FindAGrave as I saw it, but will try contacting the manager of the cemetery to see if his records can help.

OH yeah 41 is probably correct. It's odd they don't have her birth date. The top of the one is way different than what looks like a one but is really a 4.

This post was edited by arkansas_girl on Wed, Nov 6, 13 at 9:19

A lot of them are written like that, with just the death date and age. I guess it was common back then.

The next time I visit that cemetery I'll see if I can find her husband's gravestone. His dates should give us a clue. This time my visit was cut short by a German Shepherd. My favorite breed, but I clearly wasn't her favorite. I tried to speak soothingly and remain non-threatening, but when the hair on her back went up and her bark got serious, I decided to call it a day. :-)

Susan you should get a can of mace to carry just incase. I am going to get one, hopefully with a stretchy cord that will clip on a belt loop of my jeans. The last time I was out in a cemetery I heard several dogs barking close by and was hoping it wasn't a pack of dogs running loose. I am rarely in a cemetery that is in town also, they are mostly out in the country. Plus there are some really mean people out there, better safe then sorry...

Good thought about the mace. When I worked evenings in the library, the security guard got me a can, but I think I gave it to my granddaughter.

I looked on Ancestry.com. There is a tree with a Lura (maiden name Jones) Lawrence in it ,born in 1828 and died in 1870 at the age of 42,It says she died in Wayne County but does not list where she is buried. Her husband is George Lawrence. This tree says that George is buried in Hamlin Cemetery.. He was born in 1828 and died in 1864 at the age of 36. They had 5 children, a son
John D. Lawrence who is also buried in Hamlin Cemetery, a daughter Clara who lived in Hamlin but doesn't say where she died or is buried, A son George but no information attached to him except that he was born 25 Aug 1862 and had a wife named Alice, another son named William George born 1862 and died 4 Dec 1924 in Hamlin and a daughter named Lura Ann Lawrence born 1864 and died in 1959 and says she is buried in Salem Cemetery.

Is it possible the death date on the stone says 1871, not 1821?

I bet you anything this is the same family, the dates are slightly off on Lura, but close enough to be the same family.

At least the list of people above will give you some clues if you see any of them in Hamlin Cemetery also, at least you could link them together.....

Hope this helps you some...

I agree it does look like it is a 4 compared with the other #s. .

Good work, Dbfirewife!! I'm sure that's the person. I'll change the dates on the FindAGrave memorial, and the next time I'm at the cemetery I'll look for George and the others. Salem Cemetery is right across the road from Hamlin Cemetery, where i found Lura's gravestone.

Thanks so much for looking this up!

I looked at the picture again and yes, that could well be "41", not 11. Many of the stones of that period were cut by hand with a sandblaster and not every stroke was cut to the same depth.

Often the birth date was left off when death date and age at death were both given. Notice that her age to the day is given, therefore, her birthdate can be computed as:

1820 03 09
-(0041 04 22)
-------------------
1879 11 17

Her computed birthdate is 17 Nov 1879

Don't think she could have a birth date 58 years after she died, jemdandy. Do you mean 1779?