Decoding Old Date Formats and Calendars Carved on Headstones
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I remember the first time I really got stumped by a headstone, it was a chilly October morning, and I was wiping dew off a little slate marker in the back corner of St. Mary's cemetary. The name was clear—Abigail Thorne—but the date read '8ber 12, 1723.' I stared at it for a good ten minutes. Eightber? Was that a typo? A joke? Took me three calls to the county historical society and a very patient librarian to figure it out. Turns out, it was old shorthand for October. I felt like a fool, but I also fell in love with the puzzle.
That's the thing about old headstones. They don't just tell you when someone lived and died. They play tricks on you. Different calendars, weird abbreviations, even changes in how people counted the new year. If you're cleaning or photographing these stones for family history, you need to know what you're looking at. Otherwise, you might record a birth date that's actually a death date, or miss a whole century. So let me walk you through the common traps I've tripped over—so you don't have to.
The Quaker and Regnal Year Quirks
One of the first things I learned: old headstones in the American colonies often used the Julian calendar until 1752, when Britain and it's colonies switched to the Gregorian calendar. But it gets weirder. Before 1752, the new year started on March 25 in England and its colonies. So a date like 'March 24, 1700' would actually be the last day of 1700, not the first day of 1701. Double-check anything before 1752 by looking at surrounding stones or burial records. Another oddity: Quaker headstones sometimes just used numbers for months, like '1 mo 12 1789' for January 12. And regnal years—like 'in the 5th year of King George III'—are a whole other mess. If you see something like that, grab a regnal year chart online. I keep one printed in my cleaning kit.
Abbreviations That Look Like Gibberish
Old carvers loved abbreviations. '7ber' for September, '8ber' for October, '9ber' for November, and '10ber' for December—those come from the Latin months: September (septem, seven), October (octo, eight), November (novem, nine), December (decem, ten). They'd also write 'Xber' for December sometimes. I've seen 'Jany' for January, 'Feby' for February, and 'Mar' for March. But here's the kicker: sometimes they'd use Roman numerals for the year. I once saw 'MDCCXLV' and thought it was a typo. Nope—1745. Keep a Roman numeral cheat sheet in your phone. Big mistake to assume your eyes can do the math in bright sunlight.
Double Dating and the Old Style/New Style Confusion
Between 1582 and 1752, some places used dual dating on headstones, especially on January, February, and March dates. You'll see something like 'February 14, 1700/1'. That slash means the year was 1700 in the old Julian calendar but 1701 in the new Gregorian calendar. It's not a typo. It's the carver being carefull. If you see a single date from those months before 1752, assume it might be Old Style unless you have other records. I always snap a photo of the whole stone and the surrounding area—sometimes the context of other burials helps. For example, if a child died in March 1700 and the parent died in April 1700, the parent might actually be a year later in our modern calendar.
Practical Tips for Decoding While Cleaning
When you're out cleaning headstones, you're usually bent over, squinting, and your hands are wet. Not ideal for decoding. So here's my method: First, do a dry reading before you even wet the stone. Write down exactly what you see, including any weird squiggles or dots. Then, after you've applied a pH-neutral cleaner like D/2 Biological Solution—which I swear by for all stone types—gently rinse and read again. Sometimes the cleaning reveals faint carved lines you missed. I use a soft nylon brush, nothing more aggressive. And never, ever use harsh household chemicals or abrasive tools on marble, limestone, or sandstone. They'll eat the surface and erase those precious dates forever. After cleaning, take a photo with your phone and zoom in. That's how I caught a tiny 'OS' (Old Style) carved next to a date on a sandstone marker. Changed everything.
What to Do When You Just Can't Figure It Out
Sometimes you'll stare at a stone and it just won't give up its secret. The carving is worn, the lichen is stubborn, or the abbreviation is something you've never seen. Don't guess. I've made that mistake. I once recorded a death year as 1821 because I misread a worn 'I' as a '1'. It was actually 1721. That ancestor hunt went sideways fast. Instead, take multiple photos in different lighting—early morning or late afternoon light casts shadows that highlight the carvings. You can also do a rubbing with plain paper and a soft graphite stick, but only on very hard, stable stone like granite. Never do rubbings on fragile or crumbly stone. If you're still stuck, post the photo on a genealogy forum. There are people who eat this stuff for breakfast. I've had strangers solve puzzles for me in under an hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does '8ber' mean on a headstone?
A: It's an old abbreviation for October. The '8ber' comes from the Latin 'Octo' (eight), because October was the eighth month in the ancient Roman calendar before January and February were added. You'll also see '7ber' for September, '9ber' for November, and '10ber' for December.
Q: Why do some old headstones have two dates with a slash, like '1700/1'?
A: That's called double dating. It shows the year according to both the Old Style (Julian) and New Style (Gregorian) calendars. Before 1752 in British colonies, the new year started on March 25, so dates in January, February, and early March were often written both ways to avoid confusion.
Q: Can I use a wire brush to clean a headstone so I can read the date better?
A: Absolutely not. Skip abrasive tools like wire brushes on any stone, especially marble, limestone, or sandstone. They scratch the surface and can remove the carved letters permanently. Stick to a soft nylon brush and a pH-neutral cleaner like D/2 Biological Solution. Patience pays off.
Q: How can I tell if a date is written in Roman numerals?
A: Look for letters like I, V, X, L, C, D, or M in a row. For example, 'MDCCXLV' is 1745. If you see a line above a numeral (like a bar), that means multiply by 1,000, but that's rare on headstones. A quick online converter is your best friend.
Q: What is a 'regnal year' and how do I decode it?
A: A regnal year counts the year of a monarch's reign. For example, 'in the 10th year of Queen Victoria' means 1847 (she became queen in 1837). You'll need a regnal year chart or calculator to convert. I keep a free one bookmarked on my phone for cemetery trips.