How I Transcribe an Epitaph So the Text Is Right the First Time

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I remember my first real transcription failure like it was yesterday, it was a Tuesday in early spring — the kind of damp, grey morning where the fog clings to the gravestones like old lace. I was kneeling beside a beautifull white marble monument for a woman named Eliza, died 1887. The epitaph was long, full of flowery Victorian poetry. I squinted, guessed at a word that looked like "beloved" but was actually "blessed," and carved that mistake into my notebook. Took me three trips back to fix it. The family who found my record online later thanked me, but I knew. I knew I'd gotten it wrong. That was ten years ago. I've never made that kind of error since. Now I of a system — a slow, careful, almost obsessive system — that gets the text right the first time. Let me walk you through it.

Start With Good Light and a Clean Surface

You can't transcribe what you can't see. I always go in the morning, between 8 and 10, when the sun is low and hits the stone at an angle. That shadow play makes the carved letters pop. Noon sun? Forget it. Flat light washes everything out. I bring a small hand mirror — a cheap one from a dollar store — to bounce light into the deep cuts. Also a soft brush, like a horsehair paintbrush, to sweep out dirt and lichen. I don't scrub. Just gentle flicks. If the stone is really grimy, I use D/2 Biological Solution. Spray it on, wait ten minutes, rinse with distilled water from a spray bottle. That cleaner is pH-neutral. Safe for old marble, limestone, sandstone. I never use anything harsh. No household cleaners. No abrasives. A clean surface is the first step to a correct record.

Take Multiple Photos Before You Write Anything

Big mistake I made early on: I trusted my eyes and my notebook right away. Now I take photos first. Lots of them. I use my phone, an old iPhone 8, but I turn the flash off. Flash creates glare. Instead, I set it to black and white mode. Grayscale really brings out the contrast in weathered lettering. I shoot from straight on, then from the left and right sides at 45-degree angles. Sometimes the side angle catches a shadow that makes a letter readable. I also take a close-up of any damaged or worn spots. Then I go home and look at these photos on my laptop screen, zooming in. I compare the angles. That's where I do my first transcription — on the computer, not in the cemetary. It's slower, but it's accurate.

Use Your Fingertips — Gently — for Deep Carving

This sounds odd, but it works. For deeply carved letters — the kind you can feel with your fingers — I'll lightly trace the outline with my index finger. But I'm careful. I don't press hard. Old stone can be crumbly. I'm just feeling for the shape. If a letter is worn down in the middle but the edges are sharp, my finger can tell me if it's an 'O' or a 'D' or a 'Q'. I always double-check with the photo. I also carry a small magnifying glass, the kind jewelers use. It's maybe two inches across. Helps with fine script or dates. One time I used it to see a tiny '2' that had been mistaken for a '3' for decades. The family was thrilled.

Record Abbreviations and Line Breaks Exactly

Epitaphs are not poems, but they have rhythm. They have line breaks. They have abbreviations like 'd.' for died or 'ae.' for aged. I record every single line break and every abbreviation exactly as carved. Not 'aged 45 years' if it says 'ae. 45 yrs.' I use brackets for anything I'm unsure about. Example: "[In?] memory of" — the bracket says, 'I'm guessing.' I also note the shape of the stone. A rounded top. A broken column. That matters for the record too. I keep a little notebook with a grid layout, and I sketch the stone's shape at the top, then write the text line by line below. It's old-school, but it keeps me honest.

Check the Obituary or Census Records for Cross-Reference

Here's a trick I learned from a county historian. After I transcribe an epitaph, I go home and look up the person's obituary in old newspapers — free sites like Chronicling America or local library archives. Or I check the census records. If the epitaph says 'John Smith, beloved husband of Mary,' but the obituary says 'John Smith, survived by his wife Martha,' I know something is off. Sometimes the stone was carved wrong. Sometimes I misread it. I go back and re-examine the stone. I've caught two errors in fifteen years this way. One was a misspelled last name — 'MacKinnon' became 'McKinnon' on the stone. The family preferred the stone's version, so I noted both. Always trust the stone, but double-check with the paper trail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the best time of day to photograph an epitaph for transcription?

A: Early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is low. Between 8 and 10 AM or 4 and 6 PM works best for me. The angle of the light creates shadows in the carved letters, making them readable. Avoid direct overhead sun—it flattens everything. Cloudy days can actually be good too, because the diffused light reduces glare.

Q: Should I use a rubbing to transcribe a worn headstone?

A: No, I don't recommend rubbing on fragile stone. The pressure can damage flaking surfaces. Use the mirror-and-photo method instead. For really worn stones, I've had good luck with a thin sheet of Mylar and a soft graphite stick, but only on sturdy granite. Never on marble or sandstone. Even then, I'm very gentle.

Q: What if I can't read a word at all? How do I record it?

A: I use brackets with a question mark. Like '[illegible]' or '[?]'. If I can guess, I write the guess inside brackets: '[beloved?]'. I also note the number of missing letters if I can count the space. For example, '[---]' for three missing letters. This helps other researchers later. Don't guess without marking it as a guess.

Q: How do I handle epitaphs in foreign languages like Latin or German?

A: I transcribe the text exactly as carved, even if I don't understand it. Then I look up the words in a dictionary or ask a friend who knows the language. For Latin epitaphs, common phrases like 'Hic jacet' (here lies) are easy to spot. I always note the language in my record. If I can't translate it fully, I say so. Accuracy matters more than translation.

Q: Is it okay to clean a headstone just for transcription purposes?

A: Only if you do it safely. I use D/2 Biological Solution and a soft brush. No bleach, no acids, no wire brushes. Never pressure wash. If the stone is very fragile—crumbling or flaking—leave it alone. Take photos in good light instead. Your safety and the stone's preservation come first. One wrong cleaning can destroy the text forever.