Day 35. Gravestones after the 18th Century

Gravestones remained almost entirely the scope of wealthier families until the late 18^th century – those in Preston belong mostly to better-off farmers and landowners. Increasing general prosperity then allowed more craftsmen to afford gravestones for their loved ones, and by the mid 19^th century several labourers also received a memorial. The vast majority of gravestones surviving in Preston churchyard date from the 19^th century.
These stones were often made en masse for the general market, rather than the bespoke designs of earlier stones. The elaborate decoration and lettering for  words such as 'Sacred to the Memory' contrast with the plain lettering used for the deceased's personal details.

Epitaphs were now composed for widespread use and are often commonly found, such as that on the grave of carpenter's wife Sarah Dodd in 1862:

Though few and evil were my days,

To God belongs my grateful praise.

Let then this humble stone record,

How blessed are they who fear the Lord.

Another common epitaph, on the grave of John Elvins, the village blacksmith who died in 1782, reads:

Praises on tombs are vainly spent;

A good name is a monument.

Preston churchyard was used until the late 19^th century. A new cemetery was then consecrated opposite the church. The first burial was in 1885, and it is still in use today.