Sir, Daniel Finkelstein wonders if gravestones have typos (Notebook, Aug 22). Yes, they do. We have found many in seven years of surveying graveyards. “Accidently killed” is common. We have also seen “resting where no shaddows fall”, “tradgically killed”, “daugter” (which the stonemason tried to correct with an “h” inserted above, both before and after the “g”), and “sacerd to the memory”. The word “their” often appears as “thier”, and misplaced apostrophes are widespread. On old headstones the deceased’s name is sometimes corrected, with one name engraved on top of the first.
Martin and Claire Nicholson
Church Stretton, Shropshire