Last year, a grieving family were asked to alter or remove a headstone in the churchyard at St Mary’s Church, Bamber Bridge, as the parish priest deemed the inscription to be inappropriate. The offending inscription featured the names of his family, ending with the words ‘Sleep tight, Dad’ adorned with an ‘x’. Colloquially, an ‘x’ symbolises a kiss, but in the priest’s opinion this was unacceptable on a headstone inscription. Stories such as this raise the question of what is and what isn’t appropriate to place on a headstone inscription.

It’s best to always check with the cemetery before you commit to any inscriptions as in a lot of cases, they cannot be returned once they have been personalised. It is advisable to consult the authorities at the church or cemetery and ask them whether your idea for the inscription is suitable, or simply walk around and look at examples from other headstones in the cemetery. Generally speaking, most inscriptions will be accepted, but it is important to be sure to avoid distress and unnecessary expense.

At UK Memorial Service we have a selection of beautiful memorials that can be inscribed by our team of talented specialists. We hold an unmatched level of experience and knowledge, meaning that we’re one of the best choices for kerb sets, headstones and all other types of monument. Our team work closely with our customers to make sure that inscriptions are completely perfect and double check them to ensure that they’re accurate. We can also check cemetery rules for you to make sure that all inscriptions will be accepted.

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