Black Cat Cemetery Preservation was born out of a love for history, historical archaeology, and graveyards everywhere.
Robyn S. Lacy, Ph.D., has a decade of experience in archaeology and heritage, and is qualified to hold archaeological field permits in the provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia, in accordance with provincial guidelines. She has worked in cultural heritage policy and planning in Ontario, gravestone conservation and repair in Ontario, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick, burial ground survey and excavation, landscape analysis, reporting, and has excavated sites in Newfoundland, Ontario, and British Columbia, as well as the Isle of Man. She received her Ph.D in Historic Archaeology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she studied 17th-century burial ground organization in northeastern North America. Robyn’s second book was published with Berghahn Books in September 2024.
Outside of heritage, Robyn enjoys painting, hiking, playing cozy video games, and planning trips. She also runs a personal research blog called ‘Spade & the Grave“.
Fun facts: Robyn broke her patella and femur in a rock climbing accident in 2025! She has also ridden unicycles since she was 12 years old.
Ian C. Petty, M.A., is qualified to hold archaeological field permits in the provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia, in accordance with provincial guidelines, as well as the state of Connecticut, USA, and has been working in archaeology and heritage since 2010. He has experience with museum curation, collections management, field archaeology, paper and metal artifact conservation, and ceramic analysis, reporting, and has excavated in Oregon, Connecticut, New York, Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, California, and Washington State. He graduated with his Masters in Historic Archaeology from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2020, and started his PhD at MUN in the fall 2021, studying historic logging and forestry in Newfoundland.
Fun facts: Ian lived in China as a kid, and was fluent in Mandarin! He is particularly fond of carrot cake.
If you are interested in discussing services or are interested in obtaining a quote for a potential project, please contact us at blackcatpreservation (at) gmail (dot) com, through the ‘Contact’ page on this website, or find us on Facebook at Black Cat Cemetery Preservation! We’re also on Instagram, links in the sidebar!
We’re looking forward to working together!
Black Cat Cemetery Preservation 