Author: Robyn S. Lacy

Archaeologist / Cultural Heritage / Burial Ground Restoration / Writer
Blogs

“Adopt A Headstone” with the Trinity Historical Society

Robyn S. Lacy

We are pleased to announce that we are working with the Trinity Historical Society this year, to begin the restoration of the gravestones at the historic, 18th-century St. Paul's Anglican Church in the heart of Trinity. If you've ever been to the community, you'll remember the striking wood church, surrounded by primarily grey limestone gravestones,… Continue reading “Adopt A Headstone” with the Trinity Historical Society

Blogs

General Protestant Cemetery, St. John’s, NL

Robyn S. Lacy

This August and early September we worked on our largest project to date, the restoration of four large monuments at the General Protestant Cemetery in St. John's. These markers were selected for restoration because of their obvious need for repair, as well as being significant figures in the history of St. John's. It was really… Continue reading General Protestant Cemetery, St. John’s, NL

Blogs

Black Cat x Heritage NL – Gravestone Repair Workshop

Robyn S. Lacy

Earlier this month we ran a gravestone repair workshop with HeritageNL, at the historic cemetery in the Cape Broyle. Just like our first workshop earlier this summer, we had a wonderful turnout and everyone really put in their all! We had 18 participants in this workshop and 26 in the earlier gravestone cleaning workshop. Today's… Continue reading Black Cat x Heritage NL – Gravestone Repair Workshop

Blogs

Fieldwork in Brigus: The John Antle Gravestone

Robyn S. Lacy

A few weeks ago we got the chance to travel 'round the bay to the town of Brigus, to take a look at the John Antle gravestone. This was a unique gravestone situation, the stone was sitting behind the Stone Barn Museum, where it has lived for many many years. Made from imported limestone, the… Continue reading Fieldwork in Brigus: The John Antle Gravestone

Blogs

Fieldwork Trip to Bonavista: William Brown’s Headstone

Robyn S. Lacy

Welcome to the first of hopefully many fieldwork trip blog posts! The original plan was to make the trip on Friday before, June 11th, but of course the first fieldwork trip of the season couldn't be that easy...and our car's transmission decided to die the day we had planned to go. Instead, we called every… Continue reading Fieldwork Trip to Bonavista: William Brown’s Headstone

Blogs

Illegible Gravestones & Cleaning Damage: Wire, Chalk, & Shovels

Robyn S. Lacy

It's frustrating, when you visit a cemetery or burial ground to look at a few specific headstones only to find them covered in lichen, moss, or other discolourations from processes like acid rain. Maybe the stone you are interested in are sunken a little, and those crucial last few lines are obscured by the soil.… Continue reading Illegible Gravestones & Cleaning Damage: Wire, Chalk, & Shovels

Blogs

Living Heritage Podcast x Black Cat

Robyn S. Lacy

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dale Jarvis of Heritage NL, on his podcast 'Living Heritage'. The show was first aired on CMHR radio here in Newfoundland, and was published as a podcast We spoke about our research in archaeology and heritage, our PhD programs, and all about gravestone conservation and what you… Continue reading Living Heritage Podcast x Black Cat

Blogs

Repair Problems & Damage in the Wild

Robyn S. Lacy

We recently visited the Protestant Cemetery in St. John's, NL, to take a look at the condition of the site in general, and get an idea of where work needs to be potentially done in the future. It's still fairly winter-like here in Newfoundland, so Ian and I joked that we should have brought our… Continue reading Repair Problems & Damage in the Wild