Accuracy starts with restraint
The biggest mistake people make with weathered headstones is overconfidence. They see half a surname, infer the rest, and write down a clean answer that the stone does not actually support.
Work in layers
Start by recording only what is obvious from normal viewing distance. Then move closer, change angle, and compare repeated letter shapes across the inscription. A partly visible letter becomes easier to judge when you can match it against the same letter elsewhere on the stone.
Use context but do not let context decide for you
Nearby family names, date ranges, and common local surnames are useful clues. They are not proof. Treat them as ways to test a reading, not as a license to fill in missing pieces.
Mark confidence directly
- Clear and complete
- Likely but uncertain
- Illegible or partial
Why this matters for public records
Once a guess enters a public record, it becomes hard to undo. A visible uncertainty is far better than a confident mistake.