Datestones

I'm fascinated by old date stones, those hand carved initials and numbers you see chiselled into plaques on the walls of old houses, particularly in Cumbria. This one is on Bridge End House next door to the Old Mill by the Brewery at Calbeck in the north of the county. It commemorates EA 1690, (E Addison) EA born '56 and an addition below a line on the shield refers to "there son R86, Grace 81". The house is undergoing restoration at present.

Two inscriptions inside the house to different owners in 1690 seem to indicate that the house was built at an earlier C17 date by the Vaux family (of Brownrigg) and the date stone to the outside was added by the Addisons.

Make of that what you will. Maybe a search of local maps and references will reveal more information. Caldbeck has a lot of date stones as has Eamont Bridge and Askham but you will find them all over the county.

Some refer to builders, some to owners and some to long forgotten happenings and local celebrities and dignitaries. I guess it will take some time in County Archives to discover accurate information, or a trawl of the Caldbeck gravestones and church records. Meantime I'm snapping every one I see and one day, who knows, there may be a another book in me!