What's the correct term for an old fashioned cemetary keeper?

[human_male]

You know the guy... lives in a little shack on the cemetary grounds, digs the graves, chases grave robbers away and tends the grounds... that kind of thing.

What would he be called? A cemetary keeper? A grounds keeper?

Ta.

 

[BBWetKitty]

this guy might know.

http://www.horrorfindweekend.com/state/maryland/images2006/store/crypt_keeper.jpg

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What's a cemetary?

 

[damppanties]

You know the guy... lives in a little shack on the cemetary grounds, digs the graves, chases grave robbers away and tends the grounds... that kind of thing.

What would he be called? A cemetary keeper? A grounds keeper?

Ta.

What do you mean by old fashioned?

This might help -- http://www.burger.com/cemdef.htm

 

[matriarch]

You know the guy... lives in a little shack on the cemetary grounds, digs the graves, chases grave robbers away and tends the grounds... that kind of thing.

What would he be called? A cemetary keeper? A grounds keeper?

Ta.

In the UK, they are usually called a Sexton.

 

[matriarch]

What's a cemetary?

tsk, tsk, tsk.... cemetery....

 

[Darkniciad]

I've never heard it as anything but "Caretaker"

 

[AppleBiter]

I've only ever heard the term "groundskeeper."

 

[jomar]

this guy might know.

http://www.horrorfindweekend.com/state/maryland/images2006/store/crypt_keeper.jpg

Excellent! The crypt keeper was the first thing I thought of. Glad to know I'm not the only one with that sense of humor.

Groundskeeper and caretaker are all I can think of.

 

[Darkniciad]

We still have a lot of cemeteries around here that actually have Caretakers living on the property. In olden times, they would have also been responsible for the entire administration, record keeping, prevention of grave robbing, exhumations... the works.

I whipped off a couple of emails to some generational Caretakers I know, and so far as they know, you can follow that title back until at least the 1800s. Googling comes up with the same results ( it is also the official title, according to the government standards in the U.S. )

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I think most of them are called "Igor" Human, my friend

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

I agree with Mats that SEXTON is probably the best term you'll find. However, a sexton was not just responsible for a graveyard, but for all the physical property of a church which, way back when, usually included an adjacent or nearby boneyard.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[human_male]

We still have a lot of cemeteries around here that actually have Caretakers living on the property. In olden times, they would have also been responsible for the entire administration, record keeping, prevention of grave robbing, exhumations... the works.

I whipped off a couple of emails to some generational Caretakers I know, and so far as they know, you can follow that title back until at least the 1800s. Googling comes up with the same results ( it is also the official title, according to the government standards in the U.S. )

That's very nice of you, thank you.

 

[human_male]

Thank you. I think caretaker will do, especially if it's not just a modern term. Sexton's not appropriate because it's for a fantasy setting, but that's interesting to know.

 

[human_male]

this guy might know.

http://www.horrorfindweekend.com/state/maryland/images2006/store/crypt_keeper.jpg

"The quickest way to a woman's heart... is with a PICKAXE!"

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

"The quickest way to a woman's heart... is with a PICKAXE!"

Glad to see you're getting into the swing of the AH, Human (ya little hottie)