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What does O.S.B mean on a headstone?

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Alison

Alison Report 1 Nov 2007 21:45

Went to a church cemetery today. Like you do on your birthday!! and found some portuguese headstones from circa 1814-1816 which had O.S.B. written on all of them. I was guessing they are something to do with the Peninsular War.....They also had what resembled the Maltese Cross but not convinced about any Maltese connection.....

Carrie

Carrie Report 1 Nov 2007 21:49

Over Sea's Born??

Alison

Alison Report 1 Nov 2007 21:52

I thought over seas burial but i think you may be closer with that. It was really odd because only one of the headstones which were all in a row with literally 1 inch between them had initials instead of a name....

Tricia

Tricia Report 1 Nov 2007 21:53

Don't know if it is right but a possible from Wiki is:
Order Of St Benedict.

Tricia

Alison

Alison Report 1 Nov 2007 21:58

The church wasSt Peters in Warmfield near Wakefield so I think I will email the church...

Heather

Heather Report 2 Nov 2007 10:41

Margaret, cant you leg it down there and ask the vicar? :)

Louise2212

Louise2212 Report 2 Nov 2007 13:59

Well have have two ancestors who have that after their names. In their case it was "Order of St. Benedicts"

See if this website helps
http://www.osb.org/

Peter

Peter Report 2 Nov 2007 15:04

Strictly speaking it is 'of the order of St Benedict' in Latin: Ordinis Sancti Benedicti

Alison

Alison Report 2 Nov 2007 17:59

My sister has solved it. She went on a website for St Austins Online and it shows a picture of the headstones. The text reads....

The graves of the various nuns who passed away during the stay at Old Heath Hall can be found in the churchyard at Kirkthorpe, not far from the site of the hall. They bear no names but simply the initials of the deceased, together with the O.S.B. denoting Order of St. Benedict, a simple cross and the letters RIP. The exception is Emilia Monteira who died aged only 15, a novice at the convent.

There you go!

You dont know any Watertons in the area do you Margaret. That was why I was in the area..

The Kings Arms was top notch for food!!