A random bundle of paperwork dropped into the letterbox of the home where a gravestone was found in the kitchen bench is causing a stir for its recipients. Launceston couple Gemma and Jamie Free found the 1934 gravestone of Charlotte Taylor in their kitchen bench during a renovation of their 1950's home in November, sparking a search for answers. It captured the interest of family history researchers across Tasmania. They helped discover that the original gravestone of Charlotte, who died earlier than her husband Charles, was replaced in 1949 with another that was inscribed with both of their names. Mrs Free said the mystery continues, with the latest letterbox drop of freshly scanned paperwork raising more questions. She said it could only have been delivered by someone who knew the house. "It was about the original land sale in 1952, and whoever left it in the mailbox had written, along the side of the paper, the names of the people who bought the land," Mrs Free said. "I feel like we still have a lot more questions than answers." But she added that it was nice to know that Charlotte was not buried somewhere without a gravestone. "She has a gravestone, she is with her husband, that is wonderful." Researchers theorised that the valuable marble or granite gravestone from 1934 was repurposed by builders. It was taken from Deloraine, where Charlotte's original gravestone existed, and somehow ended up in Launceston to be used as a chopping board in the 1955-built home, now owned by the Free family. However Mrs Free said the kitchen removed in their renovation was a "very eighties" styled-kitchen. Mrs Free said she has enlisted the help of family and friends to now conduct their own research of the paperwork in her letterbox. Mrs Free said the paperwork showed the block of land was bought in 1952, that a mortgage was registered in 1954, and that the original owners sold the house in 1985. The owners were Joseph and Jessica Coley. "When the house was sold in 1985, maybe the new owner updated the kitchen back then," Mrs Free said. "I'm thinking that is possibly when the gravestone was put in, or maybe it was already there, and then repurposed for the new eighties kitchen that was done." She said they had been unable to find links between the Taylor and Coley families. "I haven't had anybody from the family try to contact me. Ultimately, I would like to get it back to them, if they want it. I don't know how else to dispose of a gravestone."
