Monument To James And Anna Marie Ware, South Enclosure

The monument is a chest tomb dating to approximately 1815, located within the South enclosure of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. Constructed from Portland stone with a sandstone and brick plinth, the tomb features a coped lid, moulded base, and carved panels. Inscriptions identify it as the memorial to James Ware (died 1815) and his daughter Anna Marie (died 1811).

James Ware (1756-1815) was a surgeon and oculist, born in Portsmouth, and he made significant contributions to the field of eye surgery, working with Jonathan Wathen and later practicing independently. He published several works on ophthalmology and was a fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a philanthropist, co-founding the Society for the Relief of the Widows and Orphans of Medical Men in London and establishing a school for the indigent blind.

Bunhill Fields was first enclosed as a burial ground in 1665 and became an important cemetery for Nonconformists, the final resting place of notable figures such as John Bunyan and William Blake. The monument is designated at Grade II for its well-preserved early 19th-century character and its significance as the memorial to a renowned surgeon. It also possesses group value with other listed tombs within the South enclosure of the Grade I registered Bunhill Fields Burial Ground.