Lord Dacre'S Monument, Lee Old Churchyard

This is a late 18th-century stone monument, erected circa 1794 to Trevor Charles Roper, Baron Dacre (1745-1794). The monument is located in Lee Old Churchyard, and is currently in a poor condition, with its component parts now separated. It originally consisted of a coved stone plinth displaying heraldic devices and crossed palms, which would have stood on a raised plinth. Beside this plinth, now lying on the ground, is a pedestal and a detached, serpent-entwined urn.

Lee Old Churchyard contains numerous monuments reflecting the area's Georgian past as a place of retirement for London merchants and those involved with Greenwich and Deptford shipyards. The churchyard includes the remains of a medieval church tower, and the current Church of St Margaret, built in 1839-41. The churchyard’s use declined with the opening of Hither Green Cemetery in 1873. The monument was erected by Lady Dacre, the widow of Lord Dacre, who was married to the daughter of Sir Thomas Fludyer. Lady Dacre's visits to the monument for prayer were reportedly interrupted by a highwayman who stole her watch and chain, as recorded in F.H. Lee’s "History of Lee" from 1882. The components of the monument could potentially be reassembled. It is a significant example of late 18th-century commemorative monuments, possessing good architectural and sculptural quality, and relating to a person of historic significance.