The Fludyer Tomb, Lee Old Churchyard

The Fludyer tomb stands in Lee Old Churchyard and dates to approximately 1769. It was erected as a memorial to Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet, Member of Parliament for Chippenham (died 1768), Lord Mayor of London from 1761 to 1762, his brother, Sir Thomas Fludyer FRS (died 1769), and their wives. The commission may initially have been with Sir Robert Taylor, but a design drawing is signed by Robert Chambers, dated 21 October 1769, suggesting he may have taken over the project. The tomb is constructed of Portland stone with some marble sections, and comprises a Rococo-style chest with a serpentine profiled sarcophagus set upon a plinth. The plinth is capped by an armorial upper stage featuring splayed scrolls. An urn, formerly atop the monument, had been broken into pieces and lay nearby, and the tomb has been reassembled at some point, causing the arms no longer to correspond to the individuals they were intended to represent. The inscriptions are now largely illegible.

The tomb’s location reflects the area's history as a Georgian retirement location for City merchants and those connected to Greenwich and Deptford shipyards. It stands within the old churchyard, close to the ruins of the former medieval Church of St Margaret, and near the present Church of St Margaret (built 1839-41) and its later tombs. Usage of the churchyard declined with the opening of Hither Green Cemetery in 1873. Sir Samuel Fludyer, a wealthy clothier and West Indies merchant reportedly worth £900,000 at his death, was buried near his estate and is also commemorated in the naming of Fludyer Street.