Group Of Five Freke And Roper Monuments To North East Of Church Of St Laurence

A group of five monuments, consisting of three headstones and two chest tombs, is located to the northeast of the Church of St Laurence in Weymouth.

The first chest tomb is dedicated to Robert Freke, who died in 1699. It is made of Portland stone and features a very pitted ledger slab with a moulded edge. The south side is plain, while the north side has a pair of sunk segmental-arched panels with low relief enrichment and inscriptions. The ends are heavily bolstered with upper and lower mouldings; the west end displays a naive skull and cross-bones, and the east end has an angel with outspread wings. The base of the tomb is partly sunk.

The second chest tomb, located immediately to the east of Robert Freke's tomb, is for Mrs Mary Freke, who died in 1712. This tomb is also made of Portland stone and has a flat ledger slab with a moulded edge. The north side features a plain panel with an inscription in capitals, while the south side is plain. The ends are similarly bolstered, with the east end showing a naive skull and cross-bones, and the west end being plain. This tomb was created by the same mason as the one for Robert Freke, but the lettering is typical of 17th-century monuments.

To the east of these two chest tombs are three headstones arranged north to south. The first headstone commemorates Joseph Roper, who died in 1770. It is made of Portland stone, has a shaped top with scrolls and cherub heads, and features fine lettering that remains mostly legible. The second headstone is for John Roper, who died in 1858. This stone has a top with a central arch flanked by smaller arches, containing an open book and an urn draped with fabric. The date is late for this design and may commemorate an additional occupant. This stone is leaning considerably towards the east. The third headstone is for Tregunel Roper, who died in 1817. It is an unusually tall stone, approximately 1.6 meters high, but is also leaning seriously to the east. The top is shaped with small corner scroll rosettes, and the lettering is clear and bold.

This group of monuments is significant for its architectural and historic interest.