Geffrye Memorial, London

Memorial to Sir Robert Geffrye, located in the chapel of the almshouses he founded in Shoreditch, East London in 1714. Today the almshouses are the location of the famous Geffrye Museum of domestic interiors.

The marble memorial features the usual selection of swags, urns, fruit, flowers, cherubs and skulls.

Almshouses were, especially from the 16th to 18th centuries, a way of securing one's place in heaven, in much the same way as chantry chapels were in the Middle Ages. They also provided, and many still do, accommodation and basic charity for the elderly poor.

A challenge for many working almshouses today is the balance between preserving historic buildings, but also providing accessible modern accommodation. Many almshouses also have a small chapel, often quite basic, which offered space for both religious services, and also secular communality.

The museum's website can be found here:
www.geffrye-museum.org.uk