Gibson Mausoleum, Sutton

A square mausoleum of painted stone with a plinth, moulded cornice and partly fluted eaves. The mausoleum has vermiculated angle quoins and a round-arched entrance with a "Gibbsian" surround. The pyramidal stone roof is surmounted by a neo-classical vase.

Architect

Not known

Style

Listing

Grade II (England and Wales)

Year built

1777

History

James Gibson (c1700-1776) was Master of the Ironmongers Company. The inscription on the east wall of the mausoleum says "Within this tomb lie the remains of JAMES GIBSON Esqr and family Late Merchant and Citizen of London To whose memory this Tomb was erected 1777". Also on the East wall is a plaque erected by Sutton Leisure Services, giving Gibson's birth and death dates and stating that: "In accordance with the wish of the last of the Gibson family, Miss Mary Gibson (c1730-1793), the tomb is subject to an annual inspection on August 12th." Mary was the only child of James Gibson who built the mausoleum. She died unmarried in 1793. Under the terms of her will, a legacy was left to Christ's Hospital with the requirement that the income from this be used to maintain the mausoleum. In accordance with this, Christ's Hospital (which moved from the City of London to Horsham in 1902) have recently (2012) paid for repairs (mainly repairing areas where the stonework had been displaced by rusting of internal ironwork).