Alderman Abraham Blackleech monument - Gloucester cathedral

This monument is a tomb with elaborate alabaster effigies of Alderman Abraham Blackleech (d1639) and his wife Gertrude. Originally in the north aisle of the nave in Gloucester Cathedral, it was later moved to the south transept. The tomb is richly detailed in the late Jacobean style with early Baroque influences, and is noted as “remarkable as studies of the costume of the period.” It is by an unknown but highly skilled sculptor, though comparisons have been made to the work of Nicholas Stone. 

Abraham Blackleech was a prominent civic and religious figure in Gloucester in the early 17th century, a man of substantial local influence, wealth, and family connections. The family were tied both to the church hierarchy and urban elite of Gloucester. His father, Dr. Abraham Blackleech, served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Gloucester, a high-ranking ecclesiastical lawyer and administrator. Abraham commissioned this impressive alabaster monument for himself in Gloucester Cathedral as a clear display of his social position and piety.  His wife Gertrude Blackleech is depicted alongside him on the tomb, both richly dressed in early Stuart costume.