Sir Alexander Nisbet was a naval surgeon, an honorary physician to Queen Victoria and a resident of Lee for many years. When he died in 1874 at the age of 79 he was buried in Ladywell cemetery.
The eminent surgeon, who joined the Royal Navy medical service in 1812, saw active service in the American war (1812-1814) and served on several ships transporting convicts to Australia.
He will be the subject of a talk by Australian academic Dr June Slee, on Sunday April 21 (2.00-3.00pm), organised by Friends of Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries and will be held in the cemetery chapel.
The friends’ group was formed in July 2007 to protect and improve the beautiful and historic Victorian cemeteries.
The cemeteries were originally the Deptford Cemetery and Lewisham Cemetery; both opened in 1858.
When the two boroughs amalgamated in 1965, the former was renamed Brockley Cemetery, with its entrance on Brockley Road; the latter became Ladywell Cemetery, with its entrance at the junction of Ladywell Road and Brockley Grove.
The cemeteries are owned by the Borough of Lewisham and managed by the council’s bereavement service.
The friends’ group has about six meetings a year as well as work sessions. Its next guided walk through the cemeteries is Sunday April 28.
Further walks will take place on May 21 and on June 1 to coincide with Brockley Max.
The friends’ group organises regular work sessions to improve the cemeteries for users, and relatives of the deceased.
It aims to achieve a balance between their purpose as active cemeteries and the abundant wildlife that has made it a Borough Grade One site for Biodiversity.
The annual anniversary Open Day is held in July, centred on the sole remaining chapel, the original Dissenters’ Chapel in the Ladywell Cemetery.
Details of events and meetings can be found on the website www.foblc.org.uk