Maestir / Maesdir

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The entry for this parish in Meyrick (1808) notes: "Near the altar is a circular arched niche, intended to contain holy water. The font is a square stone, with a circular excavation for the purpose of immersion, and the angles of the stone are ornamented with grotesque figures; one representing a demi-angel, with a scaly body; another some kind of winged beast passant; a third, a demi-griffin rampant; and the fourth, a winged animal rampant. This stone is supported by a circular pillar, encircled by a kind of wreath, and standing on a portion of a cone cut parallel to its base, placed on four steps." In his entry for Lampeter Evans (1914) comments: "Font was stupidly removed to the chapelry at Maesdir [...] to make room for the present one, which is of the genuine Victorian brand." Evans' entry for Maesdir [Maestir] (ibid.) notes: "The Bowl of the Font is ornamented with the Evangelistic symbols, viz. an angel, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Fonts of this fashion are most commonly found in the fifteenth century, but examples are known as early as the twelfth, so that it is very probably that this is the original Font of St. Peter, founded in the 12th century. A font bowl of the same type may be seen at Llanvair y Clydogau." Noted and illustrated in Types of baptismal fonts as illustrated in Welsh examples, in the Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (1918-1919, 1920) [http://hdl.handle.net/10107/1396091] [accessed 23 February 2023]. Tyrrell-Green (1928): "The Lampeter font was removed from the old parish church on its demolition in 1822, and eventually found a resting-place at the chapel-of-ease at Maestir, about two miles distant. The bowl is externally square, and at the angles are figures which are clearly the symbols of the four Evangelists. They are in high relief, and the carving is in general almost as sharp as when first executed, though the ox of St. Luke has suffered from exposure. The workmanship of this font is altogether superior to that of the one at Llanfair-Clydogau [cf. Index entry], and differs from it in indicating clearly the wings belonging to the four creatures". The entry for Maestir's St. Mary's in COFLEIN [www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/310150/details/st-marys-church-maestir-lampeter] [accessed 5 January 2020] notes: "St Mary's Church was constructed by J.B. Harford in 1880, as an estate church to Falcondale mansion and chapel of ease to St Peter's Church, Lampeter […] The square, twelfth-century font, with four carved Evangelist symbols, is from St Peter's Church, Lampeter." Described by Lord, in Diwylliant... (1998-2003): "The four-headed font in the Church of St Mary, Maestir, also clearly represents the four evangelists. It came originally from Lampeter and the more elaborate nature of its carving, compared to that of the remainder of the group, may reflect the position of the twon as a regional centre in the period." Thurlby (2006) states: "I do not concur with Lord's attribution of this font to the carver of St Gwenog, Llanwenog [...]. There the bowl is ringed with eleven mask-like heads and the treatment of the facial features has little in common with the head of St Matthew at Maestir."