Aberdeen No. 1

Described in Walker (1887): the basin of the font is the original, but the shaft and base where restored in 1851 by a Mr. Matthews when the font, which was originally from the church of St. Michael, Kinkell, now in ruins, was presented to the church of St. John, Aberdeen, at the time of its consecration. The basin is octagonal, with a sunken panel on each face, each panel charged with a shield or monogram: 1)IHS monogram with crown atop; 2)shield with heart in the centre, pierced hands at upper corners and pierced feet at lower corners; 3)monogram: omega or joined "Qs", crowned; 4)shield with heart pierced by sword; 5)Tudor rose; 6)shield with monogram: letters A and G linked by what appears as a religious cingulum; 7)Tudor rose; 8)shield with Latin cross and crown of thorns hanging from it. The chamfered underbowl has roll mouldings at top and bottom as does the octagonal stem and lower base which are otherwise plain. Described and illustrated in MacGibbon & Ross (1896-1897: 385-386 and fig. 1319), who identify the initials "AG" as those of Alexander Galloway "who was rector of Kinkell in 1528, and who was also the architect of the first bridge of ten arches over the Dee at Aberdeen"; "he was one of the best known ecclesiastics of Scotland before the Reformation, and gifted this font to the Church of Kinkell."