Cockington

Described in Lysons (1806-1822) as a baptismal font "octagonal, ornamented with coats of arms." Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 mentions simply "an octagonal font". Wilson's Gazetteer (1870-72) notes: "a very anciant octagonal font". Stabb (1908) writes: "The font [...], of Caen stone, is octagonal in shape, and dates from 1540. It bears a mutilated inscription on brass in Old English letters: -- Robert Cary Armigeri E-- The following 't' of ET is missing. He died June 15th 1540, and is buried in Clovelly Church. The date on the font is March 2nd, but the date of the year is broken and lost. It is possible that the font was the offering of William Cary, who was Lord of the Manor of Cockington, as well as possessed of large property in North Devon. The panels of the font show the alliances of the Cary family: Cary, Carew, Dinham, and Paulet. The handsome cover is not the original one, this may have been destroyed by the iconoclasts who destroyed the rood loft. The present cover, of Elizadethan or Jacobean date, was found by the present vicar in pieces and much decayed, the top being lost. It was restored carefully and decay arrested. The carving is of the Elizabethan domestic pattern type, and the material is pine wood. The top is modern, but is copied from an old font cover at Bramford in Suffolk. The original hinges are preserved. The work of restoration was carried out by Harry Hems, of Exeter, about eight years since (ca. 1901), for the present vicar, the Rev. J. Henning." Bond (1908) mentions that "brass letters occur on a font at Cockington, Devon" and lists the font cover as Jacobean. The interesting cover and surrounding structure, as can be seen in both Stabb's and Bond's illustrations, is a profusely decorated octagonal armoire topped with an also octagonal hemispheric dome with cusped angles and a rose (?) finial; a double panel swings open on each side giving access to the font inside. [cf. Index entries for other rim-buffet font covers of the period]. Noted in Pevsner (1952): "Font. C15, slim pillar, wide octagonal bowl with quatrefoil and heraldic decoration."