Chobham / Cebeham / Chabbeham / Chabham

There is an entry for Chobham [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU9761/chobham/] [accessed 19 December 2014]; it mentions two churches in it [cf. infra]. Simpson (1828) reports a lead font with wooden panels in this church. Allen (1831) notes that Chobham appears in Domesday (1086) with a church and a chapel; on the font, Allen writes: "is an octagon or hexagon basin, on a white stone of the same." Both Paley (1844) and Bond (1908) list the Chobham font with the same description, clearly after Simpson. In Parker's Glossary (1850). The Gentleman's Magazine issue of July-Dec, 1856) reports the account given by Mr. W.W. Wynne, M.P., to the Archaeological Institute, on the font at Dinas Mowddwy, in which he also mentions "a font of wooden panels, lined with lead" at Chobham. Mentioned in The Church Builder (issue no. 47 January 1873: 21). Cox (1907) states simply that it is said to be made of wood. The Victoria County History (Surrey, vol. 3, 1911) notes: "The Domesday Survey records the existence of both a church and a chapel at Chobham [...] The earlier church was a small building consisting of a chancel with a nave of about half the length of the present one, dating from the beginning of the 12th century or a little earlier. [...] The font is of 16th-century date, and is one of the very scarce instances of a font constructed of wood; it is octagonal, each side forming a heavily-moulded panel, and the basin is hemispherical and lined with lead. The stem and base are of modern stonework." A recent source describes it as a "rare octagonal wooden font [...] from the 16th century and the cover, possibly a replacement, is later but before 1712" [source: www.walkingalive.com]. The Surrey Historic Environment Record [HER 10994] [www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecord/SHHER_10994] [accessed 16 September 2010] notes: "17th century wooden font, one of 3 survivals in Surrey. Panelled octagonal bowl on stone stem and plinth with Acorn finial to font cover." [NB: the use of frames or "holders" (wooden, stone, etc.) becomes common in certain areas in the 17th century and later. These objects, which serve as container or support for an added basin, appear often in Scandinavia (where they are often in the shape of an angel or such figure), and, more rarely, in other European areas. In the French Pyrenees, around Bigorre, for instance, they are totally enclosed cabinets of later date that hide the original font].