Tollesbury

Although this font falls 'stricto sensu' outside the chronological scope of this Index, the nature of the inscription earns it a well-deserved mention in it. Cox & Harvey (1907) describe the inscription as "The quaintest English font inscription -probably the quaintest in all Christendom-" and inform that, set inside an interesting church which retains much pre-Norman work, there is a small octagonal font which bears round the margin of the bowl a very quaint inscription in English: "Good people all I pray take care / That in ye church you doe not sware / As this man did." The Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (Essex, 1916-1923) does not mention the font [outside its scope as well], but notes a holy-water stoup of the 17th century in the south porh [cf. infra]. The parish register explains the reason for the inscription (ibid.): "August 30, 1718.- Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Eliza Wood, being ye first childe whom was baptized in the New Font which was bought out of five pounds paid by John Norman, sen., who some few months before came drunk into ye church and cursed and talked loud in the time of Divine service, to prevent his being prosecuted for which he paid by agreement the above said five pounds. Note that the wise rythmes on the font were put there by the sole order of Robert Joyce then churchwarden." The Tollesbury web site [www.tollesbury.org/History/st_marys.tm] notes that the south portal has the remains of a holy-water stoup from Norman times [cf. RCHM supra]. The font is noted in Pevsner (1976) but the stoup is not. The fonts ia also noted in Bettley & Pevsner (2007). [NB: the RCHM dates the tower and parts of the nave to the late 11th century, but we have no information on the eraly font(s) of this church]