Neston / Great Neston

Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 notes: "the font is an extremely elegant piece of workmanship, and was erected rather more than 400 years since." Ellis (1902) notes: "Neston church still contains, though not in use, the font described by Mortimer in his History of Wirral; but though it appears to have been perfect when he saw it --in the middle of the last century-- [i.e., ca. 1847] it is now broken, and tghe portion of the shaft is missing. It has been a handsome specimen of the Perpendicular period. The bow is octagonal, each face having a square panel, with a deeply sunk quatrefoil within a circle, and the few inches of the shaft which remain show that each of its eight sides had a trefoil-headed ornament within a rectangular panel. It now stands by the south-east pier of the tower, in company with some sculptural remains of the ancient church." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Perpendicular period; reported as "broken". Pevsner (1971) notes: "Font. Perp[endicular]. Octagonal with roll mouldings. Quatrefoils on the bowl and cusped panels on the stem." [NB: there is no mention of damage to the font in Pevsner, which would not be unusual]. Richards (1973) makes no mention of damage to the font either: "The font is sixteenth century, and after lying neglected in the tower, has very properly been brought back into use. It is octagonal, with quatrefoil panels, the lower part of the shaft being ornamented with Gothic niches with trefoil heads." The Parish web site [www.nestonparishchurch.org/index.asp?pageid=365465] [accessed 11 December 2012] informs: "Neston Parish Church has a Norman Font dating from 1450. It is Octagonal in shape, made out of stone and has a quatrefoil pattern on its panels. This pattern is repeated on other furnishings in the church such as the dado wood panelling, the pulpit, the glass screens etc. The lower part of the shaft of the font is decorated with Gothic Niches with trefoil heads Emma Lyon, a blacksmiths daughter, born in Ness was baptised in the font in 1765. She later became Lady Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson. The entry in the church registers states: ‘Emy, Dr. of Henry Lyon, Smith, of Ness, by Mary his wife. Bap 12th May 1765’ When the old church was dismantled in 1874 this font was put aside to make way for a more modern one. However, a few years later the original font was restored and reinstated in the church as a memorial to Canon Richard Gleadowe and is used to this day."