Mevagissey / Mevagizzey

Noted in Lysons (1806-1833) as one of a group of remarkable fonts in this county. Baptismal font dated to the Norman period in Paley (1844), Murray (1865), Cox & Harvey (1907), Cox (1912) and Bond (1908) consisting of a bucket-shaped basin mounted on a cylindrical base and a two-step plinth; the upper rim has a zig-zag motif; the basin sides are ornamented with a row of flowers (6-petal) at top, another row of flowers (mixed) in circles in the middle and another row of flowers like that at the top. The bottom rim of the basin has a zig-zag motif. the round base has two plain torus, top and bottom, and a middle one with rope motif. The plinth is round too. Paley (ibid.) reports the font as having been moved from its original position next to the western-most pillar of the nave to its present [ca. 1844] position in the north aisle, west of the door, and also identifies the stone as "a kind of porphyry, dug from the neighboring quarry of Pentewan, near St. Austell". [NB: Pentewan is actually closer to Mevagissey -3 km- than it is to St. Austell -5km]. Noted in Pevsner (1970): "Font. Norman, circular, with chip-carved rosettes, etc., a herringbone moulding above, a zigzag moulding below, and a cable moulding on the base."