St. Merryn / Saint Merryn / St. Merran / St. Meryn

Noted in Lysons (1806-1833) as one of a group of Cornish fonts of similar shape as the original fonts of Bodmin, Roche, etc., “but evidently of a much later date [...]; of the Catacluse stone, have figures of the twelve apostles, carved in bas-relief, in Gothic niches, and four angels holding shields". Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 reports: "the font is curiously carved with figures of the Apostels, and originally belonged to the ruined church of St. Constantine, an ancient village [...] near Harlyn." 'On the ancient stone fonts of Cornwall' (1851) notes: "the fonts in the churches of S. Petroc, Padstow ; and S. Merryn. They are precisely similar in every respect, and are constructed of a dark stone, called in the neighbourhood " Cataclense Stone." The bowl is round, having four projecting figures of the Evangelists, and between each of these three elegant trefoiled niches, containing the images of the Twelve Apostles in a very perfect state. The bottom of the bowl is moulded, and has four-leaved flowers in the hollows. It rests on a plain central shaft. Recently the angular shafts, which support the Evangelists, and had been removed, have been restored, but not altogether satisfactorily." Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a beautiful example of Early English font made from the local Catacleuse stone (a dark stone of exceeding durability). "It rests on a circular shaft and on four small octagonal pillars, with shield-bearing angels as their capitals; figures, apparently intended for the Apostles, occupy niches round the bowl. This font was brought here [i.e., St. Merryn] about fifty years ago [i.e., ca. 1857?] from the ruined small church of St. Constantine". Noted and illustrated in Cox (1912): "Beautiful early I5th cent, font, with the 12 Apostles round bowl, is of same stone. It closely resembles that of Padstow, and was brought here from neighbouring ruined church of St. Constantine, when old Norm, font was transferred to Maker." Cox (ibid.) describes the stone as "dark Catacleuse stone, sometimes mistaken for Purbeck". Illustrated in the Trinity Access Research Archive [http://hdl.handle.net/2262/14565] accessed 19 November 2009] [NB: the former St. Merry font was removed at the same time to Maker]