Stydd nr. Ribchester / Stede / Stidd

No individual entry for Stydd, Stidd or Stede in the Domesday survey. Whitaker (1823) who uses the name 'Stede' reports: "The font is octagonal, and only remarkable for the armorial bearings, which, in the rudest possible style, are sculptured around it.Of these the first bears the usual distinction of the [H]ospitallers". Raines annotation to Gastrell's original entry of 1717 for Caton's church (1845- ) reads: "The Font is old, octagonal, and of grit stone. It has the arms of the Templars, and others, rudely sculptured upon it." In Redding & Taylor (1842): "a fine old octagon , with armorial bearings beautifully carved" [source: Craig Thornber's transcription in www.thornber.net/famhist/htmlfiles/itinerarylancs.html#pad]. The entry for Stidd in Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-1872) notes: "The church is of the time of King Stephen [i.e., 1135-1154], has been curtailed of much of its quondam proportions, and is seldom used." The font is described and illustrated in Smith & Shortt (1890): "The font stands on the north-east side of the church; it is octagonal in shape, and made of dark grit-stone. Its rugged and massive appearance [...] is considerably enhanced by the strong broad foundation of stone upon which it rests. On the upper part are shields bearing the following sacred and heraldic monograms and devices: (1) Jesus. (2) Heart, hands, and feet of Christ. (3) The initials T. P., possibly intended to denote the donor, of whom many (all probably inaccurate) conjectures have been made. I venture to suggest that the monogram refers to Sir Thomas Pemberton, who was Preceptor of Newland, under which Stydd was a camera. Many authorities consider that P. stands for Prior and not for a surname, others think the letters stand for Turcopolier — one ol the official titles ol the Order of St. John ; but, however this may be, it is not a little remarkable that in the chapel attached to the Preceptory of Newland, it is stated that there was some stained glass with coats of arms on it. Among others are : — " Or, on a cross sable, five bulls' heads argent, two and three gules, and a chevron between three pheons argent." It will be noticed that these arms are very similar to those marked 7 and 8 on the font at Stydd. And as Sir Thomas Pemberton followed close after Thomas Newport, as Preceptor of Newland, it seems probable — the arms of Newport being on the font at Stydd — that the font m ay have been a gift to the camera from the Preceptory. But to resume the description of the shields. (4) A quatrefoil on a chief a long cross. (5) A leopard's head jessant-de-lis, the arms of Cliderhowe of Salesbury. (6) Lion rampant jessant-de-lis, the arms of Hothersall of Hothersall. (7) Five bulls' heads cabossed in cross. (8) On a chevron between three pheons as many mullets, the arms of Newport, of Salop. We must confess that we feel glad we are able to give a fuller explanation of this old font than has been given before. Dr. Whitaker makes no attempt to explain any of the arms save one (No. 4) which he assigns to the Knights Hospitallers. Other writers confess their inability to say to what families the shields belonged, although Latham deliberately asserts, without any proof whatever, " that the shields on the upper part bear the arms of the Talbot family, but no date."' Every effort has been made to identify shields Nos. 4 and 7, but without success. It is, however (as I have said), possible that the font was a gift to Stydd from the Preceptor of Newland.' I ought to add that I am much indebted to Sir Henry Dryden, Bart., P.S.A., and Mr. Joseph Gillow, for their help in the matter." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a font of the Perpendicular period. Noted in Pevsner (1969) and in Hartwell & Pevsner (2009) :Font. Late Perp[endicular], very rough, with shields with elementary motifs." The Lancashire Churches web site [www.lancashirechurches.co.uk/stydd.htm] [accessed 18 September 2006] illustrates the font and notes: "The font is C16 and very similar to that at St Bartholomew's Chipping. It is octagonal with shields and crude carvings on each face. It is possible that both fonts are the work of the same person. It was the gift of Sir Thomas Pemberton, the Preceptor of Newland." The Parish website [http://www.saintwilfrids.org.uk/html/saint_saviour.html] [accessed 11 May 2010] notes: "The font is worth special attention. It is roughly carved of dark gritstone by some country craftsman; fonts in a similar naive style - perhaps even by the same hand - exist at St Helen's, Waddington and at St Batholemew's, Chipping. The font is octagonal in shape; the carvings depict sacred and heraldic symbols and monograms [...]"