Monyash

Described in Cox (1875-1877): "The font [...] which is placed under the archway leading into the chancel, is an exception, as it is of unusual construction. The font itself is of an octagonal shape, six of its sides being destitute of ornament, one bears a quatrefoil, and the other has on a shield the following armorial bearings: A fess between thre saltires engrailed. It is supported on four clustered columns, the capitals of which are sculptured into what appear to be intended for the fore and hind quarters of a lion and a tiger, though one of the four is broken off. It stands three feet in height, and is two feet three inches in diameter across the top. A coat of arms similar to the one upon this font was borne by the family of Bovill [...] The saltires were not usually represented as engrailed, but Sewall de Bovill, Archbishop of York 1256-8, bore them thus. This might represent the possible date of this font, though it may be very probably be somewhat later, but we are not aware of any connection between the Bovills and Monyash." Cox (ibid.) adds that "the font is in our opinion of earlier date than the Perpendicular period" and gives the inscription on the lid as: "W. B. R. N. 1733". Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Perpendicular period. Noted in Pevsner (1978): "Font. C15. Octagonal bowl on quatrefoil stem decorated with animals." Bunting (2001) writes: "The Bovill arms decorate the Monyash font, sculpted too with beasts resembling a lion and a tiger." A recent [2004] photograph of this font by Alf Bread appears in the GENUKI entry for Monyash [http://wishful-thinking.org.u/genuki/DBY/Monyash/StLeonard5.html/]