Happisburgh / Hapesburc / Hapesburgh / Happesburgh / Happisbourgh

Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

Results: 33 records

Click to view images and/or subjects

B01: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. Matthew - symbol - angel - with scroll

Scene Description: on the southeast side of the basin [NB: orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

B02: angel - seated - holding musical instrument - type of lute?

Scene Description: on the east side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

B03: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. Luke - symbol - winged bull - with scroll

Scene Description: on the northeast side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

B04: angel - seated - holding musical instrument - harp?

Scene Description: on the north side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

B05: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. John - symbol - eagle - with scroll

Scene Description: on the northwest side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

B06: angel - seated - holding musical instrument - type of lute?

Scene Description: on the west side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

B07: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. Mark - symbol - winged lion - with scroll

Scene Description: on the southwest side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a B&W photograph taken 25 May 1961 by George Plunkett [www.georgeplunkett.co.uk/Norfolk/H/Happisburgh St Mary's church font SW sides [4606] 1961-05-25.jpg] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

B08: angel - holding musical instrument - zither?

Scene Description: on the south side of the basin [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: detail of a digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

angel - cherub - head - 8

Scene Description: at the angles of the underbowl chamfer

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

animal - mammal - lion - sejant - 4

Scene Description: at alternate sides with the four woodwoses

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

animal - mammal - quadruped - sejant - 8

Scene Description: a variety of seated quadrupeds, some appear realistic (dog, etc.); others, fabulous or monsters -- all re-carved [cf. FontNotes]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

design element - architectural - buttress - crocketed pinnacle - 8

Scene Description: one at each angle of the basin sides

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

design element - architectural - canopy - pinnacled - crocketed pinnacle

Scene Description: in a set of panels all around the upper side of the pedestal base

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

design element - motifs - floral

Scene Description: some of the square; on the frames of the populated panels of the basin

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

design element - motifs - quatrefoil - 32

Scene Description: eight per side [cf. FontNotes]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

human figure - male - grotesque or fantastic - Green Man or woodwose - with club - 4

Scene Description: Wildmen or woodwoses; at alternate sides with seated lions

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

view of base - southwest side

Scene Description: alternating armed wildmen/woodwoses and smiling [smirking?] lions, al of them raised on large graded pedestals

Image Source: detail of a B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

view of basin - east side

Scene Description: showing one of the four musical angels between Matthew's angel on the left side [southeast], and Luke's ox on the right [northeast] [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of basin - north side

Scene Description: one of the four musical angels between Luke's ox on the left [northeast] and John's eagle on the right [northwest] [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of basin - south side

Scene Description: one of the musical angels between Mark`s lion on the left [southwest] and Matthew's angel on the righ [southeast] [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of basin - southwest side

Scene Description: Mark's lion between two musical angels

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

view of church exterior - southeast view

Image Source: B&W photograph taken 22 October 1977 by George Plunkett [www.georgeplunkett.co.uk/Norfolk/H/Happisburgh St Mary's church from SE [5876] 1977-10-22.jpg] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

view of church exterior - west view

Scene Description: Photo caption: "Tower is 110 feet high"

Image Source: B&W photograph taken 22 October 1977 by George Plunkett [www.georgeplunkett.co.uk/Norfolk/H/Happisburgh St Mary's church tower from W [5875] 1977-10-22.jpg] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

view of church interior - nave - looking east

Scene Description: Photo caption: "14c arcades. 15c screen"

Image Source: B&W photograph taken 25 May 1961 by George Plunkett [www.georgeplunkett.co.uk/Norfolk/H/Happisburgh St Mary's church interior east [4607] 1961-05-25.jpg] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

view of church interior - nave - looking east

Scene Description: showing the west side of the font

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of church interior - nave - looking west

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of font

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Tyrrell-Green (1928: fig. 73 on p. 110)

Copyright Instructions: PD

view of font

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Cautley (1949: 125)

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission received from the publisher

view of font - northeast side

Scene Description: [NB: orientation is approximate]

Image Source: B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

view of font - northwest side

Scene Description: [NB: orientation is approximate]

Image Source: B&W rendering of a colour photograph taken 30 July 1988

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received (letter of 26 October 2013)

view of font - southwest side

Scene Description: Photo caption: "With Lions and "Woodhouses" canopied around the shaft. 15c"

Image Source: B&W photograph taken 25 May 1961 by George Plunkett [www.georgeplunkett.co.uk/Norfolk/H/Happisburgh St Mary's church font SW sides [4606] 1961-05-25.jpg] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission by Jonathan Plunkett

view of font - west side

Scene Description: one of the four musical angels between John's eagle on the left [northwest] and Mark's lion on the right [southwest] [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

view of font and cover in context - south side

Scene Description: showing one of the four musical angels between Mark`s lion on the left [southwest] and Matthew's angel on the right [southeast] [orientation is approximate]

Image Source: digital photograph April 2005 taken by Simon Knott [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/happisburgh/happisburgh.htm] [accessed 16 December 2013]

Copyright Instructions: Standing permission

INFORMATION

FontID: 01713HAP

Church/Chapel: Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Church Patron Saints: St. Mary the Virgin

Church Location: Church Street, Happisburgh, Norfolk NR12 0QT

Country Name: England

Location: Norfolk, East Anglia

Directions to Site: Located "on a hillock at what could be the end of the world" (Jenkins, 1999), 11 km E of North Walsham, SE of Cromer, right on the coast

Ecclesiastic Region: Diocese of Norwich

Historical Region: Hundred of Happing

Font Location in Church: Inside the church, at the W end, centre of the nave

Century and Period: 15th century [re-cut?], Perpendicular [altered?]

Workshop/Group/Artisan: Evangelists' font

Cognate Fonts: Jenkins (1999) gives the font at Ludham as "reminiscent" of this one. Also the font at Acle, though not identical

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Simon Knott, of Norfolk Churches [www.norfolkchurches.co.uk], for his photographs of this church and font; we are also grateful to Jonathan Plunkett for the photographs of this church, taken by his father, George Plunkett, in 1961 and 1977, and to Timothy Marlow, for his photographs of this font

Font Notes: Click to view font notes

There are two entries in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TG3731/happisburgh/] [accessed 16 December 2013] for Happisburgh, but neither mentions a church or cleric in it. Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "The Church is dedicated to St. Mary, and was a rectory, [...] granted to the priory of Wymondham, by the founder, soon after, and a vicarage was settled [...] In the reign of Edward I. it appears that the vicar had no house or land, and the priory had the patronage of the vicarage, which was settled before the year 1229 [...] Nicholas was vicar about 1266". The entry for Wymondham priory in the Victoria County History (Norfolk, vol. 2, 1906) reads: "The Benedictine priory of Wymondham, dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin, was founded early in the reign of Henry I, by William de Albini, chief butler to the king. By the foundation charter, Wymondham was made a cell of the great abbey of St. Albans [...] William de Albini, the founder, and Maud his wife, who was the daughter of Roger Bigod, earl of Norfolk, richly endowed the priory with lands, churches, tithes, and rents, chiefly at Wymondham, Buckenham, Happisburgh, and Snettisham." This William de Albini is William d'Aubigny (aka 'Pincerna' (+1139)), and the founding of the priory is set ca. 1107, which would place the date of the foundation of Happisburgh St. Mary's somewher between 1086 and 1107. Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 describes the present font here as "handsome and curiously sculptured". Noted in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a Norfolk font similar in design to the several of the ones in Suffolk: Chediston, Hakesworth, Middleton, Theberton and Wissett, as well as to the one at Ludham, in Norfolk. Described and illustrated in Tyrrell-Green (1928); octagonal font of the Perpendicular period; the basin panels alternate the symbols of the four Evangelists with four angels holding musical instruments; a pinnacled buttress ornaments each vertical angle of the basin sides; the corners of the chamfers have cherubs whose wings extend along the sides of the same; Tyrrell-Green (ibid.) describes the "very fine canopy work" on the upper part of the pedestal base, under which four wild-men wielding clubs stand, and four lions sit; a lower base matches the width and shape of the basin; the whole font is raised on a wider octagonal three-step plinth the sides of which are ornamented with quatrefoil motifs. Th whole font looks suspiciously sharp, and must have been either re-tooled or re-carved in its entirety. Noted and illustrated in Cautley (1949). Described in Pevsner & Wilson (1997) as "of an ambitious Suffolk type" of the 15th century. Described in Jenkins (1999), who qualifies it as an excellent font: "Against its stem are four lions and four wildmen, wooly, fierce and carrying clubs surmounted by Gothic crocketed finials in relief. The bowl has reliefs of the symbols of the Evangelists, interspeded with angels playing musical instruments. Each panel is a delight." This font is not unlike some of the ones found in Suffolk, also adorned with fierce woodwoses and elegant lions. Jenkins (ibid.) reports an anecdote from the church guide about an 18th-century rector concerned about the under-use of this baptismal font. When he found out that the reason behind the derth of baptisms was the high cost of the entertainment which accompanied it, "the rector undertook to pay for a large party himself, and on Whitsunday that year baptised 170 villagers at one session." The font is illustrated in Knott (2005) and described as "entirely recut". [NB: we have no information on the font of the 11th-12th century church here].

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 52.82557, 1.53064

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 52° 49′ 32.05″ N, 1° 31′ 50.3″ E

UTM: 31U 400997 5853879

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, type unknown

Font Shape: octagonal (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal

LID INFORMATION

Date: modern

Material: wood,

Apparatus: no

Notes: plain, round and flat wooden lid

REFERENCES

Blomefield, Francis, An essay towards a topographical history of Norfolk, 1805-1810

Bond, Francis, Fonts and Font Covers, London: Waterstone, 1985 c1908

Cautley, Henry Munro, Norfolk Churches, Ipswich: Norman Adlard & Co., 1949

Cox, John Charles, English Church Furniture, New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1907

Friar, Stephen, The Sutton Companion to Churches, Thrupp, Stroud (Gloucs.): Sutton Publishing, 2003

Jenkins, Simon, England's Thousand Best Churches, London and New York: Allen Lane, the Penguin Press, 1999 [2000 rev. printing]

Knott, Simon, The Norfolk Churches Site, Simon Knott, 2004. [standing permission to reproduce images received from Simon (February 2005]. Accessed: 2009-06-23 00:00:00. URL: www.norfolkchurches.co.uk.

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate and Market Towns, Parishes, Chapelries, and Townships, and the Islands of Guernsy, Jersey, and Man, with Historical and Statistical Descriptions [...], London: S. Lewis, 1831

Pevsner, Nikolaus, Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East [2nd ed.], Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1997

Tyrrell-Green, E., Baptismal Fonts Classified and Illustrated, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge: The Macmillan Co., 1928