Laughton-en-le-Morthen / Lastone / Laughten-en-le-Morthen / Laughton-en-le-Morthing

There is an entry for Laughton [en le Morthen] [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SK5188/laughton-en-le-morthen/] [accessed 15 November 2018] but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. This font here is not mentioned in Hunter (1828-1831). Moule (1837) refers to it as "a very beautiful specimen of sculpture". Noted in Glynne's 20 September 1860 visit to this church (in Butler, 2007): "The font is a fine Perpendicular one, embattled at top, and panelled with varied ornaments -- quatrefoils, wavy circles, flowers, &c." Noted and illustrated in Armitage (1905) as a "handsome Transition Dec[orated] font". Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as an exceptionally fine example of 15th-century font; panels of the bowl have quatrefoils alternating with wavy wheels or roundels. Noted in Morris (1932): "Carved octagonal font -- late Dec[orated], or Perp[endicular]." Pevsner (1986 c1967) writes: "Font. Perp[endicular], octagonal, the bowl baldly embattled. Panels with cusped trefoils, circles with a wheel of three mouchettes, of four mouchettes, and of other tracery motifs", and mentions the font at nearby Throapham as a "brother" to this one. The font is chalice-shaped, with an octagonal basin which has crenellations around the upper side, the panels decorated as indicated above. [cf. Index entry for Throapham for the font at the church of St. John, which is also in the parish of Laughton-en-le-Morthen, in area usually referred to as Throapham]. The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SK5170088206] notes: "Church. Saxon north porticus, C12 chancel, otherwise mostly late C14; mid C19 restoration by Sir George Gilbert Scott. [...] C14 font, beneath tower: octagonal with tracery motifs to castellated top." The Parish web site [www.allsaintschurchlaughton.co.uk] [accessed 15 November 2018] notes: "The octagonal font in the church is of the same period as the third church, late 14th century, although its cover was made in the 17th century."