Marden nr. Maidstone

Glynne (1877) notes: "The font, now in the north aisle of the chancel, is a plain octagon, painted brown on a stem of like shape, witth a good cover of wood of the seventeeth century." Bond (1908) narrates the following story about the destruction of the Marden font and the later addition of a new one [we are not certain which Marden church this refers to]: "At the time of the Commonwealth, the Vicarage of Marden was held by a certain Mr. Cornwell. The Rector of Staplehurst was a Baptist. At a meeting at Cranbrook the Baptist Rector gave his views on Infant Baptism. Mr. Cornwell of Marden said that he would answer his reverend brother at the next meeting of the clergy. When, however, Mr. Cornwell came to the next meeting, he said that he had studied the subject, and found that infant baptism was a delusion and a snare contrary to Scripture and the custom of the Early Church, and in order to prove the courage of his convictions he has smashed the Morden font. After the Act of Uniformity, it was necessary to provide a new Vicar for Marden; who, finding no font, had one constructed, together with a cover, and placed upon this font the date of the said Act of Uniformity, namely, 1662." The cover is described also in Bond (ibid.) as being of the "Rim Buffet" type ["they are fixed to the rim of the font and have shutters opening like those of a tryptich"]. Noted in Iggleston (1925) with the same annecdote as in Bond [cf. supra]. The new font and cover are noted in Newman (1980): "Font. 1662. Plain octagonal bowl. Tall, contemporary cover with doors." Randall (1980) illustrates the new font and cover; the font is unremarkable enough: octagonal, mounted and without ornamentation except for the sets of initials EM and RB and the date 1662 on its basin sides.