London No. 6 / Cornhill

Bond (1908) reports several entries appearing in the archival records for expenses related to the font in this church, including a cover made in 1466 ("payde for tymber and workmanship of the font lydde, ijs. ijd"), a lifting system ("for ij polyes and ij ropes for the same, iiijd."), a lining for the basin well ("for ij yerds and a half grene bokeram for lyning of the font, xvid." and for painting of the cover ("for peyntyng of the font lydde, ijs."). A few years later, in 1473, 3d. were paid "for xiiij fadom corde for the cording of the font". The earlier font, however, is no longer in the church, probably discarded or destroyed in the Reformation or Civil Wars. The present font, is an octagonal basin, decorated with moulded and ribbed patterns, that bears the date 1672 on one of its sides, raised on a red-marble stem and plain octagonal two-volume lower base and and octagonal plinth with kneeling stone; the support of the font appears to be of a later date, perhaps Victorian? The present wooden font cover is not the one noted in Bond [cf. supra], but a simpler one of later date, octagonal and flat, with metal decoration and ring handle. [NB: a church existed in this location already in 1055, byt we have no information on the earlier font(s)]