St. Anthony-in-Meneage / St. Anthony-in-Kerrier / St. Antony in Kirrier

Described in Blight (1862): "The font [...] appears to be of the thirteenth century and, like many others in Cornwall, has around the bowl four angels bearing shields. Around the upper part of the bowl is the inscription -- 'Ecce karissimi de Deo vero baptizabuntur spiritu sancto', with the initials Q.P., B.M., B.V., P.R.; two letters being placed between each angel." Blight (ibid.) gives the height of the font at 3 ft. 3 in. and informs that Lysons' Cornwall includes "an engraving of a font, formerly in Camborne Church, similar to this and with the same inscription." Bond (1908) as a late baptismal font with the inscription "Ecce Rarissimi de deo vero baptizabantur spiritu sancto" and four sets of initials repeated twice. The basin is bucket-shaped and has four (?) demi-angels, each holding a large shield, in very high relief; the inscription runs around the upper rim side; the initials are on the basin side between the angels; the lower basin side has a zig-zag motif all around. The pedestal of the base is cylindrical and plain, and the lower base or plinth is square and quite tall. Tyrrell-Green (1928) corrects Bond's reading of the second word to "KARISSIMI", which not only makes more sense, but makes this text identical to the inscriptions on two Cornish fonts. Cox & Harvey (1907) transcribe "KARISSIMI" as well. [NB: C&H use "St. Anthony-in-Kerrier" for the name of the site]. Cox (1912) lists this as one of a group of Cornish fonts made from imported Caen stone, and gives the same date and inscription information as Blight above. Noted in Pevsner (1970): "Font. Circular, with shield-holding angels, but not as severely hieratic as, for example, at St Ives. The inscription reads: Ecce Karissimi De Deo Vero Baptizabuntur Spiritu Sancto. The date is probably C15." [cf. Index entry for St. Anthony... No. 2 for a second font in this church]