Taunton No. 1

Results: 13 records

Click to view images and/or subjects

B01: New Testament - Passion of Christ - Crucifixion - Mary - John the Evangelist

Scene Description: inside a triple arch

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

B02: Apostle or saint - Apostles - 12

Scene Description: in groups of three. over four of the basin sides; on this side: left: Thomas with his lance; centre: either James the Less with his pole? [broken here at both ends?]; right: James the Greater with his scallop shell?

Image Source: detail of a B&W digital photograph in the Edwin Rae Collection, TARA [Trinity College Access to Rsearch Archive] [[http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/14604] [accessed 6 April 2008]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

B03: design element - architectural - arcade - Gothic arches - 24

Scene Description: a triple pointed arch on each panel; they contain groups of figures

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

BBU01: design element - motifs - floral - square flower

Scene Description: all around the upper basin side

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

BU01: design element - motifs - floral - square flower

Scene Description: a narrow band all around the chamfer

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

LB01: design element - architectural - window - quatrefoiled - 8

Scene Description: one on each side of the base; each contains a floral motif inside

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

LB02: design element - motifs - floral - in a quatrefoil - 8

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

view of base - detail

Image Source: detail of a B&W digital photograph in the Edwin Rae Collection, TARA [Trinity College Access to Rsearch Archive] [[http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/14604] [accessed 6 April 2008]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of basin - detail

Image Source: detail of a B&W digital photograph in the Edwin Rae Collection, TARA [Trinity College Access to Rsearch Archive] [[http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/14604] [accessed 6 April 2008]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of basin - detail

Scene Description: identified by their symbols as: left: St. James the Less or St. Jude, depending on the identification of the staff or club; centre: Philip, with his staff with crossed top; right: Matthew or Judas Iscariot

Image Source: B&W digital photograph in the Edwin Rae Collection, TARA [Trinity College Access to Rsearch Archive] [[http://www.tara.tcd.ie]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of font

Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Bond (1908)

Copyright Instructions: PD

view of font and cover in context

Image Source: B&W digital photograph in the Edwin Rae Collection, TARA [Trinity College Access to Rsearch Archive] [[http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/14604] [accessed 6 April 2008]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of font cover - detail

Image Source: detail of a B&W digital photograph in the Edwin Rae Collection, TARA [Trinity College Access to Rsearch Archive] [[http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/14604] [accessed 6 April 2008]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

INFORMATION

FontID: 05640TAU

Church/Chapel: Parish Church of St. James

Church Patron Saints: St. James

Country Name: England

Location: Somerset, South West

Directions to Site: Located 15-20 km SW of Bridgwater, down the A38 (or the M5 exit at #25)

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

Century and Period: 15th - 16th century[basin only] [composite font], Late Medieval [composite]

Font Notes: Click to view font notes

Toulmin & Savage (1822) note the font, but give an inaccurate description of the decoration on the basin sides: "The font is ancient, of an octagonal form, and on each of its sides are sculptured three female figures, standing in canopied niches. Above them is a border of quatrefoils" [NB: many of the figures are bearded and the floral motifs are square flowers -- cf. infra]. The Illustrated London News lists an "Ancient Font in St. James Church, Taunton / unnown author / A. A. Clarke and J. L. W." in its 20 January 1849 issue (vol. XIV, ed. 352). Described in the Handbook for travellers… (1869): "a good font, with sculptures of the Crucifixion and the 12 Apostles". Jeboult (1873) notes: "the beautifully-carved ancient font, lately restored--a fine example of the architecture of the period. It is of light soft stone, octagonal in shape, with figures of apostles and martyrs in each panel." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Perpendicular period. Described and illustrated in Bond (1908) as an octagonal mounted baptismal font of the 15th or early-16th century. There is band of square flower motif around the upper basin side and another, similar to it, around the very narrow chamfer of the underbowl; the basin sides have three trefoiled arches with scenes or figures in them; one of the scenes is a Crucifixion with two other figures, probably Mary and John in attendance; four of the other arches have groups of three standing figures, no doubt the twelve Apostles, identified by their symbols, to the right of the Crucifixion one of the figures appears to be John the Baptist holding a crozier; the octagonal base is rather uncharacteristic of this period, almost as wide as the basin and quite heavy looking, hence the negligeable chamfer; the base is ornamented with a large quatrefoil window on each side, inside which is a complex floral motif; the spandrels on the sides have also floral motifs; there are mouldings on the lower basin sides and on the lower base. [NB: The Gentleman's Magazine (issue for July 1842, p. 190) reports the consecration of Trinity Church, in Taunton, and that its font "of Painswicke stone, executed by Long, from a design by Derich, Oxford, was presented by a lady of the neighbourhood" -- this font not listed separately in BSI on account of its late date]. Wade & Wade (1929) write: "The most noteworthy feature of the church is its splendid font, richly adorned with figures of apostles and ecclesiastics." Pevsner (1958) dates the font to the 15th century but points out that the stem is a 19th-century replacement.

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone

Number of Pieces: two?

Font Shape: octagonal (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal

LID INFORMATION

Material: wood,

Notes: [cf. Images Area]

REFERENCES

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

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

Jeboult, Edward, A General Account of West Somerset, description of the Valley of the Tone, and the history of the twon of Taunton, Taunton: Somerset and Bristol Steam-press, 1873

Murray, John, A handbook for travellers in Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire, London: John Murray, 1869

Pevsner, Nikolaus, South and West Somerset, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1958

Toulmin, Joshua, The History of Taunton, in the County of Somerset, London [Taunton]: Printed for John Poole [...] and James Savage [...], 1822

Wade, G.H., Somerset, London: Methurn & Co., 1929