Worlingworth / Wallingworth

This font and cover appear on a 1753 print by George Vertue from an etching "published by R. Loder, after revett", entitled: "A Perspective View of the Fort with its Antique and Beautifull Type of Gothick Work as now standing in the Church of Worlingworth"; in the British Museum collections [ref.: 1850,0223.675 -- PPA228959]. Depicted in an etching with title: "Drawn after T[homas]. Higham", "Engd and Pubd by J[ohn]. Greig Feby. 1. 1813"; in the British Museum [ref.: AN556855001. Department: Prints & Drawings. Registration number: 1902,0818.328. Location: British Masters Portfolio]. Evans' 1824 auction 'Catalogue of the valuable collection of the late George Nassau, Esq.[...]' lists a drwing (?) "Font at Worlingworth by Vertue" in a set containg several other items [copy of the auction catalogue held at the Bodleian Library, Oxford]. Dowsing (1885) reports on his visit to this church in 1643/1644 "2 Crosses on the Font [...] and the Holy Water Font to be defaced". Noted in Gough (1792) as an instance "of costly and laboured covers, finished in a rich Gothic style of wood-work". Tall telescopic font cover illustrated in a drawing by T. Higham, engraved and published by J. Greig (1813) [source: www.londonancestor.com]. The cover is noted in Paley (1844) as an exquisite example of "the lofty-spire canopies". Paley (ibid.) adds that the present font and cover are said to have been removed from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds." Allen (1839?) writes: "The inscription is ΝΙΨΟΝ ΑΝΟΜΗΜΑ ΜΗ ΜΟΝΑΝ ΟΨΙΝ (Lord) wash my sin and not my face only,) it will be readily perceived that this Greek inscription reads either backward or forward. This monostich appear to have been adopted from the Greek church. It is, or was to be seen, on the font of the basiilica of St. Sophia at Constantinople. In this country its occurrence is frequent, in particular on the covers of the fonts at Dulwich College, and Worlingworth church Suffolk, a festive basin at Trinity College Cambridge, on the font at Harlow in Essex, and at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, and in France on a marble benitier in the church of Notre Dame, and the fonts at St. Stephen d'Egres at Paris, and in that of St. Menin's Abbey near Orleans." Parker (1855) notes both the font, "with the emblems of the Evangelists […] said to have been removed from Bury" [St. Edmund's], and the magnificent font cover, which, Parker remarks, has no parllel in the county. Bond (1908) lists this font as part of a group bearing the palindrome inscription "ΝΙΨΟΝ ΑΝΟΜΗΜΑ ΜΗ ΜΟΝΑΝ ΟΨΙΝ", "Cleanse your sin, not your face only" [NB: not known where in the font this inscription appears]. The same source (ibid.) describes the font cover as a fine example of the Gothic style. [NB: on a footnote Bond (ibid.) adds: "On another panel is 'Circumcisio cordis in Spiritu non Litera'-G.W.S." -- it is not known whether or not the note refers specifically to this font)]. The Greek palindrome on this font is also documented in Cox & Harvey (1907). The font-cover is noted and illustrated in Howard & Crossley (1919). Illustrated in Simon Knott's page [www.suffolkchurches.co.uk] and in Aidan Semmens' page [www.sillysuffolk.co.uk]; the latter informs that after many restorations, the telescopic mechanisms of the cover no longer work [NB: some of these tall font covers were made in a multi-part design in which the parts fitted into each other in the manner of a telescope when raised]. Knott (ibid.) mentions a "dedicatory inscription" on the font "Orate pro anima" and the name of the intended, Nicholas Moni, but does not provide the full text; he also gives the font at Southolt as similar. The font itself is octagonal, probably of the Perpendicular period, of the type with profuse carving of symbols (usually the Evangelists') and figures on the basin sides, cherubs and flowers on the underbowl, and woodwooses and'or sedente lions on the base. The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: TM2336468642] notes: "Parish church. Medieval, restored 1866 [...] C15 octagonal font on a wide, 2-stepped base; bowl panels carved with Signs of the Evangelists and shield-bearing angels; 4 lions against the stem, at the base of which is an original inscription. Tall C15 font cover with crocketed and buttressed canopy, much restored; it was re-painted and gilded in 1963."