Madron / St. Madron / Saint Madron / St. Maddern

Noted in Lysons (1806-1833) as one of a group of Cornish fonts that “are square, very little ornamented, and supported by a pedestal and four pillars”. Noted in Murray's Handbook for travellers […] (1865): "a square font of Norman character, always covered with a white, fringed, linen napkin, a very old custom of this parish." Kelly's Directory of Cornwall (1883) mentions "a curious old granite font" in this church. Described and illustrated in Blight (1862): "the font, which is Norman. The lead with which it is lined is brought over the upper edge and nearly half-way down the side. The forms of square panels may be seen on one side, --doubtless the other sides were similar; but the font appears to have received violent injury; portions have been plastered up, and it is also thickly coated with lime. The block of granite on which it stands is extremely rude". [it then proceeds to give the dimensions of the font -- cf. Measurements area]. Cox (1912) writes: "Square Norm, font has been unhappily discarded; bowl lies in churchyard ; 5 plain shafts and circular base are original." Described in Tyrrell-Green (1928) as "a font consisting of a rectangular bowl upon a large central shaft, with four slender supporting shafts at the angles [...] a type of font, characteristic of the Norman period in architecture". Tyrrell-Green (ibid.) mentions also that the ruins of the old chapel here still show traces of how "the water from St. Madron's well near-by passed through a channel in the south wall of the oratory into a reservoir in the south-west corner, and was drained out again through a trough towards the north." This appears to be indicative of the presence of an early baptistery here , similar to the ones at Llangibby, Mathern, Llanwenog, St. Cleer, Callington, etc. Not in Pevsner (1970), who mentions the 14th-century Baptistery of St. Madron and St. Madron's Holy Well in this town. The Historic Churches Preservation Trust mentions "a Norman font supporting a modern basin" in this church [source: 'Recent Grants' issue of the Grants Cttee. Meeting of 28 September, www.historicchurches.org.uk]