Findon / Findune

Drawing of a font in the Harvey Pridham Drawings of English Fonts (MS 56). [Folder Number, Item Description]. University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries. Special Collections Dept., done by Harvey Pridham in December 1887 accompanied by the following description: "Font in Rectory Garden, formally in the church. What shaped bowl inside? Findon." [NB: was this font later restored to the church?]. Harrison (1920) notes an octagonal font and a holy-water stoup in this church, but gives no other details. The Victoria County History (Sussex, vol. 6, pt. 1, 1980) notes: "There was a church at Findon in 1086 [...] The church of St. John the Baptist, the dedication of which evidently predates the grant or confirmation of the fair in 1261 [...] The horseshoe-shaped archway in the east wall of the south transept, with unusual mouldings, is of c. 1120, [...] and was perhaps the original chancel arch. [...] The old font, probably of c. 1200, with a central pillar and four subsidiary pillars, was replaced by a replica in 1867". Described in Whiteman (1994) as a 13th-century baptismal font located in the eastern side of the aisle. A new font has replaced this one for the regular use in baptisms. Martin (1999) notes the font is of 'Sussex marble' and dates from the 12th or 13th century. Martin (ibid.) further notes: "The ancient Purbeck marble bowl and base of the font were replaced by matching marble. [...] Replacing the old central column and four shafts with new Purbeck marble completed the restoration of the font. It is interesting to note that this marble came from Westminster and was quarried not later than the 13th century", and includes a B&W photograph of the 'new' font in place in the interior of the church ca.1920. Described and illustrated in the CRSBI (2008): "very worn, unlined, octagonal, Sussex marble bowl [...] supported only by the fat central column. The base is also very worn, but is clearly moulded to receive four angle shafts as well as the central shaft [...] Although the VCH claims that the font was replaced by a replica in 1867, it appears to date fromc.1200." [NB: there appears to have been an error in some of the sources; the old font has survived in part, and those remains are located in the north aisle, west end. The replica or reconstructed font is entirely modern, of the 19th century, and is located in the centre of the nave].