Hooe / Hov / Hou

Harrison (1920) reports a late-Norman font in this church. Described in Whiteman (1994): "The 12th-century square font is of Sussex marble and rest on a central stem with four shafts." The base is monolithic, the colonnettes carved at the angles, rather than 'clustered'. On a modern rectangular plinth. Modern wooden cover. There is a local source for the printed church guides used in this church through the years [www.jwnewport.co.uk/HChurch/] [accessed 22 January 2013]; the section on the nave includes: "The Font (probably Saxon). The Font is of Sussex marble, leaded inside. The base is new, as are also the four columns at the corners. Evidently the font originally consisted of the square basin on a circular pedestal and the four pillars were added later. It probably belongs to the Saxon period; certainly it is not later than the Norman. (EB II 464). At some time it possessed a cover, which was probably secured and padlocked. It probably is older than 1571, for in that year the use of such was prohibited. They were introduced in the fourteenth century when infant sprinkling became an established custom (AR X 208). -- A Stoup on a Pedestal. A stoup, which stood on a pedestal in the nave near the south door, is still in the parish. It was taken from the church many years ago and was bought some time after by a parishioner at a sale in the neighbourhood. The Rev. Canon Simpson informs us his brother discovered one at Sidley; that another was found on the sea-shore at Bulverhythe; and that he and his brother came to the conclusion they were holy water stoups. Although evidently used as stoups, there is good reason to believe they also served the purpose of portable fonts for baptisms in private houses. (EB)." [NB: this source is owned by John William, Newport, 2008]