Up Marden / Upmarden / Upper Marden

Harrison (1920) credits O.H. Leeney's 1914 detailed notes on this church in the 'Brighton and Hove Archaeologist', and mentions a "tub-shaped font (? pre-Conquest)" in it. The Victoria County History (Sussex, vol. 4, 1953) notes: "The church of [Up] Marden had been given to Lewes Priory before 1121, [...] probably by Engeler de Bohun, whose daughter Muriel with her husband Savaric fitz Cane in about 1142 made a fresh grant of it to the priory. [...] The nave and chancel were built at the same time in the 13th century; the tower was added later in the same century [...] The font is circular, cup-shaped, on a plain circular stem, and may date from the 12th century". Noted in Whiteman (1994) as a circular font, probably of the 12th century. Described and illustrated in the CRSBI (2008) with suggested date of the early 13th century: "Although thought to be 12thc. in date, the slight proportions of this font suggest that it may be contemporary with the church, ie: early 13thc." The font consists of a plain and rather small bucket-shaped basin raised on a circular pedestal and a narrow square lower base or plinth; the bucket-shaped basin has been repaired, showing stone-insert repairs to the uppe rim; the whole base appears modern; the whole whitewashed. The wooden cover is crudely made, round and flat with a croos-bar handle; it appears old.