Horsmonden

Described in Glynne (1877): "The font is an octagon, with roses and shields on the alternate faces." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Perpendicular period. Identified as an early-17th century copy in Cronk (1995 c1967). Newman (1980) notes: "Font. C15. Octagonal, with concave sides, roses and shields." A footnote in Newman (ibid.), acknowledges: "Mr. A. Cronk tells me that the font is a C17 copy"; it was obviously not enough to convince Newman. Noted and illustrated, also as a 17th-century copy, in the Roughwood British Churches Album [http://www.roughwood.net/ChurchAlbum/Kent/Horsmonden/HorsmondenStMargaret2005.htm] [accessed 13 February 2010]: "The font is an early 17th century copy of an early 15th century pattern and is of Perpendicular design. It is almost certainly made by the same person as the font at St Lawrence, Hawkhurst." [NB: the Roughwood... gives Cronk's book as a source for their description]. The font is elegantly done, the sides of the basin slightly concave and decorated as indicated above, one shield bearing the cross of St. George emblem, the roses in the Tudor style; the octagonal stem is plain, and the octagonal lower base is moulded. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat, totally plain, without even a handle; appears modern.