Crantock / Cranstock

Results: 3 records

view of font in context

Photograph of the font in 1912
Scene Description: Photograph of the font in 1912
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © The Francis Frith Collection, 2005
Image Source: The Francis Frith Collection [www.francisfrith.com] Code 64826
Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font and cover in context

Font image
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Llangranog, 2004
Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

INFORMATION

Font ID: 07393CRA
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Date: 1474
Font Century and Period/Style: 12th - 13th century, Late Norman / Transitional?
Cognate Fonts: Fonts at Bodmin, St. Austell, St. Columb-Minor, Cuby, St. Dennis, St. Gorran, Luxulyan, Newlyn, Roche, Southill, Tintagell, Veryan and St. Wen
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Carantoc? / St. Cadoc?
Font Location in Church: Inside the church
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Cadoc [aka Cadocus, Cadog, Catawg, Catwg the Wise]? / St. Carantoc [aka Carannog, Carentoc]
Site Location: Cornwall, South West, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located 1-2 km SW of Newquay, 22 km NW of Truro, inland of Fistral Bay
Additional Comments: date added later?
Font Notes:
Noted in Lysons (1806-1833) as one of a group of Cornish fonts that includes Bodmin, “St. Austell, St. Columb-Minor, Crantock, Cuby, St. Dennis, St. Gorran, Luxulion, Newlyn, Roche, Southill, Tintagell, Veryan, and St. Wen” [NB: Lysons' does not mention a date inscription]. Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 mentions simply that "the font bears the date of 1474". Described and illustrated in Blight (1858): "This font, which is considered to be late Norman, is of a form which occurs more frequently in the West of England, than other parts, but differs from others in bearing a date, which is cut in bold relief on the side, and has been thus read:--'Anno Domini Millesimo CCCClxxiij or ij (1473-2)' There were small columns at the angles". [NB: blight's illustration shows the basin raised only on a central round moulded shaft]. Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the 15th century, the Perpendicular period, with an inscription that dates it to 1474 [NB: C&H use "Cranstock" in the first reference and "Crantock" in the second -- Crockford's uses "Cranstock", the AA Atlas of Britain gives "Crantock"]. Cox (1912) writes: "Late Norm[an] font has date 1474 in relief on bowl ; probably the time of its repair after fall of tower." The parish web page [www.westwind.co.uk/westwind/cornwall/carantoc.html] notes: "The font, of native elvan, is inscribed with the date 1474, but is probably of Norman origin, the date commemorating rebuilding after the fall of the tower." Noted in Pevsner (1970): "Font. Norman, of the type of Mawgan-in-Pydar, St Columb Minor, Sr Wenn, re-tooled in 1474 (?) and with that date inscribed in large script."

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, quartz porphyry [Elvan stone]
Font Shape: square, mounted
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: square

INSCRIPTION

Inscription Language: Latin
Inscription Text: "ANO D' MºCCCC LXXIIIJ"
Inscription Notes: 1472 or 1473 [cf. FontNotes]; probably added later
Inscription Source: Blight (1858: 114); Cox & Harvey (1907: 180)

LID INFORMATION

Date: modern?
Material: wood, oak?
Apparatus: no

REFERENCES

  • Blight, John Thomas, Ancient crosses and other antiquities in the east of Cornwall, London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co., 1858, p. 114
  • Cox, John Charles, Cornwall, London: George Allen & Company, 1912, p. 85
  • Cox, John Charles, English Church Furniture, New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1907, p. 180
  • Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate and Market Towns, Parishes, Chapelries, and Townships, and the Islands of Guernsy, Jersey, and Man, with Historical and Statistical Descriptions [...], London: S. Lewis, 1831, [www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=50903] [accessed 26 January 2007]
  • Lysons, Daniel, Magna Britannia, being a concise topographical account of the several counties of Great Britain, London: Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1806-1822, vol. III: p. ccxxiii
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus, Cornwall, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1970, p. 58