Camborne No. 2

Noted in Lysons (1806-1833) as one of three Cornish fonts [St. Winnow and St. Ives are the others] that “are nearly alike, and apparently of the fourteenth century, being round, with four angels supporting shields, and inscriptions in text hand: those of Camborne and St. Ives have four lions at the base [...]. The inscription on the [...] font run thus: --‘Ecce karissimi de Deo vero baptizabuntur Spiritu Sc’o;’ with several single letters.” [NB: cf. also the font at St. Anthony-in-Meneage, aka St. Antony-in-Kirrier, for another Cornish font with identical inscription]. Lysons (ibid.) write of "the old font of Camborne, now standing in the pleasure-ground at Tehidy", but the font may have been returned to the Camborne church by the time Cox and Harvey [cf. infra] visited Camborne. Noted and illustrated in Upcott [with reference to Lyson]. The wanderings of this font are reported in the 1851 Ecclesiologist article on Cornish fonts. Noted in Blight (1862). Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Decorated period. Cox (1912) notes a modern granite font, as well as this font: "The remarkable font, apparently late 14th cent, was for some years in Tehidy Park in Camborne parish ; thence it was taken and placed for a short time in parish church; afterwards removed to Treslothan church, for it was ascertained that it came originally from a chapel in Pendarve's Park, now included in Treslothan parish, of which fabric some traces remain. Bowl of font is coarse sandstone; it has an angel at each corner; the wings are connected by bands, on which are 16 separate letters, h. b. q. a.; i. k. n.c. ; c.s.b.e.; l. e. s. c. Meaning of these letters has hitherto baffled solution. Round rim is inscription, Ecce Krisimi de deo vero baptizabunt[ur] spiritu sco, […] and at base of bowl is a key pattern." Thomas (1983) gives the fonts at Tintagel, Sithney and Germoe as similar to this font [cf. corresponding Index entries for Tintagel No. 3, Sithney and Germoe No. 2(?). Pevsner (1970) notes: "Font from Camborne church, C15, granite, with four angels hlding shields and an ornamental band connecting them. So summary and bold in the treatment of the hard material that it looks decidedly modern (cf. St Ives)." [NB: this font is also listed in this Index as Camborne No. 2] [NB: the same listing includes a font of the Norman period for this locality].