Staffordstown House

INFORMATION

Font ID: 09257STA
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 14th century, Medieval
Church / Chapel Name: [not in a church -- may have been originally from a local manor chapel]
Font Location in Church: Reported ca. 1968 "out in the middle of a field"
Church Address: Staffordstown House, Staffordstown, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland
Site Location: Meath / An Mhí, Leinster, Republic of Ireland, Europe
Directions to Site: Located is located off (S) the R153, about 6 km SE of Navan [Roe does not provide directions or village name reference for this location other than the name of the farm (?) itself]
Historical Region: Barony of Skreen
Additional Comments: abandoned font: reported ca. 1968 in the middle of a grazing field, accompanied by parts of a human skeleton, etc. MUST USE
Font Notes:
Roe (1968: 127-128) expresses exasperation at the sight encountered at the time of her visit to the Staffordstown House site (?) ca. 1968: "Out in the middle of a field, grazed by cattle [...]: a bit of a vault; a bit of a decorated tomb slab; bits of a human skeleton; and a bit of a font, embedded in the ground with the base lying nearby", and adds that, due to its position, "very little can be said of this vessel. It appears square with a circular basin and central drain. The base is also square with a drain hole through the centre." Roe (ibid.) further informs that this land is known to have belonged to the Cusack family and the site is connected to Sir Thomas Cusack, who was involved in the Dissolution of Monasteries and died in 1571. The font, however, adds Roe, "should be referred to at least the 14th century".

COORDINATES

UTM: 29U 660113 5944951
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 53.628826, -6.578646
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 53° 37′ 43.78″ N, 6° 34′ 43.13″ W

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Number of Pieces: two
Font Shape: square, mounted
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: square
Drainage System: centre hole in basin & base
Drainage Notes: Roe gives the diameter of the drain in the base as 18 cm
Rim Thickness: 10 cm
Diameter (inside rim): 39 cm
Basin Depth: 29 cm approx.
Basin Total Height: [unknown]**
Height of Base: 11 cm
Square Base Dimensions: 51 x 51 cm*
Trapezoidal Basin: 59 x 59 cm*
Notes on Measurements: Roe (1968: 128) *[Roe gives simply "59 cm." and "51 cm." as the widths of the square basin and base respectively] -- **[the basin was partly embedded in the ground]

REFERENCES

  • Roe, Helen M., Medieval Fonts of Meath, Longford, Ireland: Meath Archaeological and Historical Society, 1968, p. 127-128