Sidbury nr. Honiton No. 1

INFORMATION

Font ID: 09320SID
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 12th century, Norman
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Giles
Font Location in Church: [disappeared?]
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Giles [aka Aegidus, Egidus, Gilles] & St. Peter
Site Location: Devon, South West, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located on the A-375, 10 km S of Honiton
Font Notes:
Cave & Blakiston (1930) inform that, during his to this church on 13 July 1301, Bitton, bishop of Exeter, refers to the presence of a "font properly provided with a lock", which would date to the font at least that early. The survival of the old font lock is noted in Cautley (1982). Hoskins (1954) writes of the original church: "The structural history of the Norman and later church may be summarised as follows: (a) an early 12th century church of nave and chancel only, of which considerable parts remain; (b) a W. tower and N. and S. aisles added late in the 12th century; (c) the chancel lengthened c. 1260-80, and N. an d S. transepts either added or remodelled." The font seen by Bishop Bitton must have been the original one from the Norman church.

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone

LID INFORMATION

Date: 12-13th century?
Notes: [cf. FontNnotes regarding a report of cover on 1301]

REFERENCES

  • Cautley, Henry Munro, Suffolk churches and their treasures, Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 1982, p. 63
  • Cave, D.C.A, A Short History of Sidbury Church, 1930, p. 12
  • Davies, J.G., The Architectural Setting of Baptism, London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1962, p. 70 and fn6
  • Hoskins, William George, Devon, London: Collins, 1954, [cited in http://www.devon.gov.uk/localstudies/110394/1.html [accessed 13 March 2009]]