Longtown

Described in Herefordshire (1931-1934, vol. I: 180): "Font [...] with curved circular bowl, short round shaft and base, 13th-century. Font-cover [...] of wood planks dowelled together and ornamented on top with incised rings; square iron handle, 17th-century." The advertissements section of The Church Builder (no. XXIII, July 1867) includes a plea for help for ïimediate help "for the restoration" of St. Michael's Chapel, Longtown, Herefordshire; one of the details of the "most sad and fearful state" of the building is that "there is no font for Holy Baptism". This Chapel was at the time a chapel of ease of the Parish Church of St. Clodock. The plea must have worked, since Littlebury's Directory of Herefordshire of 1876-1877 reports: "The chapel of ease, dedicated to St. Michael, was in 1869 beautifully restored at a cost of upwards of £1,100, chiefly obtained by subscriptions. It has nave, chancel, bell-turret with two bells, and about 200 sittings, all of which are free." [NB: we have no information on the baptismal font of that chapel]