Rottingdean / Rotingedene / Rottingdena

There is no mention of a font in this church in Hussey (1852). Harrison (1920), who reports the base of a Saxon doorway in this church, mentions the remains of a 13th-century font in it. Noted and illustrated as an old font having been found in the vicarage garden by Drummond-Roberts (1935), and displayed on a window sill of the church by the time of her visit. The Victoria County History (Sussex, vol. 7, 1940) notes: "The church of St. Margaret [...] The nave is probably early-12th century [...] The font stands at the west end of the south aisle, and is a modern copy of the original, the bowl of which lies on the sill of the window nearby. It had a central column with four surrounding shafts, and is of the 13th century, closely resembling that in Iford Church." Listed in Stocker (1997) as one in a group of "font bowls buried in churchyard or adjacent vicarage garden". The CRSBI (2008) suggests that this may perhaps be the same font as reported by other authors in Maresfield [cf. Index entry]. The CRSBI entry (ibid.) remarks that the old basin was not seen by their staff when they visited the church. [NB: we have photographic evidence tha the old basin was in place inside the church, on the window sill in 2002]. The replica font is said to have been made ca. 1910.