Branscombe No. 3

At the time of Stabb's visit to this church [ca. 1906?], a strange object was being used as baptismal font: "The font [...] is a curiosity; there is a fluted stone pillar with bowl, possibly never intended for a font; in the bowl is an ordinary quart earthenware pudding basin. This identical basin has been used for the baptisms of many generations." The peculiar object would soon [ca.1911] be retired from its baptismal functions: 'A Guide to the Church of Saint Winifred Branscombe', by Ronald Branscombe, 1996 [e-text at www.geocities.com/Athens/2155/c20.html], informs that the church building had been reported "in deplorable condition" by Beatrix Cresswell in 1905 [NB: besides her published works on Devon churches, Cresswell provided Kate M. Clarke with a collection of 150 font pencil drawings for Clarke's work on Devon fonts that was published in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association... between 1913 and 1922]. Branscombe further informs that a restoration was carried out in 1911: "With Saint Winifred's now restored to something approaching its former glory, the problem of the lost Norman font remained. The poor earthen basin had outserved its use after three hundred and fifty years, and the Reverend Puddicombe's fluted pedestal, described in 1906 by local church historian Elijah Chick as 'peculiar', had been consigned to the new boiler-house, where it was employed as support." Noted in Pevsner (1952): "Another small font: fluted pillar and small fluted octagonal head, C17? Probably not intended as a font." [cf. Index entry for Branscombe No. 2 for the replacement font from East Teignmouth, and Branscombe No. 1 for the original disappeared font]