Wareham No. 5 / Warham

INFORMATION

Font ID: 11452WAR
Object Type: Baptismal Font1, base only?
Font Date: 1607?
Font Century and Period/Style: 17th century
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Martin
Font Location in Church: [cf. FontNotes]
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Martin of Tours
Site Location: Dorset, South West, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located on the NW side of the "Isle of Purbeck" [it is really a peninsula], about 10 km WSW across from Poole
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocese of Salisbury
Historical Region: Hundred of Winfrith [Newburgh] [in Domesday]
Font Notes:
There are two entries for Wareham [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SY9287/wareham/] [accessed 21 February 2015], one of which, in the hands of the Abbey of Saint Wandrille, mentions a church and church lands in it. Hutchins (1973 c1861-1874) writes: "The stone work of a square font-bowl remains; on it is cut, 'Set up by William Weslted and Philip Helliar, 1607.'" [NB: it is not possible to identify this square basin with the octagonal font reported by The Dorset Historic Churches Trust [cf. Index entry for Wareham No. 4, nor is it clear whether the date carved onto its surface reflects the original date of the font]

COORDINATES

UTM: 30U 563078 5615121

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Font Shape: square
Basin Exterior Shape: square

INSCRIPTION

Inscription Language: English
Inscription Location: [cf. FontNotes]
Inscription Text: "Set up by William Weslted and Philip Helliar, 1607"
Inscription Notes: [cf. FontNotes]
Inscription Source: Hutchins (1973 c1861-1874, vol. 1: 105)

REFERENCES

  • Hutchins, John, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset, Wakefield: E.P. Pub. Ltd., 1973, vol. 1: 105