London No. 53

INFORMATION

Font ID: 13617LON
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Date: ca. 1680?
Font Century and Period/Style: 17th century(late?), Stuart? / Jacobean?
Workshop/Group/Artisan: Christopher Wren?
Cognate Fonts: a copy oif the now disappeared font of St. Mildred's, Bread Street
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Anne and St. Agnes
Font Location in Church: [destroyed]
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Anne & St. Agnes
Site Location: Greater London, South East, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located on the N side of St. Anne's, within Aldersgate
Additional Comments: disappeared fonts: two at least, including Wren's ca.1680 font / destroyed font
Font Notes:
Allen (1839?) reports that the old church of St. Anne's, also known as St. Anne's in the Willows, was destroyed in the fire of 1666. A new church was built by Wren in 1680 to replace it; in it ''the font is situated in the vestibule under the gallery; it is a neat circular basin, on an octagonal pillar, and covered with a canopy of carved wood-work.'' That font was destroyed in the bombings of London, as noted in Blatch (1995): ''The tall, circular font of white veined marble standing on an elegant pedestal was made after the War to replace one which came from St. Mildred's, Bread Street, and is a copy of it, except for the decoration. The cover is carved in high relief with leaves and rosettes, and has a gold and red crown.'' [NB: the old church dated back to Norman times, but we have no information on the earlier font(s) of this church]

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Font Shape: round, mounted
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: round

REFERENCES

  • Allen, Thomas, The History and Antiquities of London, Wsetminster, Southwark, and parts adjacent, London: published by George Virtue, 26 Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row, [1839?], p. 39 / [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BVEGAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA717&lpg=RA1-PA717&dq=queenhithe+church+font&source=web&ots=9dzBGxXJDM&sig=mvPDHDDOyNJa-B_jKtBxJr4-Ny4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result] [accessed 16 July 2008]
  • Blatch, Mervyn, Guide to London's churches (2. ed.), London: Constable, 1995, p. 26