Gonalston

INFORMATION

Font ID: 15475GON
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 12th century [basin only?], Medieval [composite]
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Laurence
Font Location in Church: [cf. FontNotes]
Church Wikidata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Laurence%27s_Church,_Gonalston
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Lawrence [aka Laurence]
Site Location: Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located off the A612, just NE of Lowdham, 6-7 km SSW of Southwell
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham
Additional Comments: disused font / re-cycled font / drinking trough for cattle / restored font / disappeared font MUST USE
Font Notes:
Baylay (1903) notes: "Outside the north wall of the church will be seen what is believed to be the bowl of the Norman font, cast out by the Parliamentarian troopers, and long used in a field as a drinking trough for cattle. In its stead, after the Restoration of Charles II., was used a hollow, cut out in the top of a large hewn stone—probably once part of a doorway of some old house. This stone is still to be seen in the church, to the north of the chancel arch. In 1853 it was replaced by the present modern font." Cox (1912) reports: "Plain Norm[an] tub font, happily replaced after prolongued ejection." Guilford (1927) mentions and old font and a stoup in the north aisle, and dates the font as Norman. [NB: we have no information on the whereabouts of the replacement Restoration object, or on the modern font of 1853 noted in Baylay]

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Font Shape: tub-shaped
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: round

REFERENCES

  • Baylay, Atwell M.Y., "Summer excursion 1903: Gonalston church", 7 (1903), Transactions of the Thoroton Society, 1903
  • Cox, John Charles, Nottinghamshire, London: Allen, 1912, p. 99 / [http://ia301109.us.archive.org/3/items/nottinghamsh00coxuoft/nottinghamsh00coxuoft.pdf] [accessed 14 October 2009]
  • Guilford, Everard Leaver, Nottinghamshire, London: Methuen, 1927, p. 39, 91