Theydon Bois / Theydon Boys

INFORMATION

Font ID: 16893THE
Object Type: Baptismal Font1?
Font Century and Period/Style: 11th - 12th century, Medieval
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin [demolished]
Font Location in Church: [cf. FontNotes]
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Mary the Virgin [earlier St. Botolph]
Church Address: [cf. FontNotes]
Site Location: Essex, East, England, United Kingdom
Directions to Site: Located 2 km S of Epping. The old church was located on the road between Theydon Bois and Abridge, but there is no trace left of the old church. The new St. Mary's is located between Coppice Row and Piercing Hill.
Historical Region: Hundred of Ongar
Additional Comments: disappeared font?
Font Notes:
The Victoria County History (Essex, vol. 4: 1956) notes: "There was a church at Theydon Bois in the 12th century and perhaps earlier. [...] The old parish church of St. Mary, which may earlier have been dedicated to St. Botolph, [...] stood next to Theydon Hall, about ¾ mile north of Abridge Bridge. [...] In 1843 the parish vestry resolved to build a new church in a more central situation, and a faculty was accordingly obtained. The old church was pulled down, the materials being sold for £78 and the barrel organ for £20. (fn. 76) The site is now marked only by a few tombstones overgrown with grass and young trees." There is no mention of a font in the VCH entry for this parish. [NB: the baptismal font in the new church is of stone, an octagonal basin mounted on an octagonal pedestal base and round lower base; we have no information on the font from the medieval church here].

COORDINATES

UTM: 31U 299713 5728453

REFERENCES

  • Victoria County History [online], University of London, 1993-. URL: https://www.british-history.ac.uk.