Farnworth nr. Widnes / St. Wilfrid's-on-the-Hill

No idividual entry found for either Farnworth or Widness in the Domesday survey. Ellis (1902) reports that, "during the restoration [...] in 1894, the font was removed from the west end of the north aisle to its present position at the west end of the nave, where it stands on a circular plinth. It is of local sandstone, octagonal, and perfectly plain, except for a roll moulding at the junction of the neck of the bowl with the shaft; and as the base is considerably less in diameter than the bowl, the font has a clumsy top-heavy appearance." The same source notes that, although it is difficult to ascertain the date of the font, the size of the basin is indicative of medieval pedigree. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Lancashire, vol. 3, 1907) notes Farnworth chapel and its font in its entry for Widnes: "The font, which originally stood in the south aisle, [...] and was afterwards set at the west end of the north aisle, is now at the west end of the nave. It is octagonal, with a roll at the base of the bowl, but otherwise perfectly plain, and may be of the fifteenth century." Pollard & Pevsner (2006) note: Font. Plain, octagonal, possibly C15". The Parish web site [www.st-luke.org.uk/Building.aspx] [accessed 7 October 2010] has: "The church of St. Luke was founded in 1180 as one of four chapels of ease for the parish of Prescot. Its original dedication was to the Anglo-Saxon saint, Wilfred. [...] The ancient font which stands at the west end of the Nave was placed there at the time of the 1894-5 restoration, though is medieval in origin." [NB: the octagonal font apears to be late-medieval, on a modern plinth; we do not have any information on the earlier font]