Romford / Romfort

The Victoria County History (Essex, vol. 7 (1978) notes: "The chapel of Romford was first mentioned in 1177, when the pope confirmed it to Hornchurch priory along with the church of Havering i.e. St. Andrew, Hornchurch, and other possessions previously granted by Henry II. [...] Romford remained part of the parish of Hornchurch until the 19th century. The original chapel, also dedicated to St. Andrew, lay at the junction of South Street and Oldchurch Road, on the south side. [...] The former chapel of St. Andrew has disappeared, and nothing is known of its appearance or construction. [...] In 1840 it was decided to demolish the old chapel and build a new one, to the designs of Edward Blore, at the other end of the market-place. [...] The work was started about 1844, but it was abandoned owing to lack of funds, and the site was converted into a cemetery. [...] The new church of St. Edward was at last built in 1850, on the site of the previous one. [...] The chapel of St. Edward the Confessor, consecrated in 1410, survived until 1849." The VCH entry does not mention a font in any of the chapels/churches of this civial parish. [NB: we have no information on any medieval font here -- the present Church of St. Andrew dates from 1850 and has a stone font of that period -- all other chapels and churches in the area are modern]