Cothen / Kothen

[NB: We have no information on the medieval baptismal font from this church]. A communication by Pol Herman to BSI (e-mail of 12 January 2022] forwarded a query originally from Frits van der Leije on 8 October 2020 in Doopvont of wijwaterbak? [https://www.tussenrijnenlek.nl/2020/doopvont-of-wijwaterbak/] [accessed 2 February 2022], in which the author describes an octagonal basin of stone of about 30 cm in diameter, and questions whether it could be a font or a stoup [cf. ImagesArea]; the object in question is octagonal on the outise, with plain vertical sides, round interior, no drain visible; it was found in 1980 in the Ossenwaard during the construction of a barn and the construction of a water pipe. Apart from this nothing else was found; so it was not part of a (renovation) landfill, but it also does not originate from a former building on the spot, because before 1900, as far as we know, nothing was ever standing here. One possibility is that it was auctioned off as 'superfluous inventory' in connection with the renovations of the Catholic Church in Cothen, the H.H. Peter and Paul Church. This auction by notary Luijkx took place in 1966 on behalf of Pastor van Leer. Perhaps there still exists an auction list of this sale. Unfortunately, due to privacy legislation, notarial archives are only accessible before 1935, but someone else may have kept a copy. The author of the piece makes an appeal for any help from the readers.