Gottem

The present font, dated to the 18th century is listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/69172] [accessed 8 January 2026]. [NB: we have no information on the font of the medieval church here].
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 7 January 2026) informs: "The old Heirbaan is the connecting road between the villages of Gottem and Grammene and may have Roman origins. Archeological finds prove that the site was certainly already inhabited by the Romans.
Gottem was first mentioned in the Liber Traditionem of St. Peter's Abbey in Ghent (814-840) as Gothemia. Legend has it that two wealthy sisters Could not agree on the location of a new church. They each pursued their own agenda, resulting in two villages: Gottem and Grammene. There existed presumably an early medieval place of worship (see the location, the Germanic name, and the patrocinium saint Martin). In 1171, a church owned by the chapter of Tournai is mentioned. The square base of the crossing tower, made of Tournai stone in irregular bond, may be of Romanesque origin. At the end of the 13th century, there was a single-nave cruciform church, of which the early Gothic choir and transept have been preserved. Around 1400, an octagonal bell tower was built. In 1860, the single nave was replaced by a three-nave neo-Gothic structure. In 1918, and later in May 1940, the church was damaged. In 1941, the choir, transept, and tower were restored. A modern single-nave church was built between 1951 and 1953, preserving the old transept, choir, and tower. According to the visit report of the deacon, there was no baptismal font in 1613, and a stone jar containing baptismal water was kept in the tabernacle. However, the baptismal register begins precisely in that same year.
There is no trace of a 17th-century baptismal font (or an earlier one). The current font appears to date from the 18th century."