Beernem / Berneham

Baptismal font of 1619 listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/90381] [accessed 28 January 2026]: "doopvont [...] arduin [...] datering, gebeiteld, bovenaan: gedat. opschrift Date: 1619 - 1619 [...] hoogte: 92 cm; diameter: 61 cm".
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 16 January 2026) informs: "As early as 847, the French king Charles the Bald (Charles II le Chauve) decreed that the altar rights of “Berneham” were granted to the Abbey of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux. The oldest mention of a place of worship therefore dates from the 9th century. It is unknown which authority built the place of worship (presumably made of clay and wood) at that time. The parish originated in the 10th century. During the demolition of the existing church in 1899-1900, traces of a Romanesque church were discovered. This first stone building probably dated from around 1150. During his visit the bishop of Tournai, Walter de Marvis defined the boundaries of the parish in 1242. After 1580, during the reign of king Philip II of Spain, the church was destroyed following religious unrest. In 1608, a limited restoration was carried out. In 1644, the church was restored in the Gothic style. In 1802, after being closed for eight years by the French revolution, the church reopened its doors. During the 19th century, there was a significant population growth. In 1837, the building was enlarged. The church was demolished in 1901 and replaced by the current Neo-Gothic temple. Four old Romanesque limestone pillars from the previous church were preserved. Baptismal font: In 1613, work began on the digging of a canal between Ghent and Bruges, known as the Zuid-Lieve. This work would last until 1621. Many foreigners were recruited for the work, including a large team of Englishmen led by Israel Jansens. The church preserves a limestone baptismal font from 1619, donated by Israel Jansens in memory of his wife and children. It bears the following inscription in Gothic calligraphy and Middle Dutch: “Ick Istraëll Jansens Inghelsman ende Oppermeester vande Zuydtleye, met Anna Prette myn wettick huysvrouv ligghende hier begraven met heur twee kindekes, hebben ter eere Godts ende Maria verheeven dese vonte inde kercke van Beernem ghegheven anno XVI C XIX”. (I, Istraëll Jansens, Englishman and Chief Master of the Zuydtleye, and Anna Prette my lawful wife buried here with her two children, have raised this font in the church of Beernem in the year 1619 to the honor of God and Mary). Only the basin is original. The base and column were replaced in 1901. Probably because of the place needed for the long text, the design of the basin is atypical for Hainaut-type fonts of that time. https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/90381"