170
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. 11. AUG. 27, 1961.
DESECRATED FONTS.
(10 th S. i. 488 ; ii. 112.)
ALTHOUGH ready to grant that old church restoration often means church desecration, I think your correspondents under the above title are just a little severe. There are exceptional cases even in the views of church- wardens. I remember about thirty years ago, while acting as clerk of the works at the restoration of the old church of St. Hilda in the market-place of South Shields, there was a disused font standing among the tombstones in the churchyard, which is there yet for any- thing I know to the contrary. Mr. Pollard, a benevolent old warden, during a round of inspection happening to bring it under ob- servation, exclaimed, in his dear old North- Country accent, "Puir old thing, that all of us wee bit bairns were christened in ! give it a coat of paint." And the poor old thing was solaced with an affectionate coat of paint accordingly.
A more serious case of real desecration occurred here, nearer home, within my recollection, now nearly half a century ago. The fine old parish church of Northfleet, Kent, was undergoing restoration under the indefatigable care and generosity of a late rector, Mr. Southgate. A funeral had taken place in the churchyard, and after the service the undertaker's men, or a few of them, went about larking in the old church, and a foolish young fellow got up on to the font and was in the act of what I must mildly call "passing water" into it. The rector happened to have remained in the vestry, and accidentally emerging just at the moment, cried out, " What disgraceful conduct ! " and the young fellow instantly took to his heels. The rector, then himself a powerful young man, gave chase in his surplice, greatly to the astonishment of the villagers it is a regular town now and the unhappy youth was relentlessly handed over to the justices. The father engaged a solicitor to deny and defend ; but, in spite of a subsequent abject apology and an offer of a donation to the church fund, the young culprit had to undergo a term of incarceration in Maid- stone Gaol. Then occurred the next rather questionable act as to a completion of the desecration. The rector declared that the font could never again be used for a sacred rite, and caused the massive relic, the basin of which was large enough for the complete immersion of a child, to be buried in the churchyard, and a new font, of modern size
and style, placed in a new position in the
church.
That is all ancient history now ; for the whole matter was discreetly hushed up as much as possible. Since then, that playful youth, who was taught a salu- tary lesson, has led an honourable and exemplary life, and it has often occurred to me that it is time that the old font should be unearthed once more, and restored again to some honourable position, if not to its original one, rather than that posterity should have to trust to the chapter of acci- dents and an interesting possible future archseological discovery.
CHAELES COBHAM.
The Shrubbery, Gravesend.
DR. FORSHAW will be glad to hear that owing to the public spirit of Mr. William Winckley, F.S.A., a resident in the parish, the beautiful old font of 1200 was restored to Harrow Church in 1846. Unfortunately the square plinth with its spurs was not replaced, but sufficient Purbeck marble was found in the immediate neighbourhood to repair other damages which had been sustained, and to supply a new rim. Those who had been instrumental in the restoration, unhappily, thought proper to break up the original rim and divide it among themselves as keepsakes. I may refer DR. FORSHAW to Mr. Samuel Gardner's interesting book ' The Archi- tectural History of Harrow Church' (pub- lished in 1895 by Mr. J. C. Wilbee, bookseller to Harrow School), pp. 56-62. The author gives illustrations of the font as it now is; as it was in 1794 from Lysons's 'Environs of London'; as it was from 1800 to 1846, when it reposed in Mrs. Leith's garden ; and also of its wretched rival, the substituted font of 1800, in 1895 in a garden at Harrow. Mrs. Leith,'who preserved it from destruc- tion, was the widow of Capt. Alexander Leith, and died, aged ninety-two, in 1846. For many years before 1839 she rented the present vicarage, which, during the occupa- tion of the "Dame," was held in great repute among the school houses for its high social character, and especially for^ its eminence in cricket. In fact "Leith's against the School" was an annual match. Among prominent Leithites may be mentioned Arch- bishop Trench and the fifth Marquess of Hertford.
In the south aisle of Stratford-on-Avon Church may be seen the battered remains of the old fifteenth-century font at which William Shakespeare was probably baptized on 26 April, 1564. Removed from the church to the house of the parish clerk, Thomas
