![]() ĭetail of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, and the Eucharistīetween 18 Harvey Pridham surveyed and made drawings of many of Somerset medieval fonts. Sometimes evidence of this damage can be seen on font rims. ![]() This continued through to the Reformation when many covers were forcibly removed. Some of the font covers became elaborate works of ornamentation. This meant there were iron straps and locks fitted. In 1236, Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, ordered that all baptismal fonts should be kept under lock and key as a precaution against sorcery. ĭuring the 13th C ecclesiastical law required that all fonts had lockable covers. ![]() It is the soakaway that can inform church archaeology where the original position of a font was. The basin of the font would have been lined with lead with a drain hole through the stem and base into a soakaway. However, by the late-medieval period fonts were raised on a plinth, often with steps. Early fonts may have been sited directly on the ground. Although this needs to be approached cautiously as the font may have been moved from another source. ĭifferent font designs come from different times in the medieval period and can be helpful in dating the age of church. The word ‘font’ comes from the Latin fons, meaning a natural spring. However, reordering in churches over the centuries has meant that the font may not be in its original position. Liturgically the position of the font needs to be close to the principal point of entry to a church. Often fonts can be found near the west door. The original position of a church font is to the left of the south door. The area of the church where the sacrament of baptism is performed is known as a baptistery.
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