radstockjeff
06-09-2011, 12:18 PM
I'm trying to establish the age of a stone font which was installed in a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, severely damaged in the blitz in 1942. The font was recovered almost intact from the ruins and subsequently transferred to a new Methodist Church in the area (now undergoing major refurbishment).
The original church was built in 1790 and opened by John Wesley and subsequently rebuilt in 1847.
I am told that the font could not be from the original Methodist church (1790) as it was not Methodist practice at that time to baptise.
My reason for trying to establish age etc is to ensure that this artefact, whilst no longer to be used as a font, still retains a place in the refurbished church and continue the links with the past. I should add there are one or two who would like to discard the font to the builder's skip rather than worry about the past history.
Could anyone give a view on this, and verify whether my informant is correct?
thanks
radstockjeff
The original church was built in 1790 and opened by John Wesley and subsequently rebuilt in 1847.
I am told that the font could not be from the original Methodist church (1790) as it was not Methodist practice at that time to baptise.
My reason for trying to establish age etc is to ensure that this artefact, whilst no longer to be used as a font, still retains a place in the refurbished church and continue the links with the past. I should add there are one or two who would like to discard the font to the builder's skip rather than worry about the past history.
Could anyone give a view on this, and verify whether my informant is correct?
thanks
radstockjeff