Christian Significance

The font is where the sacrament of Baptism takes place. Water is placed in the bowl, and splashed on the candidate three times in the name of the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit: the three Persons of God as they are understood in the Christian faith. This is a symbol that the person has begun a new, spiritual life, and is now a member of the world-wide Christian church, not just the local congregation. This is why the font is always nearer to the door than other parts of a church building. Our font dates from the early fourteenth century. In the carving around it, you may be able to spot a leopard’s head among the leaves.

The leopard was a symbol of a prominent local family, the Macrys. There are many others hidden around the church.

Was anyone you know baptised (also called christened) in this font?

Today, it is much less common than it was for families in the UK to choose to have their babies christened. Therefore, it is becoming more common for older children and adults to choose to come for baptism when they make a decision to become a follower of Jesus.

Do you know anyone who has been baptised as an adult?
Perhaps you could ask them why they chose to do it.

Architectural / Historical

The Font has a leopard’s head hidden among the finely carved leaves suggesting that it was a gift of the Macry family, whose name lives on in the hamlet of Mackerye End towards Harpenden. The Font Cover shows ‘gothic’ decoration of the 1700s.

People have been Baptised in this font since the early 1300s. An earlier, twelfth century font of Purbeck marble was transferred to St. Nicholas’ church in Harpenden in the 1300s.

For in the one Spirit, we were all brought into one body by baptism….   

1 Corinthians 12.13