To download Richard Barton’s essay entitled, ‘Thomas Meyrick and his Fonts,’ please press the link below:
With thanks to Julian Orbach for kindly supplying the photographs
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A really interesting article, thank you. One little correction (probably a spell check error!). It is Chilton Foliat rather than Charlton!
Andrew
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Thank you Andrew I have just realised!
From Julian Orbach:
Thank you for clearing up the story of Thomas Meyrick. His grandfather was a Welshman, the Rev Edward Meyrick, Vicar of Ramsbury to 1830.
I had the Ramsbury font as by Meyrick 1842, also the Chilton Foliat font, made in 1850 but suspect that my information on the date came from the same source as yours, not always trustworthy. And I have the Southwick font as possibly C14 entirely reworked, and from Chilton Foliat. I am sure that the Chiton Foliat font is still Meyrick’s – comparing the carving, so we need to place its making before 1844. I wonder if we can find out whether the story that the Ramsbury font bowl is a hollowed out pineapple off a gate pier can be authenticated. I think Meyrick had a hand in it, see the fish in the bowl.
My suspicion is that both fonts are pre-1844, as I doubt that it was easy for a convert to have such commissions within a short distance of his uncle and grandfather’s parish.
All best
Julian