hempstead church, essex

problematically old font, looking c13 at the latest when this church was a chapel of ease not consecrated until 1365. the font probably came from elsewhere . bishop simon of sudbury made a mistake when consecrating the church, erroniously consecrating the churchyard at the same time which must have left the rector of great sampford out of pocket and fuming, but even so this didn't become a legal parish until 1977