A very generous Loan

Fogo Parish Church has never had a font. In the early years perhaps there was a bowl attached to the pulpit; that was very common in Scottish churches of Fogo’s vintage. Later it might have been the custom that one of the communion cups was used as the font. If you think about it, that too was a very suitable alternative to a font. Latterly our church was presented with a silver quaich which is inscribed and used as a font bowl.

Now we have been loaned the font from Burnmouth Parish Church and we will use this with the silver quaich sitting on its top.

So why has this beautiful font been lent to us by Burnmouth? Sadly, it is because the church there is closing down; the building will be sold and in all probability the site will be cleared and a house built there. But while this font sits in our church something physical of the Burnmouth church will remain in the area and so it is an extra privilege to have the use of something which has been so special to so many people over such a long time.

We will hope to discover something of the story of the font over the coming days. It has been suggested that at some time in the past it belonged to a congregation in Coldstream. We also noticed that inside the base of the font is inscribed ‘KOSB’, presumably the ‘King’s Own Scottish Borderers’. Perhaps the font has had a military association in the past and may have been associated with a congregation in Berwick.

It is important to say that this font has not been brought to Fogo to be a decoration. It will be used on the first Sunday of September when Alison will be welcomed into the church by baptism. We hope that this will be the first of many such occasions in our beautiful church. It will, we understand, be the first adult baptism in our presbytery for quite a few years.