The Font
One of the earliest and most valuable acquisitions by the church was
the alabaster font with its oaken cover. This was a gift from the Rector
and Churchwardens of St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside, London in 1898.
It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren (1631-1723), who rebuilt St. Mary -le-Bow after the Great Fire of London.
A
round the top
of the bowl can be read the ledgend: "The gift if Francis Dashwood
Esq. 1675. Dashwood was a wealthy London mechant engaged in the
Levantine trade. When the church of St Mary-le-Bow was restored in 1881
this font was considered too small for the renovated building and was
stored in the crypt where Sir Charles Nicholson discovered it and
suggested to the priest in charge of St Albans that it might be
purchased for the new Parish Church. When the application was made, the
Rector wrote to the Fr. E.E. Kimber intimating that his Vestry would be
willing to present the disused font to St Albans Church. He also
undertook to carry out the arrangements for the transport of the font to
its present home