St. Andrew’s Brockley:
The original font

Baptism is one of the two Sacraments which the United Reformed Church celebrates (the other is Holy Communion).

By tradition, fonts are often located close to the main doors of the church - this is a visible sign that Baptism marks a welcome into the life of the church.

The font was donated to St. Andrew’s by the widow of Dr Patrick Fraser as a memorial to her husband. Dr Fraser was born in Libberton (in Lanarkshire) in 1805 - a ‘son of the manse’.

He trained as a Doctor and had a wide and varied medical career including being a Surgeon of the fleet for the East India Company and later worked at The London Hospital. While in London, he and his family were members of this church.

Although he didn’t have any children, he considered himself to be an honorary Godfather to the son of Rev. Hugh McIntosh (the Minister of this church). He died in 1896 and his body was buried in Scotland in the family vault.

Before the church was reshaped in the early 2000s, this font was more visibly located within the body of the church.

When the church was rebuilt, it was recognised that the weight of this solid stone font would be too much for the floor of the new upper Sanctuary. It found its home here in the main entranceway of the church.

Baptisms still happen at St. Andrew’s. We now use a wooden portable font which can be moved to the front of the church.