West Mersea / Meresaiam

There are two entries for [West] Mersea [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/TM1031/west-mersea/] [accessed 2 June 2024] neither of which mentions priest or church in it. Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font made from the re-cut drum of a Roman column, probably from the nearby Roman villa. Bond (1908) lists "another example, of doubtful authenticity" at West Mersea, among a number of baptismal fonts carved out of former Roman columns. Noted in the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (Essex, 1916-1923): "Font: octagonal bowl of Purbeck marble, each face with two shallow panels with pointed heads; also Purbeck marble base, early 13th-century." Listed in Leach (1975) as a font made of Purbeck marble. Pevsner (1976) does not mention the Roman connection, nor do Bettley and Pevsner (2007): "Font. Of the Purbeck type, C13, octagonal, with two of the usual shallow blank pointed arches to each side." In Paul (1986) and Stocker (1997) where the shaft is identified as the reused Roman stone. The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: TM0091612504] notes: "Tower of the Saxo/Norman overlap (C11) of 3 stages, C17 embattled parapet [...] C11 windows in north and south walls of ground storey [...] Font of C13, with octagonal bowl of Purbeck marble-later stem."