Bray / Brai / Bras / Bray nr. Maidenhead / Bray-on-Thames

There are two entries for this Bray [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SU9079/bray/] [accessed 18 March 2015]; the part in the lordship of Alwin son of Cypping reports a church in it; the part in the lordship of Reinbald of Cirencester and King William reports a church with hide of land in it. Ditchfield (1901) lists the font here as a case showing "symbols of Freemasonry carved on fonts". Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a noteworthy baptismal font of the Perpendicular period. The Victoria County History (Berkshire, vol. 3, 1923) notes: "There was a church at Bray in 1086. [...] The south aisle and the original arches of the south arcades of the chancel and nave, though much restored, are the earliest surviving portions and date from c. 1300 [...] The octagonal font with quatrefoiled panels and wooden cover was made in the year 1647, as testified by an entry under that year in the book of churchwardens' accounts. " The reference to the churchwardens' accounts is given in a footnote to the VCH entry: "The items refer to the payment to Mr. Winch for the new font £1 12s. 3d., to 'Waul the Joynder' for the cover and for carving, painting and gilding this font £2 2s." [NB: all other churches in Bray are modern, as are the fonts in them]