North Marston / Marskton / Marston North / Merstone / Normerstone / Northmerstone

There are five entries for [North] Marston [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SP7722/north-marston/] [accessed 15 February 2015], neither of which mentions cleric or church in it. Lysons (1806-1833) reports an octagonal baptismal font decorated with roses in this church. Described and illustrated in Lipscomb (1831- ): "The Font in the N W angle of the nave is large and octagonal: its compartments sculptured with four vine-leaves, having their tendrils or stalks intertwined in the centre: a rose with fasces: a shield charged with three chalices or covered cups, perhaps the arms of Boteler: two clubs raguled, in saltire, a cognizance of the Nevilles. The bason is supported by a pedestal, to which are attached four shields borne by angels." In Parker (1850): "The font is D[ecorated], the bowl supported by angels springing from the shaft" [Parker (ibid.) refers to an engraving of this font is Lipscomb (i, 344-347)]. Sheahan (1862) notes: "The panels of the large octagonal font are sculptured with vine leaves, roses, foliage, &c. The basin is lined with lead, and supported by a pedestal, to which are attached four shields borne by angels." Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Decorated period, a noteworthy example. The Victoria County History (Buckingham, vol. 4, 1927) notes: "The 15th-century font has an octagonal panelled bowl, three of the panels containing shields much defaced, and the other five foliated ornament; on the stem are five angels." These five angels are very uncharacteristic as they are quite flat on account of their wings, and large, arranged around the underbowl, five that do not correspond to the otherwise octagonal design of the font.