Helmsley / Elmeslac [Domesday] / Hamelacke / Hamelak / Haumelec / Haumesley / Helmesle / Helmeslegh / Helmsley-Black-Moor / Helmsley-upon-the-Black Moor

There are two entries for Helmsley [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SE6183/helmsley/] [accessed 5 September 2019], one of which reports a priest and a church in it. Noted in Glynne's August 1827 visit to this church (in Butler, 2007): "The font at the west end of the nave is an octagonal bason on a round pillar surrounded with Early English shafts." The Penny Cyclopaedia (vol. XXVII: 693) reports a hexagonal font in Helmsley All Saints' church. Listed in Paley (1844) as a hexagonal baptismal font. Described in Lewis' Dictionary of 1848: "hexagonal font of early English character." The National Gazetteer of 1868 informs that "the interior of the church contains a unique hexagonal font" [transcription by C. Hinson, 2003 in www.genuki.org.uk]. Bulmer's Directory... (1890) states that the ancient octagonal font from Helmsley All Saint's had been moved to Pockley's church [a chapel-at-ease dedicated to St. John the Baptist and located about 5 km from Helmsley]. A font with this name is listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Early English period. Pevsner (1966) notes: "By G. G. Pace, recent." The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (York North Riding, vol. 1, 1914) notes: "The church of Helmsley and its priest are mentioned among the possessions of the Count of Mortain in 1086 [...] The nave appears to date from the middle of the 12th century, the earliest details remaining being the chancel arch and south doorway. The north aisle was built late in the 12th century or early in the 13th and the west tower was added a little later. Of this 13th-century tower the walls still survive to the height of the bell-chamber." Further down the VCH record, in the additional entry for the modern church of St John the Baptist, it notes: "The font is of 13th-century date and was originally in the church of All Saints, Helmsley. It is hexagonal, the bowl being supported by six attached shafts having moulded capitals and bases." The font now [ca. 2001] at Helmsley All Saints' is modern, square and raised on a central shaft and four outer colonnettes -with a tall cover by G.G. Pace according to Betjeman (1958); also Pevsner (1985), who writes: "Font. C13. Plain bowl on six attached shafts with moulded capitals".