Sherborne nr. Yeovil No. 1 / Sherbourn / Shirburne / Sureburne

There are two entries for this Sherborne [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/ST6316/sherborne/] [accessed 14 December 2018] neither of which mentions claric or church in it. The 3rd ed. of Hutchins (1973 c1861-1874) relates the detailed story of the conflict between the towners and the monks [cf. infra]. Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Perpendicular period made of Purbeck marble. Davies (1962) [after Wildman 1902] relates an interesting conflict related to the practice of baptism in this town: "At Sherborne an open quarrel resulted. The townsfolk worshipped in Allhallows [All Souls], which was built at the west end of the Abbey church; for baptism they had to enter the latter through a door which had been recently narrowed by the monks and use the font, which had been removed to an inconvenient place. They therefore set up a font in their own chapel of Allhallows and were consequently accused before the Bishop by the monks in 1437. The Bishop directed that the new font was to be destroyed, the communicating door enlarged and the old font replaced in its accustomed position. Neither monks nor townsfolk were satisfied with this veredict, and the monks took the initiative by inducing a certain Walter Gallor to enter Allhallows and deface the font. The townsfolk retaliated by setting fire to the Abbey church; they were fined for their misbehaviour, but achieved their end, since the monks were ordered to agree to the legal transformation of Allhallows chapel into a parish church and so be rid of the parishioners entirely." A brief version of this fight over the font is reported also in the Handbook for travellers… (1869). Wildman (1902) informs that the abey church form was [ca. 1902] back in the original position, but no mention is made of the second font, which was presumably destroyed in 1437 as ordered by Bishop Robert Neville. Holmes (1922) notes: "The font is singular if, as is stated, it was formerly ornamented with brass plates. They are said to have been fixed within the quatrefoils on five sides, the remaining three being plain." Long (1923) notes that "at Sherborne the bowl [...] was rescued from a garden in the town". In Newman & Pevsner (1972): "Font. Octagonal, Perp[endicular], with a panelled stem." [NB: Newmand & Pevsner (ibid.) give the location of this font within the church as the "Chapel of St Mary le Bow" -- they (ibid.) also note the presence of a second octagonal font in this church, in the south aisle, near the chapel of St. Katherine: "Font. Octagonal, with on the bowl a veritable pattern book of blank Perp[endicular] three-light windows. It is C19, not C15." -- the latter font is not listed in this Index on account of its late date] [NB: both fonts are illustrated in The Dorset Historic Churches Trust [http://dorsethistoricchurchestrust.co.uk]