Brockenhurst / Brackenhurst / Broceste / Brocknes / Brocknest / Brokehurst / Brokenhurst / Brokenst

There is an entry for Brockwnhurst [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU3002/brockenhurst/] [accessed 20 September 2018]; it reports a church in it. The National Gazetteer of 1868 reports "a curious old font" in this church. White (1878) writes: "The Norman font is large enough for the immersion of infants." Described in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Norman period made of Purbeck marble. [NB: the font appears listed as "Brackenhurst" in C&H]. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 4, 1911) notes: "Brockenhurst Church, one of the only two churches in the New Forest mentioned in the Domesday Survey [...] The font of Purbeck marble has a square late 12th-century bowl with shallow round-headed arcades and square leaf pattern on the sides. The circular central and angle shafts are modern." The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SU2788102630] notes: "Late C12 Purbeck font of square bowl with roundheaded arcading, on replaced central column and corner columns. C17 font cover". Noted and illustrated in Southern Life [http://www.southernlife.org.uk/brockchu.htm] [accessed 5 August 2010]: "In the corner at the west end is the Font, dating from the 12th century, a lead-lined bowl of Purbeck stone with shallow arcading and leaf-patterns on the four sides, with a wooden cover of 17th century design. The stand is modern." Noted in Leach (1975) as a font made of Purbeck marble: "bowl with panels and quatrefoil leaf patterns on faces; central stem and subsidiary shafts modern" [source given: VCH, 4, 1911].