Stoke Charity / Eledderstoke / Ouldstoke / Ouldestokecherytie / Stockes

No entry found for Stoke Charity in the Domesday survey. The Hampshire Antiquary and Naturalist, vol. 1 (1891): 89, reprints an article originally from The Hampshire Independent (28 June 1890) which includes an account of a visit of The Hampshire Field Club to Stoke Charity parish church and mentions that "the font was brought was brought from Winchester in 1542". Cox & Harvey (1907) list a baptismal font of the Norman period here. The Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 3, 1908) notes: "The font at the west end of the north aisle has a plain round bowl and stem, the top of the bowl being cut to an octagon; it is old but of uncertain date, the bowl looking as if it had been cut down." The Southern Life entry of Stoke Charity [http://southernlife.org.uk/stokechu.htm] [accessed 29 September 2009] notes: "The font, in the north aisle, is 12th century, and was relined with its original lead in 1908 […] iron staple on the top on the east side: the west rim has a corresponding hole for a second staple." The basin is tub-shaped and the upper octagonal rim may well be a later re-cut, as suggested in the VCH above; on a cylindrical pedestal, broad and plain, a circular lower base and a one-step plinth; the whole support may be modern. The wooden cover consists of an octagonal platform with four vertical ribs converging atop on a Maltese cross finial. In reference to B. Green's The Church of St Mary and St Michael, Stoke Charity (1998) the CRSBI notes: "Green reports that the font is 12thc, but it has the octagonal form more typical of 13thc work."