Leatherhead / Leatherhead / Leddered / Leddrede / Ledered / Ledred / Ledrede / Letherhed / Leodride / Lereda / Leret / Lerred / Lethered / Letherhead / Letherhed

There is an entry for Leatherhead [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/TQ1656/leatherhead/] [accessed 17 December 2015]; it mentions a "eccla de Leret" with 0.33 of church lands in it. Brayley (1850) notes: "In the Domesday book, the 'Church of Leret' is mentioned in connexion with the king's manor of Ewell [...] The Church, an ancient structure, dedicated to St. Mary and St. Nicholas, stands upon high ground adjoining the common fields on the left of the road into Mickleham"; the building underwent many changes, with major renovations in the 1820s and 1830s. Brayley (ibid.) mentions a noteworthy pulpit and sounding board at the north corner of the nave, by the chancel arch, and "Near it, immediately in front of the chancel, is a large octagonal font (for immersion), ornamented with panelled quatrefoils and central roses". [NB: the church interior plan shown in the VCH (Surrey, vol. 3, 1911) shows the font located at the west end of the north aisle, not where Brayley [cf. supra] reported it ca. 1850]. Listed in Cox & Harvey (1907) as a baptismal font of the Perpendicular period. The Victoria County History (Surrey, vol. 3, 1911) notes: "The church of Letherhead, at the time of the Domesday Survey, was appurtenant to the manor of Ewell, and, together with 40 acres of land, was held by Osbern de Ow [...] The plan of the nave, apart from the interruption caused by the irregular setting of the tower, is doubtless of the 12th century [...] the font appears to be of 15th-century date; it is octagonal with a panelled bowl moulded on its upper and lower edges; the stem is plain and the base moulded." The "History of Leatherhead Parish Church, St.Mary & St.Nicholas", by the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church [http://www.parishchurch.leatherheadweb.org.uk/history/1750.html] [accessed 9 September 2010] reports a recent move of the font: "1997 The 15th Century Font is restored and moved from North Aisle to the Tower." [NB: a drawing shows the restored font at the west end of the nave, by the north pillar of the tower arch]. [NB: a church is reported here by 1086, but we have no information on the earlier font]