Whitestaunton / Stantune / Staunton / White Staunton

There is an entry for Whitestaunton [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/ST2810/whitestaunton/] [accessed 28 February 2018], but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it]. The Antiquary (Nov. 1882: 218) reports a visit by the Somerset Archaeological Society to Whitestaunton St. Andrew's, with mention of the font therein: "The font was Norman, and that was the only portion remaining of the Norman Period". Described in Holmes (1922): "very early Norman font". Wade & Wade (1929) note an "early Norm[an] font" in this church. Described in Pevsner (1958): "Circular, Norman, with fluting on the foot of the bowl." The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Somerset, vol. 4, 1978) notes: "The church of Whitestaunton is first mentioned in 1291 [...] The walls of the narrow chancel may be in part of the 13th century [...] The tower, of three stages with a projecting south-east stair turret, was built in the early 16th century [...] he fittings include a 12th-century font". The entry for this church in the British Listed Buildings site [Listing NGR: ST2806210492] reports: "C12 circular font with ribbed base, font cover cl966". The entry for this church in the CRSBI (2018) notes: "The only Romanesque sculpture is found on the font [...] The font is located centrally at the W end of the nave, just W of the tower arch. It is wholly in whitish stone, probably limestone, and in fair condition generally. The rectangular plinth has the usual W extension for the priest. It is in the same stone as the rest of the font. The base is the usual simple chamfered ring, of good proportion and fitting neatly between stem and plinth. The stem is a simple cylinder. It is apparently now in two pieces, with a large daubing of mortar between. The junction between stem and bowl is articulated by a simple toroid ring. The bowl is essentially straight-sided. The bottom rim is handsomely cut into trumpet-scallops, the lower part of whose mouths is defined by an incision. Above the resulting undulating line runs a shallow step down to the upper, larger, part of the side of the bowl. At a distance below the rim (neatly matching that by which the lower step is above the apexes of the bottom wave), runs a groove. The lower edge of this groove is defined by an incision. The upper edge is overhung by the rim of the bowl. In this groove was apparently intended to run a series of flat-topped linked inverted semi-circles making a wave pattern and thus matching the bottom undulation. Unfortunately, this decoration seems never to have been completed (only about 37% having been executed) and is only to be seen on the E side. There is evidence of a previous lock-fitting in the rim, which is in rather a rough state. The lead comes up to and across an inner recessed portion of the rim. The rebate is unusually deep. The internal sides of the bowl slope into a dished bottom (although slightly raised around the drain-hole)." The relocation of the baptismal font within the church is noted in Andrew French's site [https://www.andyfrenchstone.com/] [accessed 28 February 2018] [NB: the web site gives the location of Whitestaunton as 'Devon']