Stoke Prior nr. Droitwich / Stochan / Stoche / Stocke / Stoka / Stoke

There is an entry for this Stoke [Prior] [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO9467/stoke-prior/] [accessed 1 October 2014]; it reports a priest but mentions no church, though there probably was one there. Lewis' Dictionary of 1848 reports "a very ancient and beautiful font" in the church of St. Michael. Noake (1848) writes: "Near the southern entrance is a handsome font, somewhat defaced, of about the 13th century." Miller (1890) reports "The font is octagonal of the 15th century". Described in Andrews (1912): "Stoke Prior has fine early octagonal font, four of the eight faces having angels bearing shields carved upon them, three of the faces forming a group of a central figure with an attendant on either side of him, while the eighth face is blank." The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 3, 1913) notes: "At the date of the Domesday Survey the Prior of Worcester had a priest on his manor of Stoke Prior. [...] A church there is mentioned in 1240 [...] The earliest church of which there are any remains dates from the first half of the 12th century, at which time it consisted of a chancel and nave with a north aisle [...] The octagonal font is of the 15th century. The sides of the bowl are panelled, and carved with two censing angels and four bearing shields. On the north the subject represented appears to be a baptism, in which a figure stands before a small font with angels in the top corners holding up his robe. The south face is quite blank, suggesting that the font originally stood against the wall. The under edge of the bowl is carved with Tudor roses, with a row of ornamental cresting above, and in the middle of the stem is a projecting band with carved flowers on its face." English Heritage [Listing NGR: SO9493267699] (1967) reports a "C15 octagonal font with an angel in low relief on each side". Brooks & Pevsner (2007) identify a baptismal scene as well as angels with shields or censers, crossed oak leaves, etc.