North Crawley / Crauelai [Domesday] / Craule / Crawele / Croule-juxta-Newport Pagnell / Crowle / Great Craule / North Crolye

No individual entry for [North] Crawley found in the Domesday survey. Parker (1850) writes: "Font plain, with a central shaft and clusterer shafts round it." Sheahan (1862) writes: "The font is ancient and curious, the large octangular basin being supported by four short clustered columns, and a shaft in the centre. The wooden receptacle for the water, placed within the font is painted black, and decorated with an inscription, and a cross in the centre. The cover of the font, which is of oak, elaborately carved, pyramidal, and very lofty, is suspended by a pully from one of the arches of the nave." Font and cover are described in the Victoria County History (Buckingham, vol. 4, 1927): "The church is referred to in 1086 as a minster (monasterium), and there may have been a small community of priests attached to it. [...] Half of it was bestowed by Robert de Broughton and William his son on Tickford Priory, and the grant was confirmed by Robert, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1151–4, [...] and by Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, as to a quarter of the church, in 1186–1200. [...] The present building seems to have been developed from a 12th-century church consisting of a chancel and nave [...] The font is of the 14th century. The bowl is octagonal and has a moulded rim and lower edge; it is supported by a central octagonal stem and four small clustered shafts with moulded bases but no capitals. The cover is a good example of 17thcentury joinery. It is octagonal, and each side has an arched panel with pilasters and carved spandrels; the whole is crowned by an embattled cresting, above which rises a panelled obelisk. Upon one of the sides of the lower portion is inscribed: 'Anno Domini: 1640: T.L.'" Pevsner (1960) does not mention the font itself, but ts cover: "Font cover. 1640. Very pretty. Octagonal with panels with the usual blank arches. Castellated top with little ball finials at the corners. Recessed obelisk." The church interior plan in the VCH (ibid.) shows the font located at the west end of the nave.