Milton Ernest / Middelton Ernys / Middeltone / Middletone / Mildentone / Milton Harnes / Milton Herneys / Mylton Harneys

There are six entries for Milton [Ernest] [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/TL0156/milton-ernest/] [accessed 14 September 2015], none of which mentions cleric or church in it. The Victoria County History (Bedford, vol. 3, 1912) notes: "The west half of the chancel is the oldest part of the church, dating from the early years of the 12th century. [...] The font of the 15th century is in clunch, and has an octagonal traceried bowl with angle buttresses carried down clear of the stem; the west face is solid." Noted in Pevsner (1968): "Font. Octagonal bowl on eight buttress supports. The panels have simple Dec[orated] tracery." The octagonal basin is not fully symmetrical, having two spur-like projections on the back {perhaps meant for the anchoring or hinges of the old cover?]; the buttresses of the base are detached from the central shaft; octagonal plinth. Octagonal font cover, flat and almost plain, with knob handle; perhaps 19th-century.