Levisham / Leavisham / Leuecen / Leuuecen / Leveam / Levesham / Leveysham / Levezham / Leweseham / Lewesam / Leysham

Home (1915) writes: "There is a very roughly hewn font in the little chapel at Ease, in the village of Levisham. It bears a cross and a rope ornamentation, and may possibly be of pre-Norman origin, although it was used as a cattle trough in a neighbouring farmyard before the restoration in 1884." The Victoria County History (York North Riding, vol. 2, 1923) notes: "The church of St. Mary, which was to a great extent rebuilt in the early years of the 19th century, is a small aisleless building [...] The external walls are almost entirely modern reconstruction, but the eastern wall of the nave with the chancel arch dates at any rate from the 11th century and may be pre-Conquest [...] The font, an ungainly example of the baluster type, dates from the 18th century, as does the pyramidal cover [...] The chapel of ease to St. Mary's occupies the site and is said to incorporate the materials of an ancient chapel [...] The only object of interest within the chapel is the 11th-century font, rescued from a farm-yard, and probably once belonging to the parish church. It is a rude circular bowl with a cable moulding carried round just below the rim. On one side is a rough cross cut in low relief and near it a primitive bishop's crook." Pevsner (1985), however, notes: "Font. Of the baluster type; C18." [NB: either Pevsner failed to notice the old font at the time of his visit, or the earlier font was missing once again]. Ms. Betty Halse, of the Lockton & Levisham Heritage Group, sent the following historical notes on the Parish: "The village of Levisham is at the top of a pretty steep hill: the original Parish Church, St Mary's, was in the valley at the bottom of the hill, where it is believed the original village settlement was sited. The present village was probably laid out in the century following the Norman Conquest (12th century) during a peroiod of reconstruction in an area severely devastated following rebellions. At the same period, there is evidence of a stone church on the valley site - built there perhaps because of past associations? or some remaining settlement there? - all matters of speculation. The font, presumably, dates from this time and this church. As the parish church was so far from the main village, a Chapel of Ease was built in the village - no record of when, only references to an 'ancient chapel'. At the beginning of the 19th century, an energetic and ambitious rector totally rebuit St Mary's Parish church: only the chancel arch remained of the 12thC building. The font, no doubt considered too crude for this new building, was replaced and found its way to a farmyard where it was used as trough for animal feed. Later in that century, the old chapel of ease collapsed and when it was eventually rebuilt, this font was reclaimed and installed there. Mid 20th C, the valley church ceased to be used and the former Chapel of Ease became the Parish Church, dedicated to St John the Baptist."