Swanton Abbott / Suanetunam / Swanton Abbot / Swanton Abbots

Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "S[wanton], Called Swanton Abbots, from the Abbot of Holm, who was lord of it, [...] at the Conquest [...] the church had 7 acres glebe [...] The Church is dedicated to St. Michael". Blomefield (ibid.) notes that "Nicholas, rector of Swanton" had an agreement with the Abbot of St. Bennet, unfortunately the deed being undated; the first recorded rector here is "Thomas de Walcote [...] presented by the Abbot [...] In Edward the First's time" [i.e., 1272-1307]. The font here is described and illustrated with an engraving by J. Basire in Repton (1812) as a baptismal font "from about the reign of King Henry the Sixth to that of Henry the Eighth" [i.e., 1422-1509+]. Noted in Pevsner & Wilson (1997) without suggested date. Illustrated in Knott (2006). The font consists of an octagonal basin with a large quatrefoil window on each side, a moulding at the lower side and an animal (?) head at each angle of the underbowl; the octagonal stem of the base has a blind arcade of tall and thin trefoil arches or windows, two per side; the lower base is moulded; raised on a plain octagonal plinth. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat; appears modern. [NB: we have no information on the font from the Conquest-time church here].