Marcham / Markham / Merceham / Mercham / Mercheham / Mericham

There is an entry for Marcham [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU4596/marcham/] [accessed 1 June 2015]; it mentions a church in it. The Victoria County History (Berkshire, vol. 4, 1924) notes: "The church of Marcham belonged to Abingdon Abbey in 1086. [...] With the exception of the tower the church was rebuilt in 1837–8, but a certain amount of the old material appears to have been re-used. [...] The plain circular font, with a chamfered base, is of doubtful date." Tub-shaped plain and almost cylindrical baptismal font probably of the Norman period; the original font is round, of two volumes, the lower one slightlly wider; the octagonal lower base is likely a later addition. The flat wooden font cover decorated with metal is modern. [NB: the chapel of St. Luke in nearby Garford has now [2008] a Victorian font, although the fabric of the building goes back to the 13th century; we have no information whether an earlier font existed in it or not].