Prescot nr. Liverpool / Prescote / Prestecot / Prestecote

The VCH (Lancaster, vol. 3, 1907) notes: "The church of our Lady [...] Little evidence remains of the early history of the building, but the base of the south wall of the chancel may be ancient, and the north vestry is probably of the fifteenth century. With these exceptions the whole church was rebuilt in 1610 in a plain Gothic style, and the west tower dates from 1729, apparently replacing an older tower, while in 1818 the aisles were enlarged and altered. The outer stonework of the church is entirely modern [...] The eighteenth-century font is of marble, tazza-shaped, with a fluted bowl, on which is an inscription recording its gift by William Halsnead." The VCH (ibid.) gives "Patrick" as first recorded rector. ca. 1200. Pevsner (1969) does not mention any ancient font in this church but notes a later one: "Font. 1755. A very pretty piece with a foot with concave sides and leaves and shells. Shallow basin. In the vestry." Pollard & Pevsner (2006) include the two fonts, the older one of which, Norman, was at Roby "from 1755 to 1936." Pollard & Pevsner (ibid.) remark that modern font is actually "an Italian marble stoup". The web site for Prescot Church [http://prescotchurch.merseyworld.com] describes and illustrates this later object [note that they describe it as a stoup used as font]: "In the north aisle is an Italian marble holy water sto[u]p, given to the church by Daniel Willis of Halsnead Hall in 1755. [...] It has also served as a font and in it the actor John Philip Kemble was baptised in 1757. He was born in Prescot whilst his parents were visiting the town with a company of travelling theatre performers." [NB: a medieval church here is believed to have existed before the Conquest; that was probably replaced by a new building in the 15th century, traces of which still remain; we have no information on the medieval font]. [Prescot's six other churches are modern].