Houghton-on-the-Hill nr. Leicester

There is an entry for this Houghton in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SK6703/houghton-on-the-hill/] [accessed 17 December 2013], but it mentions neither church nor cleric in it. The present font here is illustrated with a drawing in Nichols (1795- , reprint of 1971). White's Directory of 1846 reports: "The font is supported on nine small pillars". Noted in Lewis' Dictionary of 1848: "a font of very large dimensions." Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of 1870-1872 reports "an old font" in the church. The Victoria County History (Leicestershire, vol. 5, 1964) notes: "The advowson of Houghton church belonged c. 1220 to the Benedictine abbey of St. Pierre-sur-Dives (Calvados). [...] Thirteenth-century work in the church includes the remains of sedilia in the north aisle, the central window in the south wall of the south aisle, and probably the base of the chancel arch. The font, also of the 13th century, consists of a circular bowl on a square base, the latter surrounded by eight attached shafts, their capitals being alternately moulded and decorated with carved masks". Noted in Pevsner (1985): "Font. Of millstone shape, on eight shafts. Probably C13." Described in the HHAG [Houghton Heritage and Archive Group] project [www.leicestershirevillages.com/houghtononthehill/object2.html] [accessed 17 December 2013]: "The 13th century font has a millstone shaped base, four carved faces and rests on eight columns, remains of the lead lining are still visible. During the medieval period, water would have remained in the font all year, requiring the font to be locked to prevent the holy water being stolen - people thinking the water had magical powers; you can still see the remains of where the lock was located. The current font cover dates from 1886." Dr. Keith Oldham, a local source, kindly supplied the following notes: "Font (and cover). Font – baptismal basin for the consecrated water during the Sacrament of Baptism. It is commonly formed from a large block of stone, hollowed out and elaborately carved with Christian symbols, supported on a short pier or cluster of colonnettes that are set on a stepped plinth or platform. Flattish bowl of millstone shape on a square base with eight short shafts, with a face at the top of the central pillar on each side. 13th Century, pre-reformation, one of the oldest features of the church, of stone with lead-lined bowl. The font contains a metal bowl and a glass bowl covering the drain hole, which is not connected to a drain; any water poured down there leaks out around the base. The font retains evidence of one of the iron hasps inserted in its rim at the time when fonts were kept constantly filled with water, which was only hallowed occasionally. From early times it was the custom to fit covers to fonts in parish churches lest the hallowed water should be stolen and put to superstitious uses. At a Synod of 1236, St Edmund of Abingdon, Archbishop of Canterbury, decreed that locked covers should be fixed to fonts and the parish priest should hold the key. The font was moved about 3 feet to its present position in 1938 when the baptistry screen was erected. Wooden cover, approximately 25" diameter x ⅞" thick, with wrought iron superstructure, 29⅛" high to top of [potence] cross, 6½" across, presented by M A Sleaford, 1886 in memory of the Baptism of Maurice C L Freer his godson. Maurice Charles Lane Freer, son of William Thomas (the rector) and Janet Leckie Fitz-Gerald Freer, was baptized on 12th October 1886. "