Geldeston / Geldestone

Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "This town is not mentioned in the book of Domesday, being included and accounted for under the great lordship of Stockton [...] The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Michael; in the reign of Edward I. valued at 10 marks, Peter-pence, 8d. carvage 5d. ob. and the Earl of Norfolk was patron; and the rector had a manse with 30 acres of land. [...] Rectors. In 1307, Rich. Abel instituted, presented by Lady Isabel Bygod." The font here is reported in Lewis' Dictionary of 1858 as "an ancient font curiously sculptured." Described in Pevsner & Wilson (1999): "Octagonal, with four lions against the stem, four roses and four shields (including again the Instruments of the Passion and the emblem of the Trinity) against the bowl. On the step an inscription referring to William Garneys and his wife." Noted and illustrated in Knott (2009). The Geldeston Parish web site [www.geldeston.org/parishchurch/church.htm] [accessed 6 February 2007] notes: "The font for baptisms is by the door and has an 8 sided bowl made in 1400s. The shaft has 4 lions. It has a nice spire type cover and has a useful counterbalance." [NB: Lewis [cf. supra] dates the church to "the later English style", i.e., the Perpendicular or High Gothic, and the font is probably of the same period. The round tower, however, is probably mid-12th-century, an indication that the Norman church may have had an earlier font, of which we have no information]. The floral motifs on the basin sides are varied, but at least one is Tudor rose; the shileds are all charged; the underbowl has angel (?) heads at the angles, rosettes on the chamfer below; in between the lions of the stem are pinnacled buttresses. The inscription is on the top surface of the octagonal plinth. Two wooden covers: one is octagonal and flat; the other octagonal pyramidal with decoration and mouldings; 19th-century? [NB: the round tower of this church probably dates to the 12th century, but we have no iformation on the font of that church here].