Finmere / Finemere / Finmore

There are two entries for Finmere [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SP6333/finmere/] [accessed 6 December 2016], neither of which mentions cleric or church in it. The Ecclesiastical and Architectural Topography of England: Oxfordshire (1850) notes: "The font is plain round, tub-shaped". Noted in Kelly's Oxford Directory of 1911: "the font is cylindrical and has a carved oak cover". The Victoria County History (Oxford, vol. 6, 1959) notes: "The first evidence for the existence of a church at Finmere dates from the late 12th century. The advowson was granted before 1189 by William, son of Gregory, to the abbey of Augustinian canons at Bristol. [...] The church [...], which has been much restored, comprises a nave and chancel, separated by a chancel arch, a western tower, south porch, and north aisle. The north wall of the chancel, the battlemented tower of three stages and most of the windows are the only survivals of the 14thcentury church. [...] The plain circular font may date from the 12th century", and refers in a footnote to the Buckler drawing in the Bodleian Library: "See Buckler drawing in MS. Top. Oxon. a 66, f. 264." In Sherwood & Pevsner (1974): "A C12 stone tub with a band of incised zigzag." Descruibed and illustrated in the CRSBI (2016): "A vertical-sided limestone font on a vertical modern base. The rim has a chamfered edge, and just below it is an incised groove running around the top of the font, with incised chevrons hanging from it, extending for most of the bowl's perimeter. The chevron is missing where there is repaired lock damage on the S side, but this is concealed by the adjacent pier. A lead lining extends on to the rim but not on to the chamfer. There is a heavy oak cover with a raising device." Blomfield (1887) informs that some of the Victorian woodwork in this church, including the panels of the pulpit of 1874, and perhaps the those on the font cover of 1878, "have been carved by the Rector, the Rev. S. Ashwell, from full sized details drawn by the architect"; on the font itself Blomfield (ibid.) just cites Parker's description of 1850 [cf. supra].