Cople / Coggepole / Cochepol / Coupol / Cowepyll

There are eight entries for Cople [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/TL1048/cople/] [accessed 16 September 2015], none of which mention cleric or church in it, except for a lord of one of the parts, "Roger the priest". The Victoria County History (Bedford, vol. 3, 1912) notes: "Cople Church was granted to Chicksands by Simon de Beauchamp, [...] and confirmed by his son William in the reign of Henry III [i.e., 1216-1272] [...] In 1291 it was worth £5. [...] The chapels appear to be 16th-century additions, but otherwise the whole building seems to be of one date—the first half of the 15th century." The VCH entry does not mention a font in it. The present baptismal font consists of an octagonal basin with vertical sides, all plain except one which has been carved [re-carved?] with a Latin cross motif; moulded underbowl chamfer; plain octagonal stem; moulded lower base also octagonal. The font is covered in whitewash and it appears to have been re-cut. Onr of the basin sides, the lone left of the carved panel, shows a new-stone insert consistent with damage related to the removal of an old cover staple. The font may date from the major renovation of this church in the 15th century, but it has been re-cut. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat; appears modern. The last recorded repairs (floor alterations) in this church appear to date from 14 June 2008, at which time the font was dismantled [cf. images in http://cople.photoblog.org.uk/c1540849.html [accessed 29 November 2008]. [NB: the church dates back to the late 11th century, but we have no information on the earlier font(s) of this church]