York No. 25, Bishophill Junior / Eboracum / Eburacum / Eburākon / Eoforwic / Everwic / Jórvík

There are twelve entries for York in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SE6052/york/] [accessed 8 August 2019] eight of which mentions a church in it [cf. infra]. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (York, 1961) notes a font cover of the early-18th century, but not the font, in its church, "first mentioned in the papal confirmation of capitular property of 1194. [...] The tower is the earliest piece of parochial church architecture of any size surviving in the city and is probably of the early 11th century on older foundations. The aisles were perhaps added to the church in the 12th century and the present chancel built in the 13th. The wall of the south aisle was rebuilt in 1860 and the chancel was restored at the same time." Noted in Sheahan & Whellan (1855): "The font is a circular basin, on an octangular pillar". The RCHM (York, 1962- ) notes: "font, under tower arch, round cylinder on octagon, with stem on modern base, medieval. Cover [illustrated in the RCHM] "of oak, late 17th or early 18th-century". The RCHM (ibid.) further reports that "In 1909 a font from this church was trasferred to Whitwood Mere (Borthwick Inst., Faculty Papers, 1909/29)", but gives no details of that font. Baptismal font consisting of a chiefly polygonal basin of three volumes with plain vertical sides, of which the upper one is round, and the lower volume forms the upper part of the stem; a decorated (?) lower stem separates it from the square lower base, also plain. The wooden cover is crown shaped, the scrolls stemming from the outer sides of the octagonal platform; knob finial on which hooks the raising pulley chain. The font is located just east of the tower arch. The Parish web site [http://www.stmary-bishophill.co.uk/3.html] [accessed 2 December 2008] descrbes simply as "medieval". [NB: this church is said to be the oldest surviving church in York, going back perhaps to the year 900 A.D. or earlier, as witnessed by cross fragments found in it]. [NB: the church of St. Clement's, with which this church is now associated, dates from the 19th century and has a modern font]. The font cover is noted and illustrated in the RCHM (York, 1962- ): octagonal base with eight scroll ribs and dove finial. The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SE5999251475] notes: "Parish church. C10 tower, heightened in early C11, repaired, reroofed and embattled c1411; late C11 nave with mid C12 north arcade and north aisle; early C13 chancel extended c1300; mid C14 south aisle and chancel north chapel; nave reroofed C15. South aisle extended in early C19. 1860 restoration included construction of south porch and new windows at east end and to south aisle. Tower restored 1980. [...] medieval font with octagonal bowl with round upper section, on octagonal stem and C19 base; early C18 scrolled cover with dove and acorn finial."