Pewsey / Pavesei / Pevesie / Pevisigge

There are four entries for Pewsey [variant spellings] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SU1660/pewsey/] [accessed 3 July 2025], one of which, in the tenancy of King William, reports "1 church. 1.0 church lands" in it. Noted in Buck (1951): "Circular bowl, repaired in places, tapering downwards slightly and with mouldings around the bottom of the sides, otherwise plain. The bowl is supported on a centre stem having four engaged columns, apparently of nineteenth century date. Mention was made on page 28 of the handiwork of the late Canon Pleydell-Bouverie, Rector; amongst other items of his carving is the tall font cover, 8 feet high, which is dedicated to the memory of those parishioners who died in the 1914-18 war; it has four tiers of statues, the lowest tier being of soldiers in uniform." The Victoria County History (Wiltshire, vol. 16, 1999) notes: "Pewsey church was standing in 1086, when it was held by Rainbold the priest: that it was then referred to as standing on the king's estate may suggest that it was built before 940. [...] it appears that the nave is 12th-century and that the aisles were added later, possibly in the 13th century. [...] The church was restored [...] in 1853 [...] In 1889-90 [...] the church was further restored [...] The registers survive from 1568"; there is no mention of a font in the VCH entry for this parish. The font is dated Norman in the Parish web site [http://www.pewswan.org.uk/churchpage.php?CHURCH=pewsey] [accessed 20 December 2008]. Noted and illustrated in the Wiltshire Community History [http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getchurch.php?id=746] [accessed 20 December 2008]: "the 12th century Norman font with its elaborate top, carved by Canon Bouverie (rector 1880-1910). "