Rochdale No. 1 / Rachedale / Recedham

There is an entry for Rochdale [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SD8913/rochdale/] [accessed 11 March 2019] but it mentiones neither cleric nor church in it. Fishwick (1894), in his report on the discovery of a buried font in this church, mentioned an earlier font: "The original font belonging to this church was, no doubt, the one described by Dr. Whitaker, which he said was an 'almost shapeless stone approaching to a circular shape'. It was eleven inches in diameter and eight inches deep, with rivets on the outside to 'fasten some metallic lining.'" [NB: these measurements would be more fitting to a holy-water stoup than to an early font]. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Lancaster, vol. 5, 1911) notes: "The site is an ancient one, [...] but the oldest part of the present church belongs to the 13th century, though fragments of Norman masonry are said to have been discovered in the renovation of 1815 [...] Whatever the earliest church may have been, the structure seems to have been entirely rebuilt on a large scale during the 13th century, the present nave pillars being of that date and probably in their original position. Of the 13th-century chancel no traces now remain, but it was apparently the same width as the nave, and of three bays or more in length. [...] The font now in use, which stands under the tower, was found buried in the vicarage garden in 1892, and consists of an octagonal sandstone bowl 2 ft. 8 in. in diameter at top and 1 ft. 10 in. in height, on a new base. It is entirely without ornament and of rough workmanship, and dates apparently from the latter part of the 15 th century. It is very much worn, but the top still shows the holes for fastenings. There is a modern cover." The VCH reference to the font is footnoted: "See Proceedings of the Soc. of Antiquaries, xiv, 320 (1893)."