Bletchley / Bicchelai / Blechelegh / Blecheley / Blechley / West Bletchley

No entry found for Bletchley in the Domesday survey. Parker (1850) notes that the church, of mixed Decorated and Perpendicular periods, "was restored in a bad style, with painted Gracian panelling, by Browne Willis, who also [...] gave the font" [NB: Browne Willis (1682-1760 ) was a Senior Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London]. The Victoria County History (Buckingham, vol. 4, 1927) notes: "The church of Bletchley was built before 1212 [...] The earliest part of the church which can be definitely dated is the late 13th-century chancel, but evidence of an earlier building is afforded by the late 12th-century voussoirs reset over the south doorway of the south aisle [...] The font, which has a shallow cup-shaped bowl, is probably of the early 17th century, and the pyramidal wooden cover is of the same period." [NB: if Willis was the one who installed the new font here it is likely that the font is 18th-century, rather than 17th, unless Willis was seventeen-years old or yunger at the time]. The present font is located at the west end of the south aisle, just west of the south doorway. The church at Brickhill had been disused for a century and half when Willis had it restored in 1756 [cf. www.willisfleming.org.uk/browne_willis/brownewillis.html [accessed 12 April 2009] for more information]. [NB: we have no information on the earlier font of this church].