Witton nr. North Walsham / Witton by Walsham / Witton nr. Tunstead / Wittuna

There are three entries for Witton [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TG3331/witton/] [accessed 6 May 2014], with one church and churchlands in the hands of a priest in 1066. Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "Godric farmed this lordship (or was steward of it, when Domesday book, was compiled) of the King, where we find that a certain priest was deprived of it, who held 30 acres in free alms, and there were 9 socmen with 12 acres of land, and 2 carucates and 2 acres of meadow, and he held it of King Edward by singing 3 masses for the King and Queen daily". There is no mention of a church in this part, but "a church endowed with 10 acres" is reported in the original lordship of Bishop Almer of Elmham in 1066 that had passed on to William of Warenne [aka Earl Warren] by 1086. Blomefield (ibid.) adds: "The Church is dedicated to St. Margaret, and was a rectory [...] appropriated to the priory of Bromholm; and there was a vicarage". The present font here is noted in Pevsner & Wilson (1997): "Simple, octagonal C14 job, with panelled stem and quatrefoiled bowl." Illustrated in Knott (2005). The stem is decorated with tracery, cinquefoil arches; the underbowl chamfer has graded moulding. Raised on an octagonal plinth. The wooden cover is octagonal, flat and plain; appears modern.