Beetley / Betellea / Betely

There is an entry for Beetley [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TF9718/beetley/] [accessed 31 January 2014], and it mentions a church in it, but it appears that the resources in this entry relate to the main holding of Elmham, of which Beetley was a 'beruite', as indicated in Blomefield (1805-1810), who adds: "The Church is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, and is a rectory [...] Here is a nave with 2 isles, covered with lead, and a chancel tiled, and a square tower, with three bells." The earliest reference to a church here in Blomefield is his naming of "Simon de Ely, rector, presented by the Bishop of Norwich", in 1300. The present font here is noted in Pevsner & Wilson (1999): "Octagonal, Perp[endicular]. Stem with tracery and shields, bowl with shields in cusped fields. Font cover. Early C17; turned central baluster." The underbowl chamfer is moulded; the octagonal stem has a moulding at the top. The font is raised on a tall but narrow brick (?) plinth.