Denton nr. Harleston / / Dentuna

There are three entries for this Denton in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/TM2788/denton/] [accessed 23 July 2014], but neither mentions a church or cleric in it. Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "This church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who had her image in the chancel, with a light burning before it. Domesday of Norwich tells us, that it was valued at 36 marks, that the rector had a house and carucate of land [...] The Church, chancel, two isles, and north porch, are leaded; the north vestry is down. At the west end stands a low square brick tower, in which there are three bells". Blomefield (ibid.) names as first recorded rector here "Will. de Brehull, chaplain to King Edw. I. who granted a prohibition in the 31st year of his reign, that no one should molest him for non-residence" [the 31st year of Edward I's reign would be 1303]. The present font is noted in Pevsner & Wilson (1999): "Octagonal, with shields in quatrefoils". Illustrated in Knott (2006). The basin has thick round mouldings at the upper rim and lower side; the octagonal stem has trefoiled arches or windows on the sides; the lower base is moulded. Two-step plinth, part of which is modern. The wooden font cover is octagonal and flat, with metal decoration and and cross finial; 19th-century? [NB: we have no information on the font of the Domesday-time church here].