Mulbarton / Great Barton / Milbarton / Molke / Molkebertestuna / Molkebertuna / Muche / Mykil,

Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "M[ulbarton, Molke, Mykil, Muche, or Great-Barton, was owned by Ordinc, a thane of the Confessor's, and by Roger Bigot and Ralf de Beaufoe in the Conqueror's time, when it was six furlongs long, and five broad, and paid 6d. geld, and had a church and 15 acres of glebe, then worth two shillings" [a.p. Domesday, fol. 218: "i. ecclia. xv. et val. ii. sol. In Molkebertuna tenet"]. Blomefield (ibid.) further notes: "The church hath no isles, the nave is 26 yards and an half long, and 7 broad, and is leaded, as is the chancel also; the south porch is tiled, the tower is square and hath five bells. [...] Sir William de Hoo first presented here in 1367. He it was that built the present church and tower, in the chancel of which he and his lady were interred", and names "Ralf de St. Omer" as first recorded rector here, in 1329. Pevsner & Wilson (1999) note: "Font. Octagonal, simple, with quatrefoils, seems C17." The church guide in the Mulbarton Church Group site [www.mulbchurch.org.uk/Resources/Guide/2.html] [accessed 12 August 2009], however, has: "The stone Font is medieval in age, and octagonal (8-sided) in shape. The base is probably much older than the font itself. It may have come from a much older church which stood here […] (there was a church here in the time of the Domesday Book, in 1086)." The two parts of the font, basin and pedestal base, may be of different dates, as Pevsner & Wilson suggest [cf. supra]. The wooden cover, octagonal and with a slightly raised carved centre appears to be quite old, perhaps contemporary with the basin. The basin is badly cracked, and has been reinforced with a metal belt all around; the inner well is lead-lined. [cf. Index entry for Keningham for the disppeared font there].