Martley No. 1 / Mardelega / Marklegh / Martele / Martelei / Mercelei / Merlea / Merlega / Merlei / Merlie / Mertelai / Mertelega / Mertelu

There are four entries for Martley [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO7559/martley/] [accessed 24 October 2014], one of which reports a church in it. Noake (1848) reports of his visit to this church: "I saw no font; there is a wooden pedestal in front of the clerk's desk, and I suppose they make this available to put a basin on." Miller (1890) writes: "There is a fine Norman doorway to the nave, near to which is the stoop [i.e., stoup] [...] The font is modern." The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 4, 1924) notes: "The tithes of Martley apparently belonged originally to the church of St. Helen, Worcester, [...] but in the Domesday Survey it is stated that the church [...] of Martley with the land appurtenant, and with its tithe and two villeins, with 2 virgates of land, were given by William Fitz Osbern Earl of Hereford to St. Mary of Cormeilles [...] The [present] church dates from the early years of the 12th century, and the walls of the nave are of that period", but the VCH adds that the font and pulpit are modern, from the 1870s restoration; the VCH shows an interior plan with the [modern?] font at the west end of the nave. Brooks & Pevsner (2007) report an octagonal font of 1875. [NB: we have no information on the medieval font]