Defford / Depeford / Depeforde / Dufford

There is an entry for Defford [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SO9143/defford/] [accessed 16 October 2014], but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. Miller (1890) notes: "The Church of St. James was a chapelry of Pershore [...] The tower is of the 14th century", but does not mention a font in it. The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 4, 1924) notes: "In the 12th century the chapels of Besford, Defford, Wick and Bricklehampton were dependent on the church of St. Andrew, Pershore. [...] The main walls of the church are perhaps as old as the 13th century, but practically no original details remain." The present baptismal font consists of an octagonal basin decorated with simple roll mouldings ar the upper rim and lower end, otherwise plain, raised on a moulded octagonal pedestal base. The wooden cover is octagonal, flat, with a raised cross finial. Both font and cover appear modern, probably 19th-century. [NB: we have no information on the font from the medieval church here].