Great Witley / Vecelage / Witlega / Witlege / Wyteleye

No entry found in the Domesday survey for this Witley. Miller (1890) reports a church re-built in 1719 and does not give details of the previous church here; he does note, however, that the church registers "date from 1566", and that the first recorded rector was "Joh. de Bramford... 1277". The Victoria County History (Worcester, vol. 4, 1924) notes: "The first reference to the church occurs in 1277 [...] The church, which was erected about 1735 in the Renaissance style of the period, was thoroughly restored about 1850. [...] The font and pulpit are modern; the former is a wellexecuted design in marble, the bowl being supported by the figures of three angels in the attitude of prayer." Brooks & Pevsner (2007) report the modern font: "superb font, carved by James Forsyth: of white marble, very chaste, with round bowl on three kneeling angels". The Parish website [www.greatwitleychurch.org.uk/the.htm] [accessed 26 May 2010] notes: "The font carved by James and William Forsyth is in white marble with a black base. The oak wooden cover has a figure of St. John the Baptist on the top". [NB: we have no information on the font from the medieval church here, but a baluster font of the 18th century from this church is reported by Brooks & Pevsner (2007) as having been moved to Little Witley -- cf. Index entry for Little Witley]