Eversley / Everslea / Everslegh / Evreslei

There is an entry for Eversley [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/SU7762/eversley/] [accessed 31 July 2018] but it mentions neither priest nor church in it. The Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 4, 1911) notes: "A church was included in the grant of Eversley to Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor [i.e., reigned 1042-1066] [...] The chancel is the only ancient part of the church, but has no features by which its date may be accurately fixed; its axis is markedly to the south of that of the nave. All the rest of the church was rebuilt between 1724 and 1735, the tower being dated 1735. [...] all the other fittings are quite modern, including the octagonal marble font standing under the tower." The VCH (ibid.) cites some notes written by Charles Kingsley, the vicar, in 1842 [source cited: Charles Kingsley, His Letters and Memories of His Life, 73], among which are a reference to the then font: "A cracked kitchen basin inside the font held the water for Holy Baptism"; presumably the new font was installed soon thereafter, as Kingsley spent the rest of his years upgrading the church [NB: according to the VCH (ibid.) he died in 1875 and was buried in the churchyard]. The Parish web site [www.stmaryseversley.org.uk/Virtual_tour.htm] notes and illustrates the new font: "The present font was erected in 1867 in memory of Kingsley's friend and neighbour, Sir Thomas Erskine. It used to be situated where the organ stand today"; the font consists of a plain octagonal basin raised on a polygonal stem of the same dark stone, and an octagonal plinth of lighter stone. The wooden cover is octagonal and flat, with metal decoration and ring handle; appears modern as well. [NB: we have no information of the whereabouts of the earlier font]