Thetford No. 6 / Deodford / Tedford / Tefford / Tetford / Theford / Sitomagus
INFORMATION
FontID: 18344THE
Church/Chapel: Parish Church of St. May the Great [disappeared]
Church Patron Saints: St. Mary the Virgin
Country Name: England
Location: Norfolk, East Anglia
Directions to Site: [cf. FontNotes]
Historical Region: Burgh of Thetford -- partly in Suffolk
Century and Period: 10th - 11th century, Pre-Conquest
Font Notes: Click to view font notes
Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "The mother church of this city was dedicated to St. Mary, and stood where the free-school, and master of the hospital's house now stands [...] was without doubt the most ancient church in this town, it being parochial before the Confessor's time; but it doth not appear when, or by whom, it was first founded; it belonged to the bishoprick till Stigand retained it, with other revenues of the see, at whose disgrace it came to the King, who gave it to Bishop Arfast and his heirs: he pulled it down, and built his cathedral church in its room, from which time it ceased to be parochial, its parish being laid to the church of the Holy Trinity". [NB: this pre-Conquest church disappeared and we have no information on its font].
COORDINATES
UTM: 31U 346619 5809199
REFERENCES
Blomefield, Francis, An essay towards a topographical history of Norfolk, 1805-1810
Blomefield, Francis, An essay towards a topographical history of Norfolk, 1805-1810