Appleby-in-Westmorland No. 1

Lands in the Barony of Appleby were not included in the Domesday survey. Curwen (1932) notes: "Briefly the history of the church is that Ranulph de Meschines about 1088 granted it to Richard the abbot and to the convent of St. Mary at York with two parts of the tithes of all his demesne lands on both sides of the river Eden, which grant was confirmed by Henry 1. Afterwards it was confirmed by Athelwald, bishop of Carlisle, 1133–1155, and subsequently by Bishop Hugh, 1219–1223 [...] The church was burned down by the Scots in 1174 and rebuilt with a tower in 1176; it was again destroyed by the Scots in 1388 and repaired early in the 15th century; it was reconditioned and greatly restored by the Lady Anne Clifford in 1655. Thomas Smith, Bishop of Carlisle, 1684–1702, erected at his own expense the porch or cloister at the entrance to the churchyard facing the market place. On 24 April, 1863, the church was re-opened after a thorough restoration under Ewan Christian the architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners." The present font is modern, 19th-century, made of black marble. [NB: we have no information on the font form the original 11th-century church here].