Studley / Stodlei

There are two entries for this Studley [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SP0763/studley/] [accessed 26 November 2014], one of which reports a priest but not a church in it, though there probably was one there. The entry for this parish in Notices of the churches of Warwickshire (vol. 2, 1858) gives the dedication of this church simply as The Blessed Virgin, and notes: "In the Domesday Survey it is written Stodlei; whence it appears, that previously to the Norman Conquest, it was chiefly possessed by a Saxon named Swain, the remaining portion belonging to Godric. The possessions of the former, containing the Church and the mill, were then granted to William, the son of Corbucion [...] A Priory for Canons of the Augustine Order was founded here by Peter Corbicon (or Peter de Stodley, as he is called from his residence here) in the reign of Stephen, [i.e., 1135-1154] which, amongst its other endowments, possessed the parish Church of Studley [...] The north wall of the nave exhibits some features of the ancient Norman church, in a somewhat rich semicircular headed doorway of the 12th century [...] There is no proper font; the substitute stands at the east end of the nave". The Victoria County History (Warwick, vol. 3, 1945) gives the dedication of this church as The Natiivity of the Blessed Virgin, and notes: " The present font is modern; it consists of a roughly hemispherical basin with a pronouned roll moulding at the upper rim, a gadrooned pattern on the sides and underbowl; on a round pedestal base with a decorated lower base [NB: according to one source [www.flickr.com/photos/tudorbarlow/2489875886/in/set-72157594207678469] [accessed 26 November 2014] who visited on 13 May 2008, the font is "used for lighted candles, it contains sand!" -- we have no information on the font of the original church here].