In Basingstoke, ST Michael`s Church, in 1917 they discovered statues one of Mary with the infant Jesus on her knee surrounded by Angels. Few enquiries have been made but on the right hand of Jesus there is a plate with M A hammered into it. These had been concealed at the Reformation. This plate did not belong to the statue but was there to give information which it was assumed people would understand when it was discovered We know that Augustinian Canons worked in Basingstoke as well as there being a community at Mottisfont Abbey. The question then is thid "Do these words M A stand for Mottisfont Abbey and was this the origin of these statues. I am sure you will agree this is a fascinating question..