![]() The Germanic form of the name seems to have died out in Britain by the 15th century. Henry III's Fine Rolls for the years 1216-1242 list two Frethesentas: Lady Frethesancia de la Haye of Hertfordshire and Lady Frethesenta de Scotney. Intriguingly, during the 12th and 13th century, Frideswide was not in use in Britain, yet the Latinised Germanic Fredesendis was. It may be that, in some cases, the Latinised Fredesendis was also applied to the Old English Frithuswith - in 1450 Godstow says ' Fryswyde the English for Frediswitha' which does show a later connection between the two - or it may be that Fredesendis only survived among Norman nobility. Her son Raoul later held lands in Somerset and Devon. The step-father of William the Conqueror, Herluin de Conteville's (1001–1066) second wife was Fredesendis. A Fredesenda was the second wife of Tancred of Hauteville (980 – 1041), and their daughter Fressenda married Richard I, Count of Aversa and Prince of Capua. It was used among the Norman nobility and they brought it with them to Britain. The Old Germanic cognate Frithesuind had long since passed into Old French as Fredesendis, Frethesenta and Fressenda. Thanks to the cult of St Frideswide, the name was one of the few Old English names to survive the Norman invasion and be used through to the late Tudor period, despite being rare. The Old Germanic cognate of Frideswide was Frithesuind, latinised as Fredesendis or Frethesenta. ![]() The church later became a cathedral - which we now know as Christ Church Cathedral - and in 1289 a splendid shrine was erected over St Frideswide's remains. Fleeing from an overzealous suitor, Frideswide founded a convent in Oxford. ![]() The name became known thanks to St Frideswide (also known as Frithuswith, Frideswith, Frevisse and Fris) who was reputed to have been the daughter of a king of Mercia in the 8th century. Frideswide is the later form of the Old English name Friðuswīþ (Frithuswith), composed of the elements frið "peace, tranquilty, security, refuge," and swið "strong, mighty, powerful." ![]()
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