church is a mixed building, with some remains of very fine original coloured glass.
128. Frinsbury.—"Olirn Eslingham or Heslingham" (Reg. Roff.), which was a considerable manor here, and the name occurs in (D. B.) as well as "Frandesberie." (A.D. 1291) "Ecclia de Frandesbere, note, cum capellis;" and (Val. Eccl.) names the chapel of Eslingham. The latter is stated, by John, bishop of Rochester about 1280(?), to have existed in the time of Bishop Gundulph; and we find mention of the "rector ecclesie de Eselynge," Eslingham, A.D. 1350. (Reg. Roff., 370-371.)—"The land of Frendsbury was long since given by Offa, the king of middle England, to Eardulph, then bishop of Rochester, under the name of Eslingham cum appendiciis; although at this day this other (Erendsbury) beareth countenance as the more worthy of the twaine." (Lambarde.)
129. Frinsted—is annexed to Milsted.—Frinsted is the only place in the immediate neighbourhood, which is declared to have possessed a church at the period of the Domesday Survey, yet the existing churches of Frinsted, Wormshill, and Bicknor, three adjoining parishes lying nearly in a line from east to west, exhibit almost, if not quite, the same architectural features, and those certainly of a very early character; more so, decidedly more simple, in the others, than in Frinsted. The most ancient, and apparently the original, portion of the last-named church has circular, very short, and thick piers, with plain capitals; except that two piers, in other respects like the rest, have a Norm, leaf, low and roughly carved, in their capitals. In Wormshill church the arches, which are pointed, appear to be mere perforations of the wall, the soffits being single, the angles not chamfered, of the thickness of the wall, flat and plain from one side to the other. All these churches are small, particularly Bicknor; which however comprises two side aisles, the two intervening arches being low, round, supported by heavy square piers, and perfectly plain, except some little Norm, ornament on the capitals, of which the outline resembles that of Steetly church, Derbyshire, as represented in (Gloss, of Archit., 83, edition 1845,) date 1160.
130. Frittenden.—This church consisted of western tower with a shingled spire, nave and south aisle, chancel, southern ditto, and south porch. The tower is Perp., the nave and chancel are Dec., the south aisle very poor Perp. Considerable judicious improvements have been executed in this church, in particular the replacing the shingled spire with stone.
