Frith Fen, Frith Fen Drove
Early-attested site in the Parish of Landbeach
Historical Forms
- (le) Frithf(f)en, Frythf(f)en 1326 MinAcct 1350–70 CCC
- Fritfen, Frytfen 1336–47 ib
- le Frefen 1347 ib
Etymology
Frith Fen, Frith Fen Drove (6″) is (le ) Frithf (f )en , Frythf (f )en 1326MinAcct , 1350–70CCC , Fritfen , Frytfen 1336–47 ib., le Frefen 1347 ib. This preserves the name of one of the common types of fen. In 1552 (Pat) we read of segefennis , ffoderfennis and frythefennis in Wicken, Soham and Wisbech.Cf. also, in Lakenheath (Sf), “Fen groundes…of seuerall natures That is to say some mowinge groundes some feedinge groundes some used for digginge the necessary firinge of the Inhabitants there as flaggs hassocks and turffes and a great parte wheron there groweth Reed and sedge” 1621SewersD f. 200. Most of these are represented in the Isle of Ely to-day. Cf. Sedge Fen, Fodder Fen, Mow Fen, Flag Fen, Turf Fen and Reed Fen infra (Index).
Frith was a common fenland term, cf. “the Isles of Norney and Thorney have certain low grounds called Fryths on the skirts of the highland belonging to them…on which they gather winter fodder” 1604Atkyns , “one rood of frethfen ” (in Fen Drayton) 1422StJohn 's .This must be fyrhð(e), 'wood,' which must have been used in the fens in the specialised sense of 'brushwood, undergrowth.' NEDs. v. frith , sb., gives similar meanings for later dates, “a piece of land grown sparsely with trees or with underwood only” (1538), “brushwood, underwood” (1605). Cf. (in Wicken) Frithefen 1232FF , (Swavesey) le Frethefenne 1287Rental , (Doddington) frithfen 1298MinAcct , (Sutton) le Frithfen 1319Ct , (Cottenham) le Frithfen 1339 Crowland, (Waterbeach) Frithfenne 1437Cole xxxvi. Cf. also le Frythmor 1357CCC (in Landbeach).