Old forms of Fraser, which see, which have become independent surnames. Walter Freselle had a safe conduct into England, 1424 (Bain, IV, 963). David Frysaille witnessed resignation of lands of Walle, 1474 (Home, p. 220). John Fresall (Fresale, Frezel, or Frezille) was parson of Douglas, 1482 (CDE., 53), dean of Lestalrig and canon of Glasgow, 1491—93 (REG., 460; Bain, IV, 1594, 1596). James Frissal was a dag-maker in 1592 (Sc. Ant VI p. 168), Robert Frizell in Tinwald was examined lor the Test in 1685 (RPC., 3. ser. XI, p. 435), and Alexander Frizell is recorded in Milhill of Wandale, Lanarkshire, 1734 (Lanark CR.).

FRISSELL, Frizell, Frizelle: Old forms of Fraser, which see, which have become independent surnames. Walter Freselle had a safe conduct into England, 1424 (Bain, IV, 963). David Frysaille witnessed resignation of lands of Walle, 1474 (Home, p. 220). John Fresall (Fresale, Frezel, or Frezille) was parson of Douglas, 1482 (CDE., 53), dean of Lestalrig and canon of Glasgow, 1491—93 (REG., 460; Bain, IV, 1594, 1596). James Frissal was a dag-maker in 1592 (Sc. Ant VI p. 168), Robert Frizell in Tinwald was examined lor the Test in 1685 (RPC., 3. ser. XI, p. 435), and Alexander Frizell is recorded in Milhill of Wandale, Lanarkshire, 1734 (Lanark CR.).

Woulfe devotes eleven lines to this name but beyond stating that it appears (as Fresel) in Dublin in 1216 gives little information. He derives it from Norman Frisel i.e. native of Friesland. Weekley, an authority on British surnames, says that the root word is A-S. frithu (peace) and describes as “unaccountable” the change from Frizell to Frazer which has undoubtedly occurred quite often in Scotland: it would appear to be simply a case of attraction, of which we have so many examples in Ireland (e.g.

Blowick to Blake, Sullahan to Sullivan etc.).

Families of the name were early established in Munster and the Justiciary, Patent and Chancery Rolls record a number of cases in which they are concerned between 1295 and 1305. There was, for example, a dispute between two Freisels regarding their property at Freiselstown in Co. Limerick in 1297, and the same year Nicholas Freysel was excommunicated by the Bishop of Cork in circumstances which appear extraordinary by modern standards. Nearly all these many early mediaeval references are to Cork * city and county —— in the former Freyzel's Castle was still so called in 1519, but it was no longer the property of that family. Later the name became scattered. Its distribution in the seventeenth century, when it was chiefly found in Antrim and adjacent counties, suggests that it had then almost died out in Munster —— there was one family of Frizell in Kerry in 1911 —— and that quite different families of the name had subsequently settled in Ulster. Modern statistics indicate that it is now associated with north Connacht as well as Co. Tyrone.

*The Arthur O'Frizil mentioned in Knox's History of Mayo as appointed Archbishop of Tuam by the Pope in 1536 may be disregarded as he was an O'Friel, the Gaelic G having been mistaken for Z.

Families of this name were established in Munster in the thirteenth century and gave their name to Frieselstown in Co. Limerick. They subsequently became scattered. SIF 72

(Scottish) Early forms of Frazier, q.v.