Frocester / Frowecestre

There is an entry for Frocester [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SO7803/frocester/] [accessed 13 February 2019] but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History (Gloucester, vol. 10, 1972) notes: "A tradition, first recorded in the 16th century, that there was anciently a college of secular priests at Frocester [...] is given some support by the description of the church there as 'the old minster' in 1313. [...] The church was evidently of a fairly early foundation and once served a wider area than Frocester parish. When first found recorded c. 1150 it had parochial rights over Nympsfield [...] It was allowed to decay during the 18th and early 19th centuries [...] until 1849, when it was rebuilt"; the VCH entry adds: "The 17th-century font, with an octagonal bowl on a pedestal adorned with trefoilheaded niches, [...] is probably the one mentioned at the chapel in 1680." [NB: St. Andrew's chapel is noted in the VCH as "according to tradition it stood near Frocester Court", having been "built in the late 17th century but incorporated some materials from the chapel recorded from 1282, [...] including presumably the small Norman light in the north wall of the chancel". The VCH entry further notes that, from about 1691, "the chapel was used for almost all services; the parish church, used only for burials, fell into disrepair, and was in ruins in 1828."] A font is noted in Verey & Brooks (1999-2002): "Font. A composite piece. Octagonal Perp[endicular] Survival bowl and panelled pedestal, late C17, set on a short circular stem and base which are possibly C13." The baptismal font is odd-looking, its design contrived, a result of its composite nature: the basin has shallow plain sides and a concave tallish underbowl; the upper half of the stem is octagonal with shallow-relief arches, and a thick Norman-looking rope-moulding, separates it from the lower half which is round and plain; splaying moulded lower base. Octagonal wooden cover, quite thick, with ring handle; appears modern. [NB: we have no information on the earlier fonts of St. Peter's or St. Andrew's].