By 1086 AD, there were two settlements which came under two manorial estates in what would eventually become the village of Fritwell, and the village is still divided into a western part (on the Somerton Road) and southern part (on the Middleton Road) to this day. It is believed that the latter was the earliest of the two settlements.

The village takes its name from 'fyrht-wielle', meaning 'wishing-well', due to it being situated close to a spring.

The church was built between the two settlements, and dedicated to St Olave, the 11th century King of Norway, who was later canonised as a saint; this suggests that there may have been a fair bit of Danish or Germanic activity in the area prior to the Norman Conquest.

One of the oldest surviving buildings in Fritwell is called 'The Hollies', and dates back to 1636.

During the 19th century, the village was known locally as 'Fritwell on the Elms', on account of the large number of elm trees which flourished there.

During the English Civil War, parliamentary foot soldiers were stationed in Fritwell.

Many of Fritwell's inhabitants over the centuries have been rather 'comfortably off', with the richest of them all being William of Tingewick, who was assessed for taxation at a sum of 15s 8d in 1316 - according to an old currency converter, as of 2017, he would've been liable to be taxed for roughly £417, which meant that he was a very wealthy man indeed!
Using the same calculator, I was able to ascertain that if William had been alive in 2017, he would've had to have paid approximately £255,075 in tax!

The yeoman family of Hopcraft boasted the longest connection to Fritwell, beginning in 1279 with Philip de Oppercroft, and ending with the last of that name leaving the village sometime around the early 19th century.

Despite its prosperous history, by 1718 (following the Reformations), Fritwell was valued at just £40, making it one of the poorer and less-desirable parts of the county.

In the 1850's, there were 3 public houses, and a number of shops. Local craftspeople included straw-bonnet makers, harness-makers, cordwainers and maltsers, and many women living in the village were involved in the age-old Oxfordshire pursuit of lace-making, travelling to Banbury once or twice a year to tell their creations at the large markets held there.

The first school in Fritwell was actually held at the church, from as early as 1685; a purpose-built school was opened in 1795 in the vicarage barn, partially ran by the childrens' parents. As of 1808, the village had two schools, with one teaching 30 pupils, and 4 Roman Catholic children being taught separately.

Eventually, a new school was built in 1872, with an adjacent 'schoolmistress' house'. Two teachers were appointed for 64 pupils. In 1928, the sum of £1,500 was raised in donations, allowing a new classroom to be opened - it was only after this time that children from the neighbouring villages of Ardley, Fewcott, Souldern, Somerton and Stoke Lyne were able to attend.