7/29/2019 Mediaeval Oxford

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Mediaeval Oxford

In 1071 the Norman lord Robert DOily built a castle in Oxford, but, oddly enough, it was fortified against

the city as well as as the outside world, a sign, !y 10"#, the Domesday !oo$ described half of the %ro%erty

of the city of Oxford as being &laid waste', and these facts would seem to suggest that Oxford was nottreated $indly in the early rears of the Norman reign Des%ite this, howe(er, the twelfth century is the first

in which the )ni(ersity seems to ha(e gained an international re%utation *or, at least, was well $nown as a%lace of learning by +rench scholars, %erha%s unsur%risingly, gi(en the new lin$s between Normandy and

!ritain

Oxford would ha(e a%%eared to ha(e had both gained immensely in national im%ortance during the

mediae(al %eriod, but it is notable that it also seems to ha(e been a %eriod of some not inconsiderable

turmoil In 11-" a fire is said to ha(e burned the whole town, and in 11./, during the anarchy of te%hensreign, ueen 2atilda was held ca%ti(e at the castle he is said to ha(e esca%ed across the fro3en ri(er,

dressed in white, thus camouflaged against the snow

4here were often running battles between the scholars in the town from different %arts of the country, such

as the exam%le from 1/5", ta$en from 6nthony oodsHistory and Antiquities of the University of Oxford,

when the Northern and welsh scholars defeated the outhern scholars in a %itched battle, or this, more

gra%hic exam%le, from the same source, from 1-"89

a multitude of other malefactors, appointing Captains among them, rose up against the peace of

the King, and fought after all Welshmen abiding and studying in Oxfordand certain persons they

slew and others they grievously wounded, and some of the Welshmen, who bowed their knees to

abure the town, they the !orthern scholars led to the gates, causing them first to piss on them, and

then to kiss the place on which they had pissed" #ut not being content with that, they, while the said

Welshmen stooped to kiss it, would knock their heads against the gates in such an inhuman manner,

that they would force blood out of the noses of some, and tears from the eyes of others"

4here was also much resentment amongst the towns:%eo%le of the %redominant %lace the )ni(ersity held in

the go(ernment of the city, and the %osition of statutory %ri(ilege that the )ni(ersity held 4he ;hancellors;ourt had the %ower of im%risonment in its own %rison *where 4homas ;ranmer was held before his

execution, its own %olice:force, and could deal with all matters in which it could be argued that the

)ni(ersity had an interest *the ;hancellor had the right to try any case in(ol(ing a )ni(ersity scholar untilthe 18thcentury It could summon any of the of the towns:fol$, and the aldermen of the town had to swear

loyalty to the ;hancellor in the )ni(ersity ;hurch once a year It was resentment of many of these %owers

that led to the disturbances between the merchants and residents of the city and the scholars of the

)ni(ersity *see 4own and ohn yclif and ?rasmus It was this %rimacy in matters of the ;hurch that enabled

Oxford not only to weather the %eriodic crises of the time, but also to enhance its re%utation and its

institutions It was this ca%acity that %re%ared it for the intellectual and %olitical disturbances of the

Renaissance and the Reformation