OXFORD. 
f qacrly fuffered feverely. 
period, a very high degree of political importance. 
Edmund, furnamed Ironfide, occafionally refided here ; and 
was unhappily murdered in the town, November 3oth, 1016. 
Caaute the Great held his court frequently at Oxford ; and 
i ich the 
Edgar. Ha 
chief refidence at’ ‘this nae which was the {cene both of his 
coronation and of his dea en William the Conqueror 
made a are refs to the teal, after he had been crowned at 
eftminfter, the cihcbianes of Oxford being much attached 
to their deceafed ee refufed to open their gates to the 
ufurper of his t ing was pha ci ed to 
of arms; an 
overn- 
ment o obert de ” Ofelh a Norman of tried 
valour, and enpoueed him to build and fortify a cattle. 
This ftruCture was of great fize and ftrength, and was raifed 
on the weft fide of the town, near the river 
After the completion of the caftle, Oxford became more 
{ubmiffive, and long before the termination of the Con- 
orman government. 
frequently made it the place of their refidence, and on 
feveral occafions fummoned parliaments and councils to 
it. hen king William Rufus found his throne threatened 
by formidable infurre€tions in the north, he convened a 
x) 
— 
° 
5 
A 
3 
=m 
°o 
2. 
a 
latter having taken up her abode in the caftle, was befieged 
in it by the king in perfon, and only effected her ae a by 
ftratagem, the day previous to its furrender. 1154 
council met at Oxford, and it was formally agreed oe 
Stephen fhould retain the crown till his de a when it 
the year 1177, the 8 aid 
homage to him here for their territories and eftates. 
i ; 
C 
of his predeceffors, occafionally fixed his abode at Oxford, 
and held many parliaments and councils here on fubjeéts of 
great political importance, 
In the reign of Henry VIII. Oxford was conftituted 
the feat of a bifhop’s fee, and confequently elevated to t 
rank o it order of queen Mary, archbifhop 
Cranmer, with ae Ridley and Latimer, were executed 
here, October 1555, for herefy to the Romifh church. 
Her fucceffor, queen Elizabeth, frequently vifited Oxford, 
as will be more particularly mentioned in the fequel of this 
article. Inthe year 1577 the plague raged with dreadful 
mortality in this town. While the court fat on the trial of 
a popifh bookfeller, accufed of circulating offenfive pam- 
phiets, a fudden ficknefs feized nearly the whole of the 
perfons aid and within forty hours upwards of 300 per- 
fons died, am whom were the lord chief baron, the high 
theriff, al jattices of the peace, and mott of the jurors. 
he effeét of the earthquake in 1580 was oie felt at 
Oxford. The inhabitants quitted their houf.s in great ter- 
ro very feri mage was done notwithftanding 
the violence of the emotion. King James ithdrew t 
is city when lague broke out 
ry and began 
‘< Not a living creature,” fays 
corpfe-bearers, was to be {een in the ttreets, which were 
covered with grafs, even in the market-place.’ 
Charles I. held a parliament at Oxford in the early part 
of his reign ; and at a fubfequent period, when he found it 
e collegians. 
1646 was {pent by that monarch within the walls of Chrift- 
church, where he aflembled the fhattered remains of his 
parliament, and whence he wrote the memorable letter to lord 
Digby, declaring, that “ if he could net live as a king, he 
would die as a gentleman.’’ The negociations for peace be- 
tween Charles and the republican parliament were chiefly car- 
ried on at Oxford ; but no military event of any confequence 
occurred here throughout the war, though the city was 
ftrongly fortified, and its pofleffion gun an object of 
great importance to both parties. as furrendered by 
the exprefs comaaae of i king himfelf, after he had been 
made prifoner by the Sco 
e laft parliament ai met at Oxford was convened 
As p 
Origin and Hiftory of ie ° Unie y. _ origin of the 
d in ae and obfcurity than 
d few circumftances 
que ion; 
