ABINGDON
Abingdon: The earliest known inhabitants of Abingdon were Bronze and Iron Age settlers. In 1991, a 33-hectare Iron Age enclosure known as an 'oppidum' was discovered underneath the town centre. It was built on a site that had previously been occupied, and continued to be used as a town throughout the Roman occupation of Britain. When the Roman occupation ended, the town that was to become Abingdon continued its life as a Saxon settlement; the earliest written records of the area identify the hamlet of Sevekesham, located at a ford of the Thames.
From the 7th Century, Abingdon’s abbey claims to be England's first monastery. The first tales of Abingdon Abbey tell of a Saint Abban. He escaped from a massacre at Stonehenge carried out by the Saxon King Hengist of Kent in the 5th Century and founded a hermitage somewhere in what is now Oxfordshire. This original hermitage - Abendon - was later expanded by his followers, but eventually fell into disrepair. Some years later, Prince Hean, the nephew of King Cissa of Upper Wessex, was seeking a secluded place to pursue a life of religious devotion. He chanced upon the ruined hermitage and attempted to restore the buildings. Unfortunately, an underground stream prevented the building of solid foundations and Haen was forced to abandon his attempt (Now Stert Street). The story next tells that he was visited by a hermit who told of a vision, claiming that it was God's will that Haen build his monastery in the town of Sevekesham. So, in 675, Haen began work on his new Abbey, renaming the town Abingdon in honour of the original founder of the hermitage. When reconstructed, the abbey was larger than Westminster Abbey is today.
Ruin & Rebuilding: Precisely how much of the abbey's early history is true and how much is legend is unknown, but it is clear that by 675 there was a monastery in what is now the town of Abingdon. Sadly, nothing of this first abbey remains, as it was destroyed by marauding Danes from nearby Reading. The next major figure in the abbey's history is Saint Aethelwold, who became Abbot of Abingdon in 955 AD before progressing to become Bishop of Winchester eight years later. One of Aethelwold's pupils at the abbey was a young Edgar, brother of King Eadwig of Wessex. In return for Aethelwold's teachings, Edgar promised that, if he ever became King, he would restore the abbey buildings. On the death of Eadwig, Edgar fulfilled his promise to his old mentor, making Abingdon the first in a series of monasteries to be restored during his reign. In 1100, an Italian monk called Faricius became Abbot of Abingdon and began the building of a new church, which was completed and dedicated in 1239. The expansion of the abbey continued in the 15th Century with the addition of a new nave and a number of towers. Abingdon abbey survived until the reign of Henry VIII. In 1536, Henry passed an Act of Parliament demanding the dissolution of all monasteries in England as part of his breakaway from the power of the Pope, but also to raise some much needed cash for the Exchequer. So it was that Abingdon Abbey was surrendered to the Crown by Thomas Pentecost in 1539.
From the 7th Century, Abingdon’s abbey claims to be England's first monastery. The first tales of Abingdon Abbey tell of a Saint Abban. He escaped from a massacre at Stonehenge carried out by the Saxon King Hengist of Kent in the 5th Century and founded a hermitage somewhere in what is now Oxfordshire. This original hermitage - Abendon - was later expanded by his followers, but eventually fell into disrepair. Some years later, Prince Hean, the nephew of King Cissa of Upper Wessex, was seeking a secluded place to pursue a life of religious devotion. He chanced upon the ruined hermitage and attempted to restore the buildings. Unfortunately, an underground stream prevented the building of solid foundations and Haen was forced to abandon his attempt (Now Stert Street). The story next tells that he was visited by a hermit who told of a vision, claiming that it was God's will that Haen build his monastery in the town of Sevekesham. So, in 675, Haen began work on his new Abbey, renaming the town Abingdon in honour of the original founder of the hermitage. When reconstructed, the abbey was larger than Westminster Abbey is today.
Ruin & Rebuilding: Precisely how much of the abbey's early history is true and how much is legend is unknown, but it is clear that by 675 there was a monastery in what is now the town of Abingdon. Sadly, nothing of this first abbey remains, as it was destroyed by marauding Danes from nearby Reading. The next major figure in the abbey's history is Saint Aethelwold, who became Abbot of Abingdon in 955 AD before progressing to become Bishop of Winchester eight years later. One of Aethelwold's pupils at the abbey was a young Edgar, brother of King Eadwig of Wessex. In return for Aethelwold's teachings, Edgar promised that, if he ever became King, he would restore the abbey buildings. On the death of Eadwig, Edgar fulfilled his promise to his old mentor, making Abingdon the first in a series of monasteries to be restored during his reign. In 1100, an Italian monk called Faricius became Abbot of Abingdon and began the building of a new church, which was completed and dedicated in 1239. The expansion of the abbey continued in the 15th Century with the addition of a new nave and a number of towers. Abingdon abbey survived until the reign of Henry VIII. In 1536, Henry passed an Act of Parliament demanding the dissolution of all monasteries in England as part of his breakaway from the power of the Pope, but also to raise some much needed cash for the Exchequer. So it was that Abingdon Abbey was surrendered to the Crown by Thomas Pentecost in 1539.
OXFORD
SAXON OXFORD
Oxford was founded in the 9th century when Alfred the Great created a network of fortified towns called burghs across his kingdom. One of these was at Oxford. There may have been a village already existing there or Alfred may have created a new town. The streets of Oxford were in a regular pattern suggesting a new town but we are not certain. Oxford is first mentioned in 911 when the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a sort of national diary, said: 'King Edward received the burghs of London and Oxford and London with all the lands belonging to them'. Oxford probably had a market from the time it was made a burgh and it soon became a flourishing town. In the 10th century Oxford had a mint with 4 moneyers (coin makers). But Oxford was a fortress as well as a town. In the event of war with the Danes all the men from the area were to gather inside the burgh. However this strategy was not entirely successful. In 1009 the Danes burned Oxford. (An easy task since all the buildings were of wood with thatched roofs). However Oxford was soon rebuilt. Then in 1013 the Danish king claimed the throne of England. He invaded England and went to Oxford where 'the people soon bowed to him and gave hostages'. In 1018 a conference was held in Oxford to decide who would be king of England.
OXFORD IN THE MIDDLE AGES
By the time of the Norman Conquest there were said to be about 1,000 houses in Oxford, which meant it probably had a population of around 5,000. By the standards of the time it was a large and important town (even London only had about 18,000 inhabitants). It was said at the time that Oxford was the 6th largest town in England. Oxford probably reached its zenith at that time. About 1072 the Normans built a castle at Oxford. In the 11th century the town's defences were a ditch and an earth rampart with a wooden stockade on top. Later the stockade was replaced by a stone wall. In the 1140's there was civil war between Stephen and Matilda. In 1142 Matilda was at Oxford castle but her rival's troops burned the town and besieged the castle. However one snowy day Matilda managed to escape across the frozen river. Oxford soon recovered from this disaster and began to flourish once again. The university at Oxford was founded in 1167. During the Middle Ages there was much tension between townspeople and students in Oxford. In 1209 a woman was killed. Afterwards the townsfolk hanged 2 students. Some of the students fled to Cambridge but in 1214 they were invited back. Evidently the merchants in the town missed their custom. In 1121 a Chancellor was appointed with power to discipline the students. Nevertheless further riots followed in Oxford in 1228, 1236, 1238, 1248, 1272, 1298. Tension continued because kings granted the students certain privileges, which harmed the merchants of the town. The tension came to a head in 1355 when a fight occurred between them, which lasted for 3 days. Afterwards an investigation was held and as a result the university staff and students were given still more privileges. Despite this the conflict between the townspeople and the university died down. In 1258 Simon de Monfort and 23 other rebellious barons held a meeting in Oxford and forced the king to accept a number of reforms known as the Provisions of Oxford. In the 12th and 13th centuries Oxford was a manufacturing town. It was noted for cloth and leather. In Oxford wool was woven then fulled, that is it was cleaned and thickened by being pounded in water and clay. There were many tanners in the town and leather workers such as shoemakers and saddlers. However in the 14th and 15th centuries manufacturing declined. Oxford came to depend on the custom of students. It became a town of brewers, butchers, bakers, tailors, shoemakers, coopers, carpenters and blacksmiths. In the later Middle Ages Oxford declined in importance. In 1122 an Augustinian priory (small abbey) was founded. It was dedicated to St Fridewide. The priory was given the right to hold a fair. In the Middle ages a fair was like a market but it was held only once a year for a few days and it would attract merchants from as far away as London. The priory charged the stallholders tolls. A Cistercian abbey, Rewley Abbey was founded in 1280. In the Middle Ages the church ran the only hospitals. A hospital dedicated to St John the Baptist opened outside the east gate in the 12th century. It was closed in 1485. A leper hostel dedicated to St Bartholomew opened east of the town in the late 12th century. In the 13th century friars arrived in Oxford. The friars were like monks except instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach and help the poor. In Oxford there were Franciscan friars, known as grey friars because of the colour of their costumes. There were also Dominicans friars (known as black friars) Carmelites and Augustinians.
OXFORD IN THE 16th AND 17th CENTURIES
In the 16th century Oxford declined further in terms of national importance though it remained a fairly large town by the standards of the time. In the mid 16th century it may have had a population of about 3,500. Oxford was economically dependent on the university. The students provided a large market for beer, food, clothes and other goods. Oxford was full of craftsmen who supplied these needs. By this time hostility between 'town and gown' had died out. Like all towns in the 16th and 17th centuries Oxford suffered outbreaks of plague. Severe outbreaks occurred in 1603 and 1625-26. In 1538 Henry VIII closed the abbey, the priory and the friaries in Oxford. In the Middle Ages the priory and one of the friaries had the right to hold annual fairs and to charge tolls. After they were closed this right was transferred to the town. Yet both fairs declined and had virtually ceased to exist by the middle of the 17th century. However in 1542 Oxford was made a city and was given a Bishop. Henry's daughter Mary tried to undo the religious changes of the previous decades and restore Catholicism. During her reign 3 famous Protestants were tried in St Marys church in Oxford. They were Thomas Cramner, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas Ridley the Bishop of London and Hugh Latimer. All three were condemned to death for heresy. Latimer and Ridley were burned in Broad Street. In 1642 came civil war between king and parliament. Opinion among the townspeople was probably divided but in 1642 a royalist army occupied Oxford. For the rest of the war the king made Oxford his headquarters. By this time the walls around the town were in disrepair so the king forced the townspeople to erect earthwork defences. However by 1646 the king was losing the war and he was forced to flee in disguise. Oxford eventually surrendered to a parliamentary army. Although there was a fire in 1644 Oxford was not seriously damaged by the civil war. In 1651 the first coffee house in England opened in Oxford. Coffee was a new drink at that time but it soon became popular. Many coffee houses were opened where middle class and upper class men could meet, have a drink, read newspapers and talk shop. In 1659 a free grammar school was founded in Oxford. At the end of the 17th century a travel writer called Celia Fiennes described Oxford as: 'Pleasant and compact. The theatre is the highest of all (the buildings), encompassed by the several colleges and churches and other buildings whose towers and spires appear very well at a distance. The streets are very clean and well paved and pretty broad. The High Street is a very noble one, so large and of great length'.
OXFORD IN THE 18th CENTURY
In this century Oxford remained a market town where produce from the surrounding area was bought and sold but most industry in Oxford was still geared to supplying the needs of the university. The city was full of brewers, bakers, butchers, tailors and grocers. In the 1720s a writer described the city as 'large, strong, populous and rich'. He was also impressed by the university buildings. In 1708 a charity school for boys was founded in Oxford. It was called the Bluecoat school because of the colour of the school uniforms. Hollywell Music room was built in 1748. Radcliffe Infirmary was built in 1770. In 1772 a workhouse was built to house the destitute. As the name suggests the able bodied were expected to work. In the 18th century the streets of Oxford were becoming increasingly congested on market days as the stalls interfered with traffic. So, in 1774 a covered market for vegetables, meat and fish was built. There had been a prison in Oxford since the Middle Ages. It was rebuilt in 1789. In 1771 East Gate and North Gate were demolished. In that year a group of men called the Improvement Commissioners was founded with responsibility for paving, cleaning and lighting the streets (with oil lamps). New Road was built in 1776. Magdalen bridge was rebuilt in 1779. In 1790 a canal was cut to Hawkesbury near Coventry. St Giles fair began in the late 18th century.
By the middle of the 18th century Oxford probably had a population of about 8,000. By the end of the century it was nearly 12,000.
Oxford was founded in the 9th century when Alfred the Great created a network of fortified towns called burghs across his kingdom. One of these was at Oxford. There may have been a village already existing there or Alfred may have created a new town. The streets of Oxford were in a regular pattern suggesting a new town but we are not certain. Oxford is first mentioned in 911 when the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a sort of national diary, said: 'King Edward received the burghs of London and Oxford and London with all the lands belonging to them'. Oxford probably had a market from the time it was made a burgh and it soon became a flourishing town. In the 10th century Oxford had a mint with 4 moneyers (coin makers). But Oxford was a fortress as well as a town. In the event of war with the Danes all the men from the area were to gather inside the burgh. However this strategy was not entirely successful. In 1009 the Danes burned Oxford. (An easy task since all the buildings were of wood with thatched roofs). However Oxford was soon rebuilt. Then in 1013 the Danish king claimed the throne of England. He invaded England and went to Oxford where 'the people soon bowed to him and gave hostages'. In 1018 a conference was held in Oxford to decide who would be king of England.
OXFORD IN THE MIDDLE AGES
By the time of the Norman Conquest there were said to be about 1,000 houses in Oxford, which meant it probably had a population of around 5,000. By the standards of the time it was a large and important town (even London only had about 18,000 inhabitants). It was said at the time that Oxford was the 6th largest town in England. Oxford probably reached its zenith at that time. About 1072 the Normans built a castle at Oxford. In the 11th century the town's defences were a ditch and an earth rampart with a wooden stockade on top. Later the stockade was replaced by a stone wall. In the 1140's there was civil war between Stephen and Matilda. In 1142 Matilda was at Oxford castle but her rival's troops burned the town and besieged the castle. However one snowy day Matilda managed to escape across the frozen river. Oxford soon recovered from this disaster and began to flourish once again. The university at Oxford was founded in 1167. During the Middle Ages there was much tension between townspeople and students in Oxford. In 1209 a woman was killed. Afterwards the townsfolk hanged 2 students. Some of the students fled to Cambridge but in 1214 they were invited back. Evidently the merchants in the town missed their custom. In 1121 a Chancellor was appointed with power to discipline the students. Nevertheless further riots followed in Oxford in 1228, 1236, 1238, 1248, 1272, 1298. Tension continued because kings granted the students certain privileges, which harmed the merchants of the town. The tension came to a head in 1355 when a fight occurred between them, which lasted for 3 days. Afterwards an investigation was held and as a result the university staff and students were given still more privileges. Despite this the conflict between the townspeople and the university died down. In 1258 Simon de Monfort and 23 other rebellious barons held a meeting in Oxford and forced the king to accept a number of reforms known as the Provisions of Oxford. In the 12th and 13th centuries Oxford was a manufacturing town. It was noted for cloth and leather. In Oxford wool was woven then fulled, that is it was cleaned and thickened by being pounded in water and clay. There were many tanners in the town and leather workers such as shoemakers and saddlers. However in the 14th and 15th centuries manufacturing declined. Oxford came to depend on the custom of students. It became a town of brewers, butchers, bakers, tailors, shoemakers, coopers, carpenters and blacksmiths. In the later Middle Ages Oxford declined in importance. In 1122 an Augustinian priory (small abbey) was founded. It was dedicated to St Fridewide. The priory was given the right to hold a fair. In the Middle ages a fair was like a market but it was held only once a year for a few days and it would attract merchants from as far away as London. The priory charged the stallholders tolls. A Cistercian abbey, Rewley Abbey was founded in 1280. In the Middle Ages the church ran the only hospitals. A hospital dedicated to St John the Baptist opened outside the east gate in the 12th century. It was closed in 1485. A leper hostel dedicated to St Bartholomew opened east of the town in the late 12th century. In the 13th century friars arrived in Oxford. The friars were like monks except instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach and help the poor. In Oxford there were Franciscan friars, known as grey friars because of the colour of their costumes. There were also Dominicans friars (known as black friars) Carmelites and Augustinians.
OXFORD IN THE 16th AND 17th CENTURIES
In the 16th century Oxford declined further in terms of national importance though it remained a fairly large town by the standards of the time. In the mid 16th century it may have had a population of about 3,500. Oxford was economically dependent on the university. The students provided a large market for beer, food, clothes and other goods. Oxford was full of craftsmen who supplied these needs. By this time hostility between 'town and gown' had died out. Like all towns in the 16th and 17th centuries Oxford suffered outbreaks of plague. Severe outbreaks occurred in 1603 and 1625-26. In 1538 Henry VIII closed the abbey, the priory and the friaries in Oxford. In the Middle Ages the priory and one of the friaries had the right to hold annual fairs and to charge tolls. After they were closed this right was transferred to the town. Yet both fairs declined and had virtually ceased to exist by the middle of the 17th century. However in 1542 Oxford was made a city and was given a Bishop. Henry's daughter Mary tried to undo the religious changes of the previous decades and restore Catholicism. During her reign 3 famous Protestants were tried in St Marys church in Oxford. They were Thomas Cramner, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas Ridley the Bishop of London and Hugh Latimer. All three were condemned to death for heresy. Latimer and Ridley were burned in Broad Street. In 1642 came civil war between king and parliament. Opinion among the townspeople was probably divided but in 1642 a royalist army occupied Oxford. For the rest of the war the king made Oxford his headquarters. By this time the walls around the town were in disrepair so the king forced the townspeople to erect earthwork defences. However by 1646 the king was losing the war and he was forced to flee in disguise. Oxford eventually surrendered to a parliamentary army. Although there was a fire in 1644 Oxford was not seriously damaged by the civil war. In 1651 the first coffee house in England opened in Oxford. Coffee was a new drink at that time but it soon became popular. Many coffee houses were opened where middle class and upper class men could meet, have a drink, read newspapers and talk shop. In 1659 a free grammar school was founded in Oxford. At the end of the 17th century a travel writer called Celia Fiennes described Oxford as: 'Pleasant and compact. The theatre is the highest of all (the buildings), encompassed by the several colleges and churches and other buildings whose towers and spires appear very well at a distance. The streets are very clean and well paved and pretty broad. The High Street is a very noble one, so large and of great length'.
OXFORD IN THE 18th CENTURY
In this century Oxford remained a market town where produce from the surrounding area was bought and sold but most industry in Oxford was still geared to supplying the needs of the university. The city was full of brewers, bakers, butchers, tailors and grocers. In the 1720s a writer described the city as 'large, strong, populous and rich'. He was also impressed by the university buildings. In 1708 a charity school for boys was founded in Oxford. It was called the Bluecoat school because of the colour of the school uniforms. Hollywell Music room was built in 1748. Radcliffe Infirmary was built in 1770. In 1772 a workhouse was built to house the destitute. As the name suggests the able bodied were expected to work. In the 18th century the streets of Oxford were becoming increasingly congested on market days as the stalls interfered with traffic. So, in 1774 a covered market for vegetables, meat and fish was built. There had been a prison in Oxford since the Middle Ages. It was rebuilt in 1789. In 1771 East Gate and North Gate were demolished. In that year a group of men called the Improvement Commissioners was founded with responsibility for paving, cleaning and lighting the streets (with oil lamps). New Road was built in 1776. Magdalen bridge was rebuilt in 1779. In 1790 a canal was cut to Hawkesbury near Coventry. St Giles fair began in the late 18th century.
By the middle of the 18th century Oxford probably had a population of about 8,000. By the end of the century it was nearly 12,000.
