OXFORD, the capital of Oxfordshire, an episcopal city, municipal and parliamentary borough, aud university town, is situated near the junction of the Cherwell with the Thames, in 51° 45' N. let., 1° 16' W. long., distant 54 miles W.N.W. from London by road, and 63 miles by the Great Western railway. The population of Oxford in 1551 was 27,973. The city is governed by 10 aldermen and 30 councillors, one of whom is mayor ; but a co-ordinate jurisdiction over the night police, the markets, &c. is held by the university authorities. Oxford returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. The livings are in the arehdeacoury and diocese of Oxford. For poor-law purposes the city is managed under the provisions of a local Act.
The origin of Oxford is uukuown. In the Danish ravages Oxford was repeatedly injured or destroyed. Edmund lronside resided at Oxford, where he died in the year 1016. Canute, his successor, held the great council of the nation hero several times. On the invasion of England by William the Couqueror, the townsmen of Oxford refused to admit the Normans, and in the year 1067 the town was stormed by William, and the townsmen burdened with a great increase of taxation. A castle wns built by Robert do Oilli on the site now partly occupied by the county jail and the house of correction. The fuundatiou of Oseuey Abbey by Robert do Oilli, nephew of the builder of the castle, and the erection of a now hall or palace by Henry I., who was educated in Oxford, contributed to the prosperity of the town. lu 1142 the empress Maud was besieged in Oxford castle by Stephen. After enduring a siege of nearly three months, and when the provisions in the castle had been exhausted, the empress, on the night of the 20th December, escaped with three attendants, and the castle surrendered next morning. The accommo dation between Stephen and Henry II., by which the civil war between these princes was terminated, took place at a council held at Oxford. In the reign of Edward III. and aubsequeutly there occurred quarrels between the students and the citizens, as noticed under OXFORD UNIVERSITY.
Tho doctrines propagated by Wickliffe occasioned, in the reigns of Richard IL and Henry IV. and V., much discussion at Oxford, giving rise to tumults which, with the civil war of the Roses, several years later, much depressed the place, and a dreadful pestilence soon after the accession of Henry VII. nearly depopulated the city and the
colleges. In Mary's reign, Bishops Ridley and Latimer, and Arch bishop Crammer suffered martyrdom at Oxford, in front of Balliol College. Near the spot where the martyrs suffered a beautiful me morial cross, iu the decorated gothic style, was erected in 1841, from the designs of Scott and Moffatt; it is called the Martyrs' Memorial. The structure is hexagonal, and consists of three stories, restiug upon a platform reached by steps. Tho height is 73 feet. Statues by Weekes of the three martyrs occupy the second story.
In the civil wars of Charles L, atter once or twice changing masters, Oxford became the bead-quarters of the king, who collected here those members of parliament who adhered to him. The members of the University supported the royal cause with great zeal ; but Oxford was at last obliged to surrender, after the battle of Naseby, to the Parliamentarians under Fairfax.
In the reign of Charles IL two parliaments were held at Oxford, in 1665 and 1681. In the reign of James II. the University firmly resisted the illegal proceedings of that prince, who paid Oxford a visit, and sternly rebuked and then expelled the contumacious members, whom however, from motives of fear, he afterwards restored.
Tho city lies on a poiut of land nearly insulated. On the E. it is bounded by the Cherwell, S. by the main chaunel of the Thames, here popularly called the Isis, and W. by tho smaller channels of that river. A long bridge or succession of bridges over tho arms of the Thames, and also over the Oxford Canal, is called the Seven Bridges. Oxford is irregularly laid out; the two priucipal lines of street are Bridge-street, Fish-street, the Corn-market, and St.. Giles's-street, which form one line running from south to north, front the Abingdon road to the Woodstock and Birmingham road ' • and (Magdalene) Bridge street and High-street, which run from the London road ou the cast into Fish-street and the Corn-market on the west, thus forming a ( with the line just described. High-street, which bends with a graceful curve, and is 3000 feet long, and in parts S5 feet broad, presents a splendid series of scholastic and ecclesiastical structures alternating with quaint old houses, aud with shops of modern style. Fur picturesque effect this street is unrivalled in the kingdom. The town is nearly surrounded by meadows.