OXFORD. The chief city and county-seat of Oxfordshire, England, and the cathedral town of the Diocese of Oxford. It is situated 52 miles (63 by rail ) west-northwest of London, at the junction of the Isis (Thames) and Cherwell rivers (Map: England E 5). Its chief importance is due to its university. I ixford is a place of considerable an tiquity, probably owing its origin to the shrine of Saint Frideswide,in whuse honor a religious house was founded perhaps as early as the ninth even. tury. The name is probably derived front onsen ford, or ford over the Ouse, a tributary of the Thames which comes in here,though the city arms. an ox crossing a ford, indicate a more popular ety mology, Oxen-ford. Coins of King Alfred were struck here—a fact which testifies to the promi nence of the place even in his day: hut the first mention in written history is in the Chronicle under the year 912, when it was annexed or re annexed to the West Saxon Kingdom. It came to be a place of some importance as the key to the valley of the Upper Thames and in control of much of the trade of that region. It was a place of military and was possessed of for tifications, of which the great mound is still in existence. Its increasing prominence is shown in the more and more frequent mention in the Chronicles as a place of meetings and treaty-mak ings. At the Conquest it became part of the possessions of lit bert IrOyly, Who built the castle, the keep of which still remains. It wa fort itied with a strong wall, and became a place of much importance, especially connected with roy alty. Henry I. built a house or palace here. Queen Matilda was hew besieged by Stephen; here both Richard I. and John were born, and here was held the Parliament of 1258, which en acted the Provisions of Oxford. The rise of the university attracted hither many religious Orders, and during the greater part of the period before the Reformation the chief interest of the place lies in the growth and struggles of the university (q.v.). In later times its chief historical signifi
cance lies in the part it played in the civil wars. when for a considerable time it was not merely the centre of Royalist operations. but the capital of Royalist England. It was by the Parliamentarians, but fortunately not bombarded.
Despite its low-lying position amid the marshes of the many-branched Thames, surrounded by hills. Oxford is a very beautiful city. owing chief ly to the presence of the collegiate and university buildings. The centre of the city is Carfax (quatre voies), where the north and south ways ((.'ornmarket and Saint Ablate's) and the east and west ways (Queen Street and High Street) meet. 'nigh Street is the principal street of the place and is one of the most attractive thorough fares in England. The chief architectural fea tures of the place. in addition to the college and university buildings. are the very handsome new municipal buildings, begun in 1893, His Majesty's Prison, occupying the site of the old eastle, and many interesting churches, including Saint Mar tin Carfax, the old city church, Saint Michael's. with an interesting Saxon tower. Saint Peter's in the East, with a Norman crypt. and many others. city has nitwit outgrown its former bounds. especially toward the north, in recent years, and is now surrounded by suburbs; North Oxford ; Grandpord, on the south. reached by Folly Bridge over the Isis; Cowley, on the east, reached by Magdalen Bridge over the Cher well; and Osnev on the west. In 1901 Itxford had a population of 49,413. It is a Parliamen tary and municipal borough. returning two mem bers to the House of C'ommons besides the two from the university. It is governed by a mayor. ten aldermen, and thirty eouncilors, forming the corporation. a high a sheriff. and a recorder. The jurisdiction of the chi(' govern ment, however. does not extend over members of the university. It is a market town, has now some manufactures. and an increasing municipal importance. See Oxronn UNIVERSITY.