On the history of Oxford during the tenth and eleventh centuries, (912-1100) : the material of a lecture delivered before the Oxford architectural and historical society, Feb. 28, 1871.

  • Parker, James, 1834-1912.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the history of Oxford during the tenth and eleventh centuries, (912-1100) : the material of a lecture delivered before the Oxford architectural and historical society, Feb. 28, 1871. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    have been a city of importance, either on account of its wealth and population, or by reason of its learning, or even from its holding a position advantageous on strategic grounds. But in 912 we find it named as one of the two places, London being the other, of which King Edward took possession. I do not understand why he should have taken possession of Oxford especially, unless it be that he took upon himself the re- sponsibility of defending the whole valley of the Thames against the still-continued aggressions of the Danes. It is not as if his sister ^Ethelfked, the widow of the late ruler of Mercia, was hostile to him. They had a common object, because a common enemy; and I cannot but think that while ^-Ethelfted, continuing the defence which her late husband had begun, fortified Warwick, Tamworth, and other places which, from her position, she was bound to do, Edward, the king, in whom the chief responsibility lay, undertook his share; along the line of the Thames, probably the old British outposts, as St. George's Hill, near Walton-on-Thames, Windsor (if it was such), and Sinodun, could be occupied in case of need by his men ; but beyond Sinodun Hill, with Dorchester opposite, de- fended by the angle formed by the tributary river Thame, the next site well-protected by water would be Oxford, where a similar angle is formed by the Cherwell. I think there can be little doubt that the remarkable mounds within the castle precincts at Tamworth and Warwick m, were the work of iEthelfted. A precisely similar mound occurs in Oxford Castle. At Warwick, we are told by one of the MSS. of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, this year was Warwick built. In that case, I expect the fortress was the nucleus of the town. But at Oxford the town already existed, having found a nucleus in a nunnery, of which I will speak further presently. Here, I expect, Edward erected the mound which we still have remaining. I now pass on to the second event recorded. m I should like to know if there are similar mounds remaining at Bremesbyrig (qy. Bromborrow) erected in 910; at Scergeate (?), Bridgenorth, Hertford, Witham (in Essex), or Stafford, in 913; at Eddisbury, in 914; at Cyricbyrig (qy. Cherbury, Salop), Weardbyrig (qy.), or Rumcofa (Runcorn, Cheshire), in 915. As they all belong to one system of fortification, it is possible, (if medieval engineers or modern speculators have not destroyed the earthworks,) they may be found to possess a common character.