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71-646: Reports vary as to the total number of deaths that occurred in the "Black Assize". The casualties in Oxford itself are consistently recorded as approximately 300, but some reports say that further deaths occurred outside the city. One report records: 'There died in Oxford 300 persons, and sickened there, but died in other places, 200 and odd, from the 6th of July to the 12th of August, after which day died not one of that sickness, for one of them infected not another, nor any one woman or child died thereof.' This reported lack of deaths among women and children led to speculation about

142-428: A gallows to execute prisoners, such as Mary Blandy in 1752. For most of the 18th century, the castle prison was run by the local Etty and Wisdom families and was in increasing disrepair. A view of the castle published in 1769 in the work "England Displayed" by P. Russell and Owen Price is of interest in that it shows the appearance of the chapel attached to St George's tower prior to its demolition in 1794, as well as

213-548: A building of outstanding historic and architectural interest. It is considered to be a 'textbook' example of the English medieval manor house and is a Grade I-listed building. 51°45′N 1°17′W  /  51.75°N 1.28°W  / 51.75; -1.28 Oxford Castle Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined medieval castle on the western side of central Oxford in Oxfordshire , England. Most of

284-422: A certain time he cometh to know if it were ready; but the apothecary said, the ingredients were so hard to procure, that he had not done it, and so gave him the receipt again, of which he had taken a copy, which mine author had there precisely written down, but did seem so horribly poisonous, that I cut it forth, lest it might fall into the hands of wicked persons. But after, it seems, he had it prepared, and, against

355-521: A college of priests, which is presumed to be the structure in question; at an early stage it acquired a dedication to Saint George . As detailed below, the crypt of this chapel still survives, albeit in a new location within the castle, having been moved and reconstructed from its original materials in 1794. The ten-sided stone shell keep , 58 feet (18 m), constructed in the 13th century to replace an earlier wooden structure, closely resembled those of Tonbridge and Arundel Castles . The keep enclosed

426-583: A hotel in the Malmaison chain, Malmaison Oxford, occupying a large part of the former prison blocks, with cells converted as guest rooms. However, those parts of the prison associated with corporal or capital punishment have been converted to offices rather than being used for guests. The mixed-use heritage project, officially opened on 5 May 2006, won the RICS Project of the Year Award 2007. The full extent of

497-534: A large number of leading independent schools, including public schools such as Radley College . The county has two universities: the ancient University of Oxford and the modern Oxford Brookes University , which are both located in Oxford. In addition, Wroxton College , located in Banbury , is affiliated with Fairleigh Dickinson University of New Jersey . The "dreaming spires" of the University of Oxford are among

568-402: A number of buildings, leaving an inner courtyard only 22 feet (7 m) across. Within the keep, stairs led 20 feet (6 m) down to an underground 12 feet (3.7 m) wide stone chamber, with an Early English hexagonal vault and a 54 feet (16 m) deep well providing water in the event of siege. Robert D'Oyly the younger , Robert D'Oyly the elder's nephew, had inherited the castle by

639-526: A painting by Michael Angelo Rooker dating from 1779, and a view by the artist John Baptist Malchair dating from 1784. In the 1770s the prison reformer John Howard visited the castle several times, and criticised its size and quality, including the extent to which vermin infested the prison. Partly as a result of this criticism, it was decided by the County authorities to rebuild the Oxford Prison. In 1785

710-457: A weakened state, with a large crack running down the side of the keep. A map of the castle prepared for Christ Church in 1615 shows the keep on its mound, St George's Tower with associated buildings and sections of the curtain wall remaining to the north and south, and the next tower to the south, plus a single remaining tower to the north-east, as well as the Castle Mill and a southern entrance to

781-500: Is a ceremonial county in South East England . The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to the west. The city of Oxford is the largest settlement and county town . The county is largely rural, with an area of 2,605 km (1,006 sq mi) and a population of 691,667. After Oxford (162,100),

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852-400: Is referred to as "Henry III's Tower". Inside the walls the buildings included a chapel with a crypt attached to St. Georges Tower, which may be on the site of a previous church. The chapel originally had a nave, chancel and an apsidal sanctuary. It was a typical early Norman design with solid pillars and arches. In 1074 D'Oyly and his close friend, Roger d'Ivry had endowed a chapel with

923-468: Is responsible for the most strategic local government functions, including schools, county roads and social services . The county is divided into five local government districts : Oxford , Cherwell , Vale of White Horse (after the Uffington White Horse ), West Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire , which deal with such matters as town and country planning , waste collection and housing. In

994-649: The 2016 European Union referendum , Oxfordshire was the only English county as a whole to vote to remain in the European Union by a significant margin, at 57.06% (70.27% in the City of Oxford), despite Cherwell (barely) voting to leave at 50.31%. Oxfordshire has a comprehensive education system with 23 independent schools and 35 state secondary schools. Only eight schools do not have a sixth form ; these are mostly in South Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts. Oxfordshire has

1065-676: The Caversham area of Reading , now administratively in Berkshire , was historically part of Oxfordshire, as was the parish of Stokenchurch , now administratively in Buckinghamshire . The areas of Oxford city south of the Thames, such as Grandpont , were transferred much earlier, in 1889. Oxfordshire includes parts of three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty . In the north-west lie the Cotswolds ; to

1136-682: The Lord High Sheriff (Sir Robert D'Oyly of Merton ) and about three hundred more. The malady from the stench of the Prisoners developed itself during the Trial of one Rowland Jenkes, a saucy foul-mouthed Bookseller, for scandalous words uttered against the Queen . Anno 1875. JMD pie posuit. (Year 1875. JMD piously erected [this monument].) From the time of the Black Death in the mid-14th century until

1207-402: The bailey from layers of gravel and strengthened with clay facing. There has been debate over the sequencing of the motte and the bailey: it has been suggested that the bailey may have built first (thus utilising the pre-existing St. George's Tower as the first keep) which would make the initial castle design a ringwork rather than a motte and bailey. By the late 12th to early 13th century,

1278-484: The battle of Blenheim . The gardens, which can be visited, were designed by the landscape gardener "Capability" Brown , who planted the trees in the battle formation of the victorious army. Sir Winston Churchill was born in the palace in 1874. It is open to the public. Chastleton House , on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire borders, is a great country mansion built on property bought from Robert Catesby , who

1349-611: The 10th century and lies between the River Thames to the south, the Cotswolds to the west, the Chilterns to the east and the Midlands to the north, with spurs running south to Henley-on-Thames and north to Banbury . Although it had some significance as an area of valuable agricultural land in the centre of the country, it was largely ignored by the Romans and did not grow in importance until

1420-572: The 48 recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but not every castle in existence at the time was recorded in the survey. D'Oyly (d'Oilly)'s Oxford holdings are, however, mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Meadow 30 acres. 1 mill, value 0.5 [pounds]."; the mill mentioned is presumably the Castle Mill, formerly adjacent to the still surviving St. George's Tower, rebuilt in 1781 before eventually being demolished in 1930. D'Oyly positioned his castle to

1491-573: The Conqueror in the Norman Conquest of England and William granted him extensive lands in Oxfordshire. Oxford had been stormed in the invasion with considerable damage, and William directed D'Oyly to build a castle to dominate the town. In due course D'Oyly became the foremost landowner in Oxfordshire and was confirmed with a hereditary royal constableship for Oxford Castle. Oxford Castle is not among

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1562-602: The Middle Ages and early modern period. The area was part of the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th century, generating much wealth, particularly in the western portions of the county in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912, bringing heavy industry to an otherwise agricultural county. The role of agriculture as an employer declined rapidly in the 20th century; currently under one per cent of

1633-477: The Midlands and follows the Cherwell from Banbury via Kidlington into the city of Oxford, where these join the navigable Thames. About 15% of the historically named Wilts & Berks Canal , in sporadic sections, has been restored to navigability, including the county-relevant 140 metres near Abingdon-on-Thames where it could, if restored, meet the Thames. Oxfordshire contains a green belt area that fully envelops

1704-528: The North Gate , while the west gate is occupied by the apparently Saxon tower of St. George's, which is now believed to have subsequently been incorporated into the fabric of the later Norman castle. The initial castle was probably a large motte and bailey , copying the plan of the castle that D'Oyly had already built 12 miles (19 km) away at Wallingford . The motte was originally about 60 feet (18 m) high and 40 feet (12 m) wide, constructed like

1775-564: The Revolt of the Earls, men who supported Richard II, Henry’s cousin he murdered by starvation. The castle became the centre for the administration of the county of Oxford, a jail, and a criminal court. Assizes were held there until 1577, when plague broke out in what became known as the " Black Assize ": the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, two knights, eighty gentlemen and the entire grand jury for

1846-587: The castle complex; this map indicates that by 1615 houses and gardens had been laid out over more than half of the Castle Ditch or moat, which appears to still contain water. In 1642, the First English Civil War broke out, and the Royalists made Oxford their capital. Parliamentary forces successfully besieged Oxford in 1646, and the city was occupied by Colonel Richard Ingoldsby . Ingoldsby improved

1917-516: The castle was bought by the Oxford County Justices and rebuilding began under the London architect William Blackburn . The wider castle site had already begun to change by the late 18th century, with New Road being built through the bailey and the last parts of the castle moat being filled in to allow the building of the new Oxford Canal terminus. Building the new prison included demolishing

1988-507: The castle. Stephen set up two siege mounds beside the castle, called Jew's Mount and Mount Pelham, on which he placed siege engines, largely for show, and proceeded to wait for Matilda's supplies to run low over the next three months. Stephen would have had difficulty in supplying his men through the winter period, and this decision shows the apparent strength of Oxford Castle at the time. Finally in December, Matilda responded by escaping from

2059-517: The castle; the popular version of this has the Empress waiting until the Castle Mill Stream was frozen over and then dressed in white as camouflage in the snow, being lowered down the walls with three or four knights, before escaping through Stephen's lines in the night as the king's sentries tried to raise the alarm. The chronicler William of Malmesbury , however, suggests Matilda did not descend

2130-778: The causes of the casualties. On the wall inside the Main Hall of the Old County Hall of Oxfordshire in New Road , an inscription reads: Near this spot stood the ancient Shire Hall, unhappily famous in history as the scene in July 1577 of the Black Assize, when a malignant disease known as Gaol Fever caused the death within forty days of the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer , Sir Robert Bell ,

2201-540: The city in the middle, runs the Thames with its flat floodplains. This river forms the historic limit with Berkshire , remaining so on some lowest reaches. The Thames Path National Trail follows the river from upper estuary to a source. Many smaller rivers in the county feed into the Thames, such as the Thame , Windrush , Evenlode and Cherwell . Some of these have trails running along their valleys. The Oxford Canal links to

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2272-590: The city of Oxford and extends for some miles to protect surrounding towns and villages from inappropriate development and urban growth. Its border in the east extends to the Buckinghamshire county boundary, while part of its southern border is shared with the North Wessex Downs AONB . It was first drawn up in the 1950s, and all of the county's districts contain some portion of the belt. The Oxfordshire County Council , since 2013 under no overall control ,

2343-521: The college in the process. In the event, Oxford saw no fresh fighting; early in the 18th century, however, the keep was demolished and the top of the motte landscaped into its current form. After the Civil War, Oxford Castle served primarily as the local prison. As with other prisons at the time, the owners, in this case Christ Church College, leased the castle to wardens who would profit by charging prisoners for their board and lodging. The prison also had

2414-565: The county's population are involved due to high mechanisation. Nevertheless, Oxfordshire remains a very agricultural county by land use, with a lower population than neighbouring Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, which are both smaller. During most of its history, the county was partitioned as fourteen divisions called hundreds , namely Bampton , Banbury , Binfield , Bloxham , Bullingdon , Chadlington , Dorchester , Ewelme , Langtree , Lewknor , Pyrton , Ploughley , Thame and Wootton . The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry ,

2485-447: The day of his trial, had made a wick of it (for so is the word, that is, so fitted, that like a candle it might be fired) which, as soon as ever he was condemned, he lighted, having provided himself a tinder-box, and steel to strike fire. And whosoever should know the ingredients of that wick, or candle, and the manner of the composition, will easily be persuaded of the virulency and venomous effect of it.'" Further accounts merely attribute

2556-539: The deaths to a curse supposedly uttered by Rowland Jenkes. The Black Assizes has featured as a display at Oxford Castle and is a regular feature of Oxford ghost tours, where the story of Rowland Jenkes' curse is given prominence. The events of this time are part of the backdrop to the historical crime novel Heresy by S. J. Parris in which Rowland Jenkes appears as a character. Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( / ˈ ɒ k s f ər d ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / OKS -fərd-shər, -⁠sheer ; abbreviated Oxon )

2627-452: The edge of the bailey wall, although this is contradicted by the castle's appearance in John Speed 's map of Oxford, 1605. In 1611 King James I sold Oxford Castle to Francis James and Robert Younglove, who in turn sold it to Christ Church (a college of the university) in 1613. The college then leased it to a number of local families over the coming years. By this time, Oxford Castle was in

2698-544: The formation of a settlement at Oxford in the 8th century. Alfred the Great was born across the Thames in Wantage , in the Vale of White Horse. The University of Oxford was founded in 1096, although its collegiate structure did not develop until later on. The university in the county town of Oxford (whose name came from Anglo-Saxon Oxenaford = "ford for oxen ") grew in importance during

2769-525: The fortification of the castle rather than the surrounding town, and in 1649 demolished most of the medieval stonework, replacing it with more modern earth bulwarks and reinforcing the keep with earth works to form a probable gun-platform. In 1652, in the third English Civil War , the Parliamentary garrison responded to the proximity of Charles II 's forces by pulling down these defences as well and retreating to New College instead, causing great damage to

2840-471: The fortification, particularly the castle gates and the barbican, was in poor condition and £800 was estimated to be required for repairs. From the 1350s onwards the castle had little military use and was increasingly allowed to fall into disrepair. On 13 January, 1400, Henry IV sat in judgment at Oxford Castle over rebels from Cirencester and other places, who had participated in the Epiphany Rising, or

2911-472: The largest settlements are Banbury (54,355) and Abingdon-on-Thames (37,931). For local government purposes Oxfordshire is a non-metropolitan county with five districts. The part of the county south of the River Thames , largely corresponding to the Vale of White Horse district, was historically part of Berkshire . The lowlands in the centre of the county are crossed by the River Thames and its tributaries,

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2982-615: The main army unit in the area, was based at Cowley Barracks on Bullingdon Green, Cowley . The Vale of White Horse district and parts of the South Oxfordshire administrative district south of the River Thames were historically part of Berkshire , but, in 1974, Abingdon , Didcot , Faringdon , Wallingford and Wantage were added to the administrative county of Oxfordshire under the Local Government Act 1972 . Conversely,

3053-469: The motte and some then-surviving portions of the curtain wall including an arch or gateway in the wall immediately to the north of the tower. The chapel and/or associated buildings are also shown, from a range of angles, in views by other artists including Samuel and Nathaniel Buck 's Antiquities (drawing dated 1729), a 1773 engraving included in Francis Grose 's Antiquities of England and Wales , 1786,

3124-479: The new County Hall in 1840–41 and the Oxfordshire Militia Armoury in 1854. The prison itself was extended in 1876, growing to occupy most of the remaining space. The inmates included children, the youngest being a seven-year-old girl sentenced to seven days hard labour in 1870 for stealing a pram. In 1888 national prison reforms led to the renaming of the county prison as HM Prison Oxford . Today,

3195-401: The new Round Tower which was built in 1235. King Henry III turned part of the castle into a prison, specifically for holding troublesome University clerks , and also improved the castle chapel, replacing the older barred windows with stained glass in 1243 and 1246. Due to the presence of Beaumont Palace to the north of Oxford, however, the castle never became a royal residence. By 1327

3266-445: The old chapel attached to St George's tower and repositioning part of the crypt in 1794. The work was completed under Daniel Harris in 1805. Harris gained a reasonable salary as the new governor and used convict labour from the prison to conduct early archaeological excavations at the castle with the help of the antiquarian Edward King. In the 19th century the site continued to be developed, with various new buildings built including

3337-456: The original moated , wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century and the castle played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy . In the 14th century the military value of the castle diminished and the site became used primarily for county administration and as a prison. The surviving rectangular St George's Tower is now believed to pre-date

3408-404: The original Barbican lie underneath the modern Westgate shopping centre. Since 1954 the two oldest parts of the castle have been Grade I listed buildings: the 11th-century motte with its 13th-century well-chamber, the circa 11th-century St George's tower (listed as Norman, but now generally believed to be Saxon), the relocated crypt chapel, and the 18th-century D-wing and Debtors' Tower. The site

3479-412: The original castle is somewhat obliterated today, especially with the intrusion of the newer County Hall into the eastern side, while New Road runs over the location of north-east portion of the curtain wall with its two square towers; nevertheless the position of its outer perimeter moat is approximated by portions of New Road, Castle Street and Paradise Street (refer map at right), while the remains of

3550-420: The original palisade walls and wooden keep had been replaced in stone. The new curtain wall incorporated St George's Tower, which is built of coral rag stone, 30 by 30 feet (9 m × 9 m) at the base and tapering significantly toward the top for stability. This was the tallest of the castle's towers, and is now believed to be a survival from late Saxon times (c. 1020) as a watch tower associated with

3621-417: The prisoners, and the women and children; and the contagion went no farther.' A 19th-century account is more sure of the cause: 'The assize held at Oxford in the year 1577, called the "Black Assize," was a dreadful instance of the deadly effects of the jail fever. The judges, jury, witnesses, nay, in fact every person, except the prisoners, women and children, in court were killed by a foul air, which at first

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3692-653: The reasons for which Oxford is the sixth most visited city in the United Kingdom by international visitors. Among many notable University buildings are the Sheldonian Theatre , built 1664–68 to the design of Sir Christopher Wren , and the Radcliffe Camera , built 1737–49 to the design of James Gibbs . Blenheim Palace , close to Woodstock , was designed and partly built by the architect John Vanbrugh for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough , after he had won

3763-460: The remainder of the castle and be a watch tower associated with the original Saxon west gate of the city. Most of the castle was destroyed in the English Civil War and by the 18th century the remaining buildings had become Oxford's local prison . A new prison complex was built on the site from 1785 onwards and expanded in 1876; this became HM Prison Oxford . The prison closed in 1996 and

3834-486: The remainder of the castle, and that its height would have originally afforded an extensive view over the city, but which would have been superseded (and in fact, blocked) with the construction of the castle motte. The date of the remaining towers is uncertain although the southernmost, round tower, of which the base still remains, is dated to 1235 in various documentary sources, including Woolnoth's The Ancient Castles of England and Wales of 1825; in at least one source, it

3905-634: The remains of the Saxon St.George's Tower, Motte-and-Bailey Mound, the Prison D-Wing and Debtor's Tower make up the Oxford Castle & Prison tourist attraction. The prison was closed in 1996 and the site reverted to Oxfordshire County Council . The Oxford Prison buildings have since been redeveloped as a restaurant and heritage complex, with guided tours of the historic buildings and open courtyards for markets and theatrical performances. The complex includes

3976-446: The same epidemic, being considered more worthy of note because its victims included the Lord Chief Baron and the Lord High Sheriff . This account of disease is reflected in a number of sources. An early Chronicle records: 'The Court were surprised with a pestilent savour, whether arising from the noisome smell of the prisoners, or from the damp of the ground, is uncertain; but all that were present, within forty hours died, except

4047-451: The second half of the 19th century, Oxford was regularly visited by plague , cholera , smallpox and typhoid fevers. In 1348, the Black Death reduced the city's population to such an extent that Gloucester College (from which Gloucester Green derives its name) was forced to close. In 1571, Oxford University had to postpone the start of term because of an outbreak of plague, and the ' gaol fever ' six years later may have been part of

4118-423: The session all died, including Sir Robert D'Oyley, a relative of the founder of the castle. Thereafter assizes ceased to be held at the castle. Ralph Agas 's map of Oxford in 1578 shows that by then, while the curtain wall, keep and towers remained, the barbican had been demolished to make way for houses. Hassall, 1976, states that by 1600 the moat was almost entirely silted up and houses had been built all around

4189-592: The south and south-east are the open chalk hills of the North Wessex Downs and the wooded hills of the Chilterns . The north of the county contains the ironstone of the Cherwell uplands. Long-distance walks within the county include the Ridgeway National Trail , Macmillan Way , Oxfordshire Way and the D’Arcy Dalton Way. From the mid-point western edge to the southeast corner of Oxfordshire, via

4260-490: The time of his restraint, liberty some time to walk abroad with a keeper; and that one day he came to an apothecary, and showed him a receipt which he desired him to make up; but the apothecary, upon view of it, told him, that it was a strong and dangerous receipt, and required some time to prepare it; but also asked him to what use he would apply it. He answered, to kill the rats, that, since his imprisonment, spoiled his books; so being satisfied, he promised to make it ready. After

4331-456: The time of the civil war of the Anarchy in the 1140s. After initially supporting King Stephen , Robert declared his support for Empress Matilda , Stephen's cousin and rival for the throne, and in 1141 the Empress marched to Oxford to base her campaign at the castle. Stephen responded by marching from Bristol in the Autumn of 1142, attacking and seizing the town of Oxford and besieging Matilda in

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4402-425: The true cause, it was thus: It fortuned that a manuscript fell into my hands, collected by an ancient gentleman of York, who was a great observer and gatherer of strange things and facts, who lived about the time of this accident happening at Oxford, wherein it is related thus: 'That Rowland Jenkes, being imprisoned for treasonable words, spoken against the queen, and being a popish recusant, had, notwithstanding, during

4473-516: The valleys of which are separated by low hills. The south contains parts of the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills , and the north-west includes part of the Cotswolds ; all three regions are Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The county's highest point is White Horse Hill (261-metre (856 ft)), part of the Berkshire Downs. Oxfordshire was recorded as a county in the early years of

4544-427: The walls, but instead escaped from one of the gates. Matilda safely reached Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Castle surrendered to Stephen the next day. Robert had died in the final weeks of the siege and the castle was granted to William de Chesney for the remainder of the war. At the end of the war the constableship of Oxford Castle was granted to Roger de Bussy before being reclaimed by Henry D'Oyly, Robert D'Oyly

4615-497: The west gate of the Saxon city. Evidence that this tower is Saxon in origin and thus pre-dates the castle itself is presented in Poore et al . (2009), who comment that "a single, massive stone tower does not seem to belong within the outer defences of an earth-and-timber castle", and other sources have concurred on architectural grounds, also noting that its orientation does not match that of

4686-436: The west side of the town, using the natural protection of a stream off the River Thames on the far side of the castle, now called Castle Mill Stream , and diverting the stream to produce a moat . There has been debate as to whether there was an earlier English fortification on the site, but whilst there is archaeological evidence of earlier Anglo-Saxon habitation there is no conclusive evidence of fortification. Oxford Castle

4757-523: The younger's son, in 1154. In the Barons' War of 1215–17 the castle was attacked again, prompting further improvements in its defences. In 1220 Falkes de Breauté , who controlled many royal castles in the middle of England, demolished the Church of St Budoc to the south-east of the castle and built a moated barbican to further defend the main gate. The remaining wooden buildings were replaced in stone, including

4828-409: Was an "urban castle", overlying a portion of the Saxon town wall, but it remains uncertain whether local buildings were demolished to make room for it. Poore et al . (2009) give a suggested street plan of the town in late Saxon times (their figure 4) showing the then town wall with its north, west, south and east gates; at the north gate is the Saxon tower now associated with the church of St Michael at

4899-626: Was one of the men involved in the Gunpowder Plot with Guy Fawkes . Stonor Park , another country mansion, has belonged to the recusant Stonor family for centuries. Mapledurham House is an Elizabethan stately home in the south-east of the county, close to Reading . The Abbey in Sutton Courtenay is a medieval courtyard house . It has been recognised by the Historic Building Council for England (now Historic England ) as

4970-581: Was redeveloped as a hotel and visitor attraction. The medieval remains of the castle including the motte, St George's Tower and crypt, are Grade I listed buildings and a Scheduled Monument . According to the Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis (Abingdon Chronicle), Oxford Castle was built by the Norman baron Robert D'Oyly the elder from 1071 to 1073. D'Oyly had arrived in England with William I

5041-482: Was thought to have arisen out of the bowels of the earth; but that great philosopher, Lord Bacon, proved it to have come from the prisoners taken out of a noisome jail and brought into court to take their trials; and they alone, inhaling foul air, were not injured by it.' Other accounts reject the notion of disease as a cause: "it could not be a prison infection; for that would have manifested itself by smell, or operating sooner. But to take away all scruple, and to assign

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