A walled royal borough at the Thames crossing, with the d'Oilly castle, a strong gild merchant whose customs Henry II ranked with London's, a famous weavers' gild, and a Jewry.
Above all it is becoming the place where English masters teach: since about 1167, when English scholars were called home from Paris, masters in arts, law and theology have gathered here, and by 1200 Oxford is a university in all but name, without a chancellor yet (the first comes in 1214).
Who holds it
- Name
- King John
- Title
- Lord of the borough
- Since
- Royal borough
- Confidence
- medium
John confirmed the borough's liberties in 1199; whether that charter also granted the fee farm is not pinned in the sources checked.
Lord in 1200
The king; the castle is kept by the sheriff of Oxfordshire.
How things stand that morning
Royal borough and the rising seat of the schools.
Charter
Henry II's charter (about 1155-62) confirming the gild merchant and giving the burgesses the customs of London; a confirmation by John in 1199.
Council
Aldermen of the gild merchant and the reeves; Oxford will have a mayor by about 1205 (not pinned).
Communities
The Jewry by St Aldate's; the masters and scholars, many of them clerks from across England and beyond.
Fairs and markets
St Frideswide's fair (in October), the priory's.
Militia
The townsmen guard their walls and gates.
Walls and castle
Town walls with gates; the castle with St George's tower in the west.
Trade and crafts
Cloth (the weavers' gild), leather and corn; the scholars' custom (lodgings, books, food).
Places of note
- Oxford castle: Royal castle
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The schools and the gild are well attested; the 1199 charter's terms are not checked here.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.