The borough at the old Thames crossing beneath the great castle, rewarded by Henry II in 1155 with one of the earliest and most generous borough charters in England for holding out for the Angevin cause in the Anarchy.
Its best days are behind it as trade shifts to Oxford and Reading.
Who holds it
- Name
- King John
- Title
- Lord of the borough
- Since
- Royal borough
- Confidence
- high
The castle and honour are in the king's hand (Wallingford).
Lord in 1200
The king.
How things stand that morning
Royal borough.
Charter
Henry II's charter of 1155: the gild merchant and freedom from toll throughout England, Normandy, Aquitaine and Anjou.
Council
Reeves and the gild merchant.
Communities
A small Jewish community (not pinned for 1200).
Fairs and markets
Not pinned for 1200.
Militia
The townsmen's service with the castle in the sieges of the 1140s and 1150s is the root of their charter.
Walls and castle
Saxon burh banks; the royal castle on the north-east.
Trade and crafts
Thames river trade and the crossing; corn of the vale.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1155 charter is well known.
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.