The following is a timeline of the history of the city, university and colleges of Oxford, England.
Pre-history Activity from the Mesolithic period onwards, attested by archaeological finds across the city. Bronze Age henge and barrow complexes at locations including the University Parks. Bronze Age burials at locations including The Hamel, Radcliffe Infirmary, Banbury Road, and several university buildings. Wide-ranging Iron Age and Roman remains, suggesting continued occupation from pre-conquest period into the Roman era.
Recorded history before 12th century By 727 – Dida of Eynsham establishes a nunnery with Frideswide, perhaps his daughter, as abbess. after 871 – Coins of Alfred the Great are minted with the name of Oxford, as Orsnaforda. 911 – Mention of Oxford, as Oxnaforda, under the authority of Edward the Elder, King of Wessex.Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (date adjusted). 979 – Vikings burn Oxford. 1002 – 13 November: St. Brice's Day massacre of Vikings: Monastery of St Frideswide destroyed.
1004 – First bridge over the River Cherwell east of the town centre (on the site of modern-day Magdalen Bridge) is in existence. 1009 – 1 August: Vikings burn Oxford. 1015 – Early: Sigeferth and Morcar, chief thegns of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw, come to an assembly in Oxford where they are murdered by Eadric Streona. 1018 – Cnut the Great attends a Witenagemot at Oxford at which he is recognised as king of England. 1022 – Witenagemot held at Oxford to translate the laws of England into Latin and apply them equally within England and the Danelaw. 1026 – Witenagemot held at Oxford. 1036 – Council of Oxford (a Witenagemot) declares Harold Harefoot regent of England for his half-brother Harthacanute.
c. 1040–50 – Tower of St Michael at the North Gate completed. 1071–73 – Oxford Castle erected as a motte-and-bailey by Norman baron Robert D'Oyly.Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis. 1074 St George's tower at the castle is built in stone (it may have Saxon origins), including a chapel for a college of secular canons. First stone of St Mary Magdalen's Church, built by D'Oyly, is laid. c. 1085 – First stone bridge over the River Thames at Grandpont (modern-day Folly Bridge) is built by D'Oyly. 1088 – Curia regis held at Oxford by William II of England. 1096 – Academic teaching at Oxford is recorded.
12th century c. 1100 – Construction of St Lawrence, North Hinksey as a chapel begins. c. 1110 – Priory of St Nicholas, Littlemore, established. 1122 Priory of St Frideswide established. Original All Saints Church established. Approximate date: St Martin's Church, Carfax built. 1126 – Leper hospital and St Bartholomew's Chapel (Bartlemas), Cowley, established by Henry I. 1129 – Osney Abbey established as a priory by Robert D'Oyly the younger. It is raised to abbey status in 1154. c. 1130–60 – Nave, chancel and crypt of St Peter-in-the-East built. 1131 – Godstow nunnery established. 1133 Easter: King Henry I is in residence at his new Beaumont Palace. Robert Pullen, an English theologian, teaches in Oxford.
1136 – April: Curia regis held at Oxford by the new king Stephen, attended by Theobald of Bec. 1138 – Major fire. 1139 Curia regis held at Oxford. Temple Cowley founded by Queen Matilda for the Knights Templar. 1141 – 24 June: The Anarchy: Empress Matilda is forced to flee from Westminster to Oxford. 1142 – The Anarchy 26 September: King Stephen captures Oxford and besieges Matilda inside the castle. December: Matilda escapes from Oxford Castle across the snow in a white cape for camouflage.
1157 – 8 September: Richard I of England ("the Lionheart") born in Beaumont Palace. c.1160–1180 – St Mary the Virgin, Iffley built. 1166 – 24 December: John, King of England, born in Beaumont Palace. 1167 – Increased enrolment at Oxford after English students are barred from attending the University of Paris. 1177 May: Council of Oxford on governance of Ireland. Jewish cemetery. 1185 – Curia regis held at Beaumont Palace by Henry II. c. 1187–1188 – Gerald of Wales reads his Topographia Hibernica to a large academic audience in Oxford. 1190 First known foreign scholar commences study at Oxford, Emo of Friesland. Major fire. By 1191 – Burgesses are using the first known corporate town seal in England. 1193 – The inn later to become the Golden Cross is in existence. 1194 – St Mary Magdalen's Church rebuilt by Bishop Hugh of Lincoln.
13th century c. 1200–10 – First Hythe Bridge built. 1205 Council held at Oxford by King John who also spends Christmas here. Approximate date: First known Mayor of Oxford. 1209 – Dissatisfied students from Oxford found the University of Cambridge. 1213 – 15 November: A council of knights is held in Oxford. 1214 – 20 June: Papal ordinance defines the rights of the scholars at the University of Oxford. By 1216 a chancellor of the university is in office. 1215 – 16–23 July: A council of the barons charged with enforcing Magna Carta meets with King John at Oxford Castle. 1216 – Oxford Castle's first recorded use as a prison, for misbehaving students. c. 1220 – Osney Abbey constructs a conduit for fresh water from North Hinksey. 1221 – 15 August: The Dominican Order founds Blackfriars. 1222 – 17 April: Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, opens the Synod of Oxford at Osney Abbey, which introduces measures against Jews. 1224 – c. October: Franciscans led by Agnellus of Pisa found the first Greyfriars in Oxford. By c. 1229 Robert Grosseteste is teaching theology to the order here. By c. 1230 – Broad Street laid out beyond the city wall as Horsemonger Street. 1236 – Rioters cause a fire. Between c. 1236 and 1272 – St Edmund Hall, at this time known as the ‘house of Cowley’, established, "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university." 1238 – Students attack the papal legate's retinue. 1239 – Oxford Castle's first recorded use as a county gaol. 1240 Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, establishes "St Frideswide's Chest" for the support of poor scholars. Approximate date: William de Brailes is working on illuminated manuscripts in the city, including an early book of hours, perhaps for a woman called Suzanna from North Hinksey. 1242 For the murder of an Oxford scholar, townsman Henry Symeonis and others are fined and ordered to leave the town for some months by King Henry III. A tavern exists on the site of the Bear Inn. 1249 – Spring: Bequest of William of Durham for the support of scholars, used for establishment of University College. By 1252 – University Congregation meeting in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. 1253 – June: University buys property to support the establishment of University College, on the north side of The High. 1258 12 June: Provisions of Oxford enacted by a parliament meeting at the Dominican Friary in St. Ebbes, creating an elected Council of barons to advise King Henry III (abandoned 1261). 27 October–4 November: Oxford Parliament meets, with Peter de Montfort presiding. 1262 – Consecration of a priory church in Oxford, probably the largest of the Dominican Order in England, in St Ebbe's. 1263 Early May: Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, newly returned from exile, summons a meeting of rebel barons at Oxford, leading to the outbreak of the Second Barons' War. Soon afterwards, the King occupies the town and holds a council here. Town and gown riots. Presumed date: Balliol College is founded in the university by John I de Balliol on its modern-day site. Its first statutes are sealed on 22 August 1282 by his widow, Dervorguilla of Galloway, who in 1284 also conveys the freehold of its site. 1264 February: Student riots. 12 March: Henry III suspends teaching in the university until Michaelmas as he is making the city his military headquarters at the outbreak of the Second Barons' War. 14 September: Walter de Merton formally completes the foundation of the House of Scholars of Merton, later Merton College in the university. 1265 – Christmas: Henry III is entertained at Osney Abbey. 1268 – Ascension Day: Riots against Jews. 1274 January: Student riots between northerners and southerners. August: Merton College receives its statutes, the first English university college to do so. 1276 – Merton College is first recorded as having a collection of books, making its library the world's oldest in continuous daily use. During the first century of its existence the books are probably kept in a chest. 1279 – Wolvercote Common villagers' rights first confirmed. 1280/1 – University College receives statutes. 1281 – December: Rewley Abbey, established in 1280 by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall for Cistercians, is dedicated. 1283 – Gloucester College is founded in the university for Benedictines of Gloucester Abbey. Between 1283 and 10 May 1301 – Hart Hall established in the university. c. 1291 – Durham College is founded in the university for Benedictines from Durham. 1292 – Guildhall. 1294 – Holywell passes to Merton College. 1295 – Earliest known members of parliament for Oxford. 1297 – Quaking Bridge first known. By 1300 – The philosopher Duns Scotus is studying in Oxford.
14th century
1310 – Mob Quad, the first purpose-built accommodation for students, completed in Merton College. 1314 – 4 April: Exeter College is founded in the university by Walter Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter, and his brother for education of clergy (statutes 26 April 1316). 1317 – St Edmund Hall first recorded under this name in the university. 1318 – John Deydras, pretender to the English throne, claims Beaumont Palace.
c. 1320 Original University Convocation House added to University Church of St Mary the Virgin. Tackley's Inn built in the university. 1324 24 April: Oriel College is founded in the university by Adam de Brome by licence from King Edward II in honour of the Virgin Mary. Franciscan friar and philosopher William of Ockham is summoned from Oxford to the Papal court at Avignon; either at this time or later he comes into conflict with Pope John XXII and never returns to England. 1326 21 January: Oriel College chartered. 2 October: Invasion of England: Isabella of France reaches Oxford. 1327 1 February: First record of mayor of Oxford serving the monarch at a coronation feast.Display in Town Hall. 27 August: Death of Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester. His books are given to the university, where they are installed in a room above Convocation House in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, forming the university's first library. 1329 – Oriel College's fellows, previously accommodated in Tackley's Inn, move to La Oriole from which the college takes its name. 1330 – Parliament of England meets at Osney Abbey. 1332 – University College first acquires property on its modern-day site. 1333 – November: Following violence between northern and southern masters, a group of the former from Brasenose and Merton migrates to Stamford, Lincolnshire, and attempts to set up a university there. In August 1334, the chancellor of Oxford obtains a royal writ to suppress it, and it is closed in summer 1335. 1341 – 18 January: The Queen's College is founded as the "Hall of the Queen's scholars of Oxford" in the university in the name of Philippa of Hainault by her chaplain, Robert de Eglesfield. 1348 – November: Black Death reaches Oxford, continuing until June 1349. 1355 – 10 February: St Scholastica Day riot breaks out, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days. 1362 – Canterbury College is founded in the university by locally-born Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, for Benedictine monks of Christ Church Priory, Canterbury and secular priests of the province of Canterbury. c. 1370s – Cretan-born Franciscan Peter Phillarges, the future Antipope Alexander V, studies in the university. 1373 Merton College Library is built. Rebuilding of Hythe Bridge in stone begins.