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England Oxford (city)

Guide to OXFORD (city) history, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.



HISTORY
Oxford was first settled in Saxon times and was initially known as "Oxenaforda", meaning "Ford of the Oxen"; fords were more common than bridges at that time. Therefore we can be assured that Oxford as a city is older than Cambridge (Bridge over the river Cam).

It began with the establishment of a river crossing for oxen around AD 900. In the 10th century, Oxford became an important military frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was on several occasions raided by Danes.

Oxford was heavily damaged during the Norman Invasion of 1066.

The community never grew large but it earned its place in history as one of Britain's oldest places of formal education.

Oxford's prestige was enhanced by its charter granted by King Henry II, granting its citizens the same privileges and exemptions as those enjoyed by the capital of the kingdom; and various important religious houses were founded in or near the city. A grandson of King John established Rewley Abbey for the Cistercian Order; and friars of various orders (Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Augustinians and Trinitarians) all had houses of varying importance at Oxford.

The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12th century records. As the university took shape, tension between the hundreds of students living where and how they pleased led to a decree that all undergraduates would have to reside in approved halls. This led to a huge increase in building, resulting in the present organization of Colleges, each with its own dormitories.

During the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I in 1642, after the king was expelled from London.

By the early 20th century, Oxford was experiencing rapid industrial and population growth, with the printing and publishing industries becoming well established by the 1920s.

Today, Oxford is one of the most diverse small cities in Britain: the most recent population estimates for 2005 showed that 27% of the population were from ethnic minority groups, including 16.2% from non-white ethnic minority ethnic groups

LOCATION
Oxford is in central Southeast England. It is 51 miles north west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames (also sometimes known as the Isis locally from the Latinised name Thamesis) run through Oxford and meet south of the city center.

It is located on a flat alluvial plain, and the local area is extremely fertile.

The area has been settled from prehistoric times, and due to a beneficial climate, has been always populated with farms and orchards. Because of this, the city and region has always attracted the landed gentry, with the resulting proliferation of fine period edifices.

A number of Graded English manor houses and palaces are in the local area, and available for tourism. An example is Blenheim Palace and gardens, pictured below.



RELIGION
Because education through the middle ages was always related to religion, Oxford has had a major link to Catholicism. However this was severed due to the emancipation of England by King Henry VIII. At that time, the Church of England was mandated by the Crown for the University.

However in the 19th-century a movement called the Oxford Movement, centered at the University of Oxford, sought a renewal of “catholic,” or Roman Catholic, thought and practice within Colleges and in opposition to the Protestant tendencies of the church. This was countered by the official Church of England, and the University was somewhat discomforted.

Since that time, and more particularly in the late twentieth century onward, and based on the liberal influence of the University, the majority of the population claim no religion.

INDUSTRY
Plymouth has one of the best natural harbors in the British Isles. Because of this coastal location, the economy of Plymouth has traditionally been maritime,[93] in particular the defense sector with over 12,000 people employed and approximately 7,500 in the armed forces.

A tradition of the British Navy since time immemorial was to provide a toddy of gin daily to its sailors. This had 2 effects; to keep the sailors happy, and also to increase their belligerence during battles. Because of this, the Plymouth Gin Distillery has been producing Plymouth Gin since 1793, which was exported around the world by the Royal Navy.

Since the 1980s, employment in the defense sector has decreased substantially and today Devonport Dockyard is the UK's only naval base that refits nuclear submarines and the Navy estimates that the Dockyard generates about 10% of Plymouth's income.

However Plymouth still has the largest cluster of marine and maritime businesses in the south west with 270 firms operating within the sector.

Other substantial employers include the university with 30,000 students and almost 3,000 staff, as well as the Tamar Science Park employing 500 people in 50 companies.

CIVIL REGISTRATION
Birth, marriages and deaths records have been kept by government since July 1837 to the present day. Prior to that, local parishes of the Church of England, and local branches of other faiths were the only repositories of this information. The following link provides access for Canterbury records:


 * Free BMD UK


 * UK BMD


 * Devon Gov records

CENSUS RECORDS
Census records for Canterbury can be found using the following links:


 * UK Gov census records


 * GENUKI Plymouth census records

PROBATE RECORDS
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by several locations for Plymouth. Please follow the links below:


 * UK Gov probate records


 * Plymouth probate office

CEMETERIES AND GRAVES
There are presently four cemeteries, and several outlying cemeteries within the Plymouth city district. The link follows:


 * Plymouth city cemeteries

Other useful sites follow:


 * Findagrave, Plymouth


 * Billion graves, Plymouth

GENEALOGY SOCIETIES AND GENEALOGY

 * Devon Genealogy


 * Devon Family History Society


 * Roots web Devon


 * GENUKI org Devon FHS