St Scholastica’s Day Riot, Oxford, 1354/5
The riot, and its consequences for the next five hundred years
The most serious town and gown battle ever to take place in Oxford commenced on the evening of 10 February 1354/5, which happened to be the Feast Day of St Scholastica. It thus became known as the St Scholastica’s Day Riot, and it is only by coincidence that the saint’s name seems peculiarly appropriate for a riot that led to the death of 62 Oxford scholars.
The above postcard shows a scene from the Oxford Pageant of 1907 (where the date of the riot is given as 1354 rather than 1355 because under the Julian calendar the year started on 25 March,so February was at the end of the preceding year).
On the evening of Tuesday 10 February 1354/5 some students and priests were drinking in the Swindlestock Tavern (which was at the south-west corner of Carfax, on the site of the present Santander Oxford Work Café).
Left: inscription on the outside wall of the Santander Oxford Work Café at Carfax
The tavern, later known as the Mermaid, was pulled down in 1708/9, although its cellars survived until the early twentieth century. Boffin's the baker stood on this site from 1871 to until Marygold House was built in the early 1930s
The scholars complained about the quality of the wine at the tavern, and its landlord John of Barford (or de Bereford), who happened to be Mayor of Oxford at the time, is alleged to have responded to their complaint with “stubborn and saucy language”; whereupon a student threw a quart pot at his head. Local people came to his aid and the bell at the City Church (St Martin’s at Carfax) was rung to summon the townsmen to arms; then the University retaliated by rousing its students to the fray by ringing the bell at the University Church (St Mary-the-Virgin in the High Street), and battle commenced, with both townsmen and students making good use of their bows and arrows.
The next day (Wednesday 11 February) the Mayor of Oxford rode to Woodstock to seek the support of the King, and meanwhile about 2,000 men came in from the countryside to help the town, crying as they advanced, “Slea, Slea…. Havock, Havock…. Smyte fast, give gode knocks.” They broke into academic halls, killing scholars, and this continued on the Thursday. In all, 62 scholars were killed.
The rioters were severely punished, and the Mayor of Oxford, was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and a writ was issued by King Edward III on 6 May 1355 to the citizens to elect a new Mayor.
The ritual humiliation of the city of Oxford (1355/6–1824)
A sentence of excommunication was immediately passed on the Citizens of Oxford by the Bishop of Lincoln. (Oxford then came under that Diocese until the Diocese of Oxford was formed in 1542.) This was soon abrogated on condition that the Mayor and Bailiffs with a Deacon and Sub-Deacon and 69 other citizens should attend the University Church of St Mary-the-Virgin on St Scholastica's Day (10 February) each year and these Instruments were confirmed by King Edward III in a Charter of Inspeximus dated 1 June 1357, and updated by Queen Elizabeth I on 12 May 1575.
The Mayor in 1642/3, Thomas Dennis, did not put in an appearance at St Mary-the-Virgin Church on St Scholastica’s Day 1643, and when the Vice-Chancellor of the University asked for the reason, the council stated that they had decided not to attend again unless compelled to do so by law because “the originall was superstitious and besides they are often jeared by the Schollars that the mayor weres a halter about his neck on that day”.
G. V. Cox in his Recollections of Oxford (1868) states that by the nineteenth century there was an alternative to this humiliation (namely a considerable sum of money to be paid by the Mayor as a fine) but that Richard Cox was the only Mayor he remembered doing this, in 1800. (Richard Cox's younger son was matriculated at the University of Oxford and became a clergyman, and in fact Thomas Robinson also refused in 1817, and similarly his two surviving sons were matriculated at the University and also became clergymen.)
On 1 June 1824 the minutes of the city council record:
Resolved that this House sensible how important it is to preserve a good understanding between the University and City, which at present happily subsists, deems it a favourable moment to submit to the Vice Chancellor the expediency of discontinuing the ceremony hitherto annually performed by the City on the Feast of St Scholastica and that the four Aldermen, Mr Herbert Parsons, The Town Clerk, Solicitor, Mr William Slatter, Mr Thomas Roberson and Mr H. Taunton be a Committee to confer with the Vice Chancellor on the subject, and to use their endeavours by an amicable negociation with the proper authorities of the University to effect an abolition of that ceremony.
On 11 November 1824 the Council Minutes read:
The Mayor [William Slatter] having intimated to this House that he cannot as Chief Magistrate of this City take a part in the ceremony usually observed on dies Scholastica without a painful sacrifice of personal feeling and having called upon the house to deliberate and advise upon the subject.
And this House considering that the solemnity in question serves only to keep alive the remembrance of a casual affray, which, however, much to have been deplored when it happened, may at the present day be well deemed to have been amply atoned for by five centuries of annual humiliation.
Considering too that the harmony and good understanding so happily and so freely established between the University and City whilst they have long rendered the observance of this ceremony wholly nugatory and unavailing for any useful end or purpose furnish also a powerful reason for consigning to oblivion the memory of past jealousies and dissensions;
Considering also that the ceremony may be laid aside without derogating in the smallest degree from the rights privileges or interests of the University, and therefore without affording to that Body any just ground of offence, which this House is most anxious to avoid:
Considering moreover that the declared reluctance of the Chief Magistrate of the City founded as to this House it appears to be upon right feeling is entitled to the support and protection of the House;
It is unanimously resolved that in the judgment of this House it will be advisable for the Mayor and Bailiffs to abstain from attending at St Mary’s Church on Dies Scholastica.
And the Mayor and Bailiffs having thereupon signified that they will follow the advice of this House,
It is further resolved that the Town Clerk do wait upon the Reverend the Vice Chancellor with a copy of the proceedings.
The University released and discharged the Corporation from “their obligation of the 15th May 31st Edward 3d, and from all payments under it” by a Deed dated 1 February 1825, and on that day Jackson's Oxford Journal reported:
the University Seal was affixed to an instrument releasing the Mayor, Bailiffs, and Citizens of Oxford from the observance of certain acts heretofore required of them on Dies Scholastica (Feb. 10) in memory of the disastrous events which occurred in a conflict between the Students of the University and the Citizens of Oxford, in the year 1355-4, 30th of Edward III.
Henceforth the Mayor and Bailiffs of Oxford no longer had to take part in the ritual humiliation on 10 February each year at the University Church, but for another 34 years they still had to swear an Oath to the University at the start of each council year.
The Oath taken by the Mayor at the start of his year of office (1355/6–1858)
In addition to the ritual humiliation, at the start of the council year in the autumn each new Mayor had to attend a Mass at the University Church of St Mary-the-Virgin for the souls of the dead scholars and to swear an oath to observe the University’s privileges. (The oath had actually been sworn since 1213 following the murder of three clerks by townsmen.)
In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I issued letters patent directing that the oath taken by the Mayor and Bailiffs should be in the following form:
You shall sweare that trulie you shall observe and keep all maner of lawful liberties and customes of the said University, the which the Chancellor, Masters, and Schollars of the said University have reasonably used, without any gainesaying, saving your fidelilty to the Queen's Majestie. “So helpe you God.”
Together with 62 citizens representing the number of scholars slain, the newly elected Mayor and Bailiffs would march to the University Church, where the Vice-Chancellor of the University awaited them, together with the Vicar of that church, the Proctors, and the University Registrar.
On 31 January 1834 the Corporation agreed that the following letter should be sent by the Town Clerk of Oxford to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, in the hope that he would agree to its abolition:
In obedience to an order of the Council Chamber of this City, it is my Duty to state to the Authorities of the University that the ceremony of the annual procession and attendance of the Mayor and 62 Burgesses accompanied with the administering of an Oath previously to his entering on his office has for some time excited the most painful sensations in the minds of the Citizens of Oxford. To some Gentlemen of this Body it has presented itself as a penance; to others as an absolute penalty inflicted on the Citizens for Acts committed against the Privileges of the University in days long since gone by, and by men in a somewhat barbarous state of society, jealous of their own rights and probably ignorant of those of others but whose feelings and deeds are wholly repugnant to and discordant with those of the present generation.
It must be obvious to the Vice Chancellor and the Officers who have attended this Ceremony that the Mayor has never been able to bring with him on that occasions sixty two Burgesses and that the number has been every year made up by persons in the lowest stations of life collected from the streets. In truth the Mayor has not had the power by law to enforce the attendance of the required number from the Council Chamber.
The Mayor and Council are convinced that under a favourable consideration of the present statement the university will not think the view of this existing grievance unfounded, particularly when it learns that the City of Oxford is most anxious to give ever due security for the inviolate enjoyment by the University of its lawful rights and privileges; And they doubt not that the University will cooperate with them in endeavouring to devise and frame some other security and assurance satisfactory to the University and unobjectionable to the City such as may fully authorize the University to dispense with the whole of the Ceremony and Oath which excite so painful a sense of humiliation in the minds of the Mayor Council and great Body of the Freemen at large.
The Vice Chancellor replied that the Board of Heads of Houses and Proctors was unanimous in refusing this request, “from no other motive than an imperious sense of duty, and a desire to maintain the honor of the University and its Privileges as established by Law”. The City then limited its request and asked that just the new Mayor and Bailiffs should attend at the start of their term of office (then on 30 September each year) and take the accustomed oath. The Vice Chancellor replied that “the University has a legal power of altering, even with the mutual consent of the parties concerned, a ceremony which rests not only on ancient custom, but on the authority of the Crown and of Parliament”.
On 1 January 1836 (at the start of a new Council and mayoral term following the coming into force of the Municipal Corporations Act), the Vice-Chancellor of the University, George Rowley, wrote to the Mayor of Oxford, making two concessions (a change of venue, and the reduction of the number of burgesses from 62 to four):
In a Letter dated February 24th 1834 addressed by me to the then Mayor in answer to one from the Town Clerk of the 31st of January preceding, which contained a request from the City that the University would dispense with the whole Ceremony of administering the usual Oath to the Mayor previously to his entering into Office, I was authorized to state that it was the unanimous Opinion of the Board of Heads of Houses and Proctors that the University would not be justified in acceding to that request.
We have recently however referred the question to high legal authority, and I have now the honor to inform you, Mr Mayor, that we are desirous of complying with the wishes of the City in dispensing with those parts of the Ceremony which do not appear to be absolutely and essentially necessary to the maintenance of it — and from this motive I have further to inform you, with a view of preventing the inconvenience alluded to in the above mentioned Letter of the Town Clerk respecting the attendance at Saint Mary's with the full number of Burgesses, I will be in waiting with the Proctors, at my Lodgings to morrow January 2nd at twelve o'clock for the purpose of receiving you and a reduced Number of Burgesses, in order that the Oath may be administered there — and upon this occasion the attendance of four Burgesses upwards will be accepted as a sufficient deputation instead of a larger number.
If the arrangement I have thus suggested be deemed convenient and be acceded to by you, Mr Mayor, you will have the goodness so to signify to me — in which case, though the customary notice as to the ceremony at Saint Mary's must be continued it will entirely be satisfied in the manner above suggested.
The new Mayor agreed to this, and for the next 22 years the Mayor attended the Vice-Chancellor at his college lodgings with the minimum of four burgesses.
In 1856 and 1857 two Mayors of Oxford in succession (John Towle and Isaac Grubb) refused to see the Vice-Chancellor anywhere when they started their term of office. The case of The Queen v. Grubb was decided in the Court of Queen's Bench on 6 May 1858, and the following report appeared in The Times of London the following day:
Following the Municipal Corporation Act the duties of the Bailiffs had been taken over by the Sheriff of Oxford, and a similar rule to be served on the sheriff William Herber was also granted.
The riot was re-enacted in the Oxford Historical Pageant of 1907.
In 1955, to mark the 600th anniversary of the first St Scholastica’s Day, the Vice-Chancellor conferred the degree of honorary D.C.L. on the Mayor William Richard Gowers in the Sheldonian Theatre; and in return the the City made the Vice-Chancellor of the University Alic Halford Smith a Freeman of the City of Oxford at the Town Hall.
See also:
- Simon Wenham, “Oxford and the St Scholastica Day riot”
- Marygold House, Queen Street for more about the site of the tavern
- Octavius Ogle (ed.), Royal Letters Addressed to Oxford (1892), pp. 52–56 and 62–65 for writs of Edward III relating to the St Scholastica's Day riots, and pp. 331–333 for the Order of Council.
