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Oxford today is home to over 150,000 people, it is situated on the meeting of the Cherwell and Thames river and is the centre of the county of Oxford. Oxford is historically known as the home to the University of Oxford and became a centre of the British car industry during the 20th century.

Early History
The name 'Oxford' probably comes from the city's location on two rivers. There was probably a point in one of the rivers that allowed cattle, or oxen, to cross. This put the location on an important trading route between Southampton and Northampton.

In the 8th century, St Frideswide founded a monastery in Oxford. Frideswide was allegedly a princess who wished to become a saint, and so refused to marry a suitor prince. Frideswide tried to flee from her suitor but was pursued, when she entered Oxford her suitor was struck blind by lightning. Frideswide prayed for the lord to give her suitor back his sight but to destroy his desire for her, allowing the saint to stay in Oxford.

Water mills were built in the settlement to slow down the flow of the rivers and make them easier for traders to cross. Oxford found itself near the border between Wessex and Danelaw and was built up to act as a defence against the Danes.

Early Middle Ages
After the overthrow of Danelaw, Oxford became a centre of trade owing to its location between Wessex and Mercia. Both West Saxon and Mercian coins were used in the town and a mint was established. Oxford was not considered strictly a part of either Mercia or Wessex and so was often used as a meeting place for authorities from both regions.

A Danish community existed in the town until 1002 when they were massacred as a part of the nationwide St Brice's massacre. The Danes attempted to find refuge in St Frideswide's priory but it was burnt down by the townspeople. In retaliation, the town was raided and sacked by Denmark and destroyed the mint. Both the mint and the priory were rebuilt by 1066.

Oxford was razed in the Norman invasion of 1066 which caused the town to go into decline, William the Conquerer declared Robert D'Oily to be the high sheriff of Oxfordshire. D'Oily began carrying out improvements to the town and its surrounding area. He built Oxford Castle in the west of the town in 1071. Oxford was very impoverished during this time and its population declined, D'Oily was described as not really caring about the poor and had no interest in improving the living conditions of the town. The decline was also due in part to the town losing its historical importance as a frontier.

In 1140, Robert D'Oily the Younger declared his support for Princess Matilda in The Anarchy. A civil war between King Stephen and his cousin Matilda who had laid claim to the throne. Matilda came to Oxford to hide in Oxford Castle with D'Oily in 1141, prompting King Stephen to lay siege to the castle and the town, cutting it off from the outside world. The siege lasted three months until D'Oily died and Matilda escaped.

Around half the town was said to have become waste, although under the control of King Stephen the town began to recover. It's central location made it a popular meeting place for clerics and the town developed a wool and cloth industry, owing to Oxfordshires many sheep farms.

It was also around this time that the origins of the university started, the town's location made it attractive to scholars who began teaching in the town as part of a loose association known as the magister scholarum. In 1209 some scholars were accused of murder and hung by an angry mob and teaching temporarily ceased until 1214 when the pope established a more organised university in the town and granted it certain privileges