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OXFORDSHIRE
Ox f o r d s h ir e , sometimes called Oxon,isan inland shire ;

it Oxfordshire is bounded on the north hy Warwickshire
liesalong the north shore of the Thames, the windings of and by the river Cherwell and Northamptonshire, on
whichitfollows,and itis,therefore,very irregularin shape, the east by Buckinghamshire, on the south by the Thame«
beinginsome placesonly7 miles across,and in others, as in and Berkshire, and on the west by Gloucestershire ;it is
thenorth-west,28 ; itsgreatestlength isabout 50 miles ; it a county having a very varied surface, from the lowlands
runs in a north-west and south-east direction, having its of the river to high and bare chalk hills; it belongs
longest dimensions on the river side. The area of the partly to the secondary formations and partlyto the chalk,
county was originally 485,322 acres, but under the pro­ and is traversed by the Chiltern Hills from south-east to
visionsof Section 54 of the Local Government (England & north-east, and by other ranges. The soilon the river bank
Wales) Act 1888 (51 & 52 Viet. c. 41), Stokenchurch and is a rich black mould; in north Oxfordshire it is a very
partofIbstonehave been transferredto Bucks, and part of fertilered earth orcla}';inthe midland districtitisa de­
Kingseyadded to Oxon from Bucks,likewise Grimsburyand composed stone brash or limestone, with sand and loam;
Nethercote transferred from Northants ; by these changes and in the Chilterns, orsouth-east, icisa sandy loam laid
theareaof the administrative county and county borough on the chalk. The riversare numerous, and mostly belong
ofOxfordwas reduced to480,687 acres.
tothe basin of theThames, which is the chief water-way ;
By the Reading (Extension) Order, 1911, which came this river is popularly called the Thames throughout its
intooperation 9th November, 1911, the greater portion of course, but isreallythe Isisuntil afteritsjunction with the
Caversham civil parish and urban district was transferred Thame ;itentersthecountyatLechlade, beingnavigablefor
to Reading county borough and Berks administrative vesselsofninetytons ;itswindingcourseforms theboundary
county,the remainder being added to Eye and Dunsdon ofthe county down toHenley. The Thame flowsfrom Buck­
civilparish; the area of the county as altered is 479,220 inghamshire past Thame and crosses Oxfordshire,past Dor­
acres
chester, toitsjunction with theIsis between Day’slockand
The population in 1861 was 170,944; in 1871, 177,975J Shillingford bridge ;after this junction the Isisis properly
in 1881, 179,559; in 1891, 191,191 ;and in 1901, 186,460, called the Thames. The Windrush risesin Gloucestershire,
viz.,males, 88,316; females, 98,144; the number ofhouses in the Cotswold Hills, passes Burford and Witney, tothe
were—inhabited,41,887; uninhabited, 3,883 ;building, 249. Isis. The Cherwell comes from Northamptonshire, enters
Oxfordshire inthe north near Claydon, and runs to the Isis
Thepopulation of the administrative county in 1911, by near Oxford. The Evenlode rises in Worcestershire, and
thealterations previously mentioned, and exclusive ofthe afterreceivingthe Glyrne, near Woodstock, fallsintotheIsis
Oxfordcounty borough, was 136,436, viz. males, 66,989, about 4 milesfroiu.Oxford. The river Ray falls into the
females,69,447.
Cherwell. The Oxford canal entersthe county at Claydon,
The population of Oxford county borough in 1911 was 6 miles north of Banbury, and passes near the Cherwell to
Oxford ;itwas begun in 1769 and completed in 1790. Itis
53,048, v i z . males, 23,413 ;females, 29,636.
91 miles long,extendingfrom thecityofO.xford inthesouth
The county in the Pre-Roman era formed part of the toLongford in Warwickshire inthe north,whereitjoins the
territoryofthe Dobuni, but was included by the Romans in Coventry canal. By the riverThames and thevariouscanals
theprovinceofBritannia Prima. Notable Druidical remains Oxfordshirehaswatercommunication withnearlyeverypart
exist at Little Rollright, near Chipping Norton, while ofEngland.
Koman remains exist at Dorchester, Chadlington, Alcester
andBicester,a Roman villaat North Leigh, and portions of Railway communication iseffected mostly by the several
a mg street and Icknield street traverse or enter the branches of the Great Western ; from itsmain lineitsends
eonnty. Soon after the departure of the Romans itwas offbranches from Twyford by Shiplake to Henley, and from
onquered by the Saxons and became part of the Mercia Didcot to Oxford, and by the line from Didcot through
mg om; battles were fought at Bensington, Banbury, Newbury toWinchester directconnection isestablishedwith
,anCl Bl'amPton i a
portion (Bampton and theSouth ofEngland. From Oxford are linesinconnection
our ood)being held bythe kingof Wessex, numerous with the Great Western to Chipping Norton, Evesham,
took place between the rival kings, notably at Worcester, Droitwich, Kidderminster, Dudley and Wolver­
St n- ■’ Burfori anci Bensington. In the seventh century hampton ;to Warwick and Birmingham, passing Kidlington
■ lrinusof Rome was createdfirst Bishop of Dorchester, (thejunction for Blenheim and Woodstock) and Banbury;
incurs"0 U- b°th kinSJoms in his diocese. In the Danish from Oxford also are branches to Thame, Princes RisWere d"",
C°nnty sufEeredseverely;Oxford and Thame borough, Aylesbury and Winslow, joining the North
Qiain ro^ed ’ Qumerous earthworks of this period re- Western at the latter place and the main line of the
quietlvw n 1 ^orman confluest the county submitted Great Western at Maidenhead. Lines are now open from
thelattjx 11 6excePt,^on of Oxford, and the prosperity of Cheltenham to Chipping Norton and from the latter to
°steoney Abh
A h h 06COu
n&
Sequentl
Iy
X declliilnied until the founding of Banbury. From near Brillon the Great Westernand Great
Biskonw •^ °n fck0
to w*lich hhe residence of the Central joint railway a branch, known as the Ashendon
afterward«, .
r6m0Ved from Dorchester. The Bishopric was and Aynho Park line,has been opened, giving directcom­
Oxfordand ransferred Lincoln, and again removed to munication from London to Birmingham, via Bicesterand
separatelyendowed by Henry VIII
IBanbury.
OXON. 1