10th February, St Scholastica’s Day
An intoxicating tales from Medieval Oxford
St Scolastica’s day
Until 1858, since 1355 every 10th of February the Mayor of Oxford was required to grovel and pay a fine for the civil disorder that broke out between Oxford’s ‘town’ and ‘gown’ in 1355.
The famous riot started when Oxford students (including clergy) suggested that a publican had adulterated his wares, the accusation was received ungraciously and all hell broke out.
Bows and arrows, clubs, agricultural tools and a show of any ‘non-members of the University’ resulted in 62 students dead and three days of rioting. Justice of the King came down heavily in favour of the University and the Mayor was summoned to apologise annually and pay a fine of a symbolic 61 pence every St Scolastica’s day for over 500 years.
In 1858 with burgeoning civic pride Mayor Grubb, declined the simmon and replied “however much (the mayhem was) to have been deplored when it happened, may at the present day be well deemed to have been amply atoned for by 5 centuries of annual humiliation”.
The matter was dropped without even a riposte.
In 1971 the City was moved out of All Saint’s Church on the High Street to the significantly smaller (but very historic and beautiful) St Michael’s on Cornmarket. A coincidence?
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