Unmasking the Dark Secrets: England's Surprising Murder Capital Revealed!

New research reveals that Oxford was the murder capital of late-medieval England, primarily due to the city's male university population. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, who have extensively studied medieval England's documented murder cases, found that the homicide rate in Oxford was four to five times higher than that of 14th-century London or York.

"It was not surprising; it was exactly what I anticipated," commented Professor Manuel Eisner, the chief investigator of the murder map and director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge, in an interview with CNN.

"Having studied previous studies, I was well aware of Oxford's alarmingly elevated homicide rate."

Launched by the Institute of Criminology's Violence Research Centre, Medieval Murder Maps is a digital resource that showcases crime scenes through the use of 700-year-old coroners' inquests and investigations. The original 2018 map of London has been revamped and expanded to also feature maps of Oxford and York.

Medieval map of Oxford, England circa 12th or 13th century

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During the 14th century in England, the project has collectively documented a total of 354 crime scenes related to homicides. A recent press release revealed that among the perpetrators whose background was known and were located in Oxford, 75% were categorized as "clericus." Similarly, 72% of the victims also fell under the "clericus" classification. It is important to note that during this specific time period, the term "clericus" commonly referred to individuals who were either students or affiliated with the university.

The perfect storm for violence

According to Eisner, historical literature on university towns indicates that during the Middle Ages, these towns had a widespread reputation for experiencing issues such as student riots, violence, and misbehavior. He notes that this stereotype was prevalent during that period and has been substantiated by their research findings.

Oxford, during that time, held a prominent position as a leading and esteemed academic institution in the Western world, drawing scholars from all over the globe. With a population of approximately 7,000 individuals, it is estimated that around 1,500 of them were students.

According to Eisner, the circumstances at Oxford made it a breeding ground for violence. In this era, all Oxford students were exclusively male and generally ranged in age from 14 to 21 years old.

"What it brought about for Oxford was an influx of young men, and such individuals can give rise to issues," Eisner remarked, emphasizing that this demographic would have lacked adequate social supervision while having unrestricted access to alcohol and weaponry.

Oxford was one of Europe's largest and most respected learning centers, attracting male students from across the continent.

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"You have various elements converging and merging, resulting in the formation of circumstances," he remarked, highlighting that students frequently segregated themselves according to their place of origin, thereby intensifying conflicts between individuals from diverse regions.

In order to chart the homicides, the researchers examined the coroners' registers, which documented unexpected and dubious deaths as determined by a jury, usually comprised of local inhabitants. The registers encompassed "names, incidents, locations, and even the worth of the weapons used in the murders," as stated in the press release.

Close up of the Conington Burial

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Medieval girl buried face down, ankles possibly tied, to prevent 'return' from the grave

The team's research indicates that during the late-medieval era, Oxford had a homicide rate ranging from 60 to 75 per 100,000 individuals. This figure is approximately 50 times greater than the present-day homicide rates in English cities of the 21st century. However, Eisner cautioned against making a direct comparison between the two time periods.

During the Middle Ages, the concept of a 999 (911) call did not exist, along with the absence of emergency services and any form of surgical or wound treatment mechanism. Consequently, mortality rates were significantly higher compared to the present.