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Oxford in the Early Modern Period
In the 16th century brewing and malting were apparently the most popular trades in Oxford, with several private breweries belonging to colleges.
In 1517 Oxford was hit particularly hard by the sweating sickness epidemic, which wiped out half of the city's population (as it did with Cambridge), including many students and dons.
In 1546 the Priory Church of St Frideswide was refounded as Christ Church, following its extension and integration into the structure of the Cardinal's College. Since then Christ Church Cathedral has functioned as the cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford, and is unique in combining a college chapel and a cathedral in one foundation.
1555 saw the heresy trial of the Oxford Martyrs, who were consequently burnt at the stake for their religious beliefs and teachings. The three men (bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, and the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer) are commemorated by the Martyrs' Memorial, which stands nearby on St. Giles.
In 1642, during the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I following his expulsion from London. However, the city showed strong support for the Parliamentarian cause, to which it eventually yielded during the 1646 Siege of Oxford. The city also housed the court of Charles II after he reluctantly evacuated London during the Great Plague in 1665–66. Oxford suffered two serious fires in 1644 and 1671.
1789 saw the completion of the Duke's Cut, linking the River Thames to the new Oxford Canal and connecting the city to Coventry. In 1796 the Oxford Canal company created its own link to the Thames at Isis Lock. 1844 saw the opening of a Great Western Railway line joining Oxford to London via Didcot and Reading. Other rail routes soon followed.
