THE City of Oxford ranks among the most ancient Corporations in the kingdom, and its privileges are similar to those of the City of London. At the Coronation of our Sovereigns, the Mayor acts as Butler, next to the Lord Mayor of London, and receives a gold cup as his fee. By the Municipal Reform Act the Corporation now consists of a Mayor, High Steward, Recorder, ten Aldermen, a Sheriff, thirty Councillors, a Town Clerk, (who is also Clerk of the Peace,) Solicitor, Coroner, Treasurer, three Auditors, ten Assessors, a Clerk to the Magistrates, a Mace Bearer, a Mayor's Sergeant, a Sheriff's Sergeant, Marshal, Police Officers, &c. The Mayor is elected annually by the Aldermen and Councillors from their own body. The Aldermen and Sheriff are elected by the Council, from their own body, or from such Burgesses as are qualified to be Councillors. The Councillors are elected from the Burgesses, whose property amounts to at least one thousand pounds, or whose premises are of the annual value of £30 or upwards. The Sheriff, Town Clerk, Clerk of the Peace, Solicitor, Coroner, Treasurer, and all the other Officers are elected by the Council, with the exception of the Recorder, who is appointed by the Crown.

Oxford is divided into five Wards, two Aldermen and six Councillors to each. At the end of three years five Aldermen go out of office, in rotation, and their vacancies, except they should be re-elected, are filled for the space of six years. Two Councillors of each Ward, in rotation, go out of office every year, and their vacancies are supplied by their re-election, or from among the qualified Burgesses. Extraordinary vacancies, occasioned by death or other removal, must be filled within ten days, and the person so elected remains in office for the period the vacancy occasioned.

The City of Oxford sends two Members to Parliament. It has a separate Court of Quarter Sessions, at which the Recorder sits as sole Judge. Four Lecturers are appointed to preach in rotation before the Mayor and Corporation in St. Martin's Church.

In the City and Suburbs of Oxford there are fifteen

parishes, viz.

St. Aldate, R.
All Saints, C.
Binsey
St. Ebbe, R.
St. Giles, V.
Holywell, C.
St. Clement

St. John, C.

Population Value

The Crown.

The Crown.

Merton College.

Oriel College.

in 1841. per annum.

£137

65

Patronage. Pembroke College. Lincoln College.

111

160

St. John's College.

80 Merton College.

92

38

St. Mary Magdalen, V.

St. Martin, R.

St. Peter-le-Bailey, R. 1282
St. Peter-in-the-East, V.
St. Thomas, V.

1167

3733

105 Christ Church.

These parishes, with the exception of St. Giles's, St. John's, Binsey, and St. Clement's, were consolidated by an Act passed in the year 1771, and a Workhouse for their paupers was soon afterwards erected. The money raised annually by rates for the support of this house and the out-poor, is about ten shillings in the pound on the nominal rentals. The whole population of Oxford, at the census of 1841, including the University, in number 1834, the House of Industry, the Radcliffe Infirmary, and the Gaols, was about 27,000. The number of houses was 4584.

The Churches, &c. not described in the body of this Guide, on account of their not coming within the regular perambulation, are as follow:

Ist, St. Clement's, in the eastern suburbs of the City. It is a Rectory, in the gift of the Crown. In consequence of the great increase of inhabitants of this parish, it was lately found necessary to have a much larger church, and very liberal subscriptions enabled the parishioners to effect this desirable object. Sir Joseph Lock gave a piece of ground at the eastern extremity of the parish, near the Cherwell, for its site. It is a handsome edifice, in the Anglo-Norman style, built by Mr. Hudson, from the designs of Mr. D. Robertson, and was consecrated by the late Dr. Lloyd, Bishop of Oxford, on the 14th of June, 1828.

B

2nd, Holywell, situated near the street of that name, at the north-east extremity of the City. It is about 70 feet long, consisting of a nave and chancel, a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, on the southern side of the chancel, and an embattled tower, containing six bells. The tower was finished about the year 1464. The church is more ancient. In 1838, a new aisle was added to the north side on land presented by the late Mr. John Pinfold, an old and much respected parishioner; and in 1843, a corresponding aisle on the south, when the whole was newly pewed with open seats. The interior has now a very imposing effect, and the additions reflect great credit on Mr. Derrick, the architect, and Mr. Redhead, the builder. The parish is named from a very ancient well near the church.

3rd, St. Peter's-in-the-Bailey, situate at the west end of the City, not far from the County Gaol. It was opened for Divine Worship in 1740, and in 1753 a neat gallery was added to it, at the expense of Daniel Flexney, a carpenter. In 1845, the old pews were removed, open seats substituted, and other alterations effected, at the expense of the Rev. W. B. Heathcote, the Curate; in the year following an organ was also presented to the parish. The entire length of the fabric is about 70 feet, and the breadth 38. In the tower are two bells only.

4th, St. Thomas's, which is situated at the western extremity of Oxford, on the right of the entrance into the City, on the Cheltenham road. It consists of a nave and a chancel, measures about 100 feet in length, and has, at the west end, a neat embattled tower, containing six bells. The church was founded by the Canons of Osney, in 1141. A few years since it was repaired and much improved, at the same time newly pewed; and in 1847 a new aisle was added by the Rev. T. Chamberlain, the Vicar.

There are four Dissenting Chapels in the City of Oxford: the Baptist, on the New-road, which has lately been considerably enlarged; the Independent, lately erected in George street, a large, handsome Gothic edifice, from the plans, and under the direction, of Mr. Greenshields; Mr. Bulteel's large Chapel,

finished in 1832, built by Mr. Fisher, of Oxford; and a handsome Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, in New Inn Hall street, built by Mr. Evans, and opened in February, 1818. In St. Clement's, in the suburbs of the City, is a small neat Roman Catholic Chapel.

A Savings' Bank was established in Oxford in 1816, and was enrolled and placed under the new Act, in January, 1818.

A well-conducted and very useful Dispensary contributes to the relief of such as are unable to pay for medical assistance. It is supported by annual subscribers, and by Mr. Goring's munificent donation of £1500.

Several Charity Schools are established in this City; and a very large one for boys, on Dr. Bell's plan, is supported at the expense of the University. There are also several well-founded Alms Houses in the City and Suburbs.

On Monday, the 14th of September, 1818, the foundation-stone of the buildings for making gas, for the purpose of lighting the University and City, was laid by four Gentlemen of the Gas-light Committee. These buildings are erected on the banks of the Isis, in a ground near Littlegate, called the Friars, from its formerly being the site of a Monastery of the Franciscan or Grey Friars. On the 6th of September, 1819, the brilliant and pure illumination with gas became general throughout the University and City.

On the 10th of June, 1844, the Great Western Rail-road opened its first communication with Oxford, and formed a Station at the southern extremity of the City, just without the boundary; you enter therefore from thence, up St. Aldate's street, over a substantial Bridge, erected in 1826, called FOLLY BRIDGE, Over the Thames or Isis river; it was built by Mr. Mackintosh, and reflects great credit on him as Builder, and also on Mr. Perry the Architect: the cost of the Bridge itself was about £10,000; for the approaches and other expenses we may add at least £6000 more. To raise money and to build the said Bridge an Act was obtained in 1815, which has since been renewed. The Toll Gate at its foot was erected to enable the Commissioners to pay off the monies borrowed from the City Charities

and other sources; this Toll had, previously to the opening of the Rail-road in 1844, been collected at the Abingdon-road Gate beyond. This new Bridge may be seen to great advantage from the south-western extremity of Christ Church Meadow.

Grandpont, or the OLD FOLLY BRIDGE, was of very great antiquity; and Wood says that " no record can solve its precise beginning." On this old bridge stood a Tower, formerly called FRIAR BACON'S STUDY, from a tradition that it was once occupied by that philosopher, who died at Oxford in 1294; in the City deeds in the reign of Henry VIII. it is entitled an Hermitage, and Bachelor's Tower; in the reign of Elizabeth this Bachelor's Tower was leased by the City to a man named Welcome, who rebuilt the Tower, thence called WELCOME'S FOLLY, while the Bridge itself was called SOUTH BRIDGE; thus it is not improbable that WELCOME'S FOLLY and FOLLY BRIDGE became almost synonymous terms. It was entirely demolished in 1778. Several drawings had previously been taken of it, engravings from which appear in the Oxford Almanack for the year 1780, and in some of the larger works respecting Oxford.

Bankers.

Messrs. Robinson, Parsons, and Co., on Coutts and Co.
Messrs. Morrell, on Jones, Loyd, and Co.

Messrs. Wootten, Tubb, and Co., on Masterman and Co. London and County Joint Stock Banking Company, Capt. Strong, Manager; on 71, Lombard Street, London.

Savings Bank, St. Aldate's, open Mondays and Saturdays from Twelve till Two. Actuary, Mr. W. H. Butler.

Between the celebrated walk, called Headington Hill, and the Cowley Road, has recently been erected, by subscription, a large and airy building, called the Warneford Lunatic Asylum. It was built by Mr. Evans, from the designs of Mr. Ingleman, and is extremely well adapted for persons suffering under derangement of intellect. No establishment of this kind in the kingdom is conducted upon a better plan, nor more carefully watched over and attended to.