HISTORY OF THE CITY OF OXFORD • 281 . • palace was situated on a spot of ground now forming the junction of Beau- mont and St. John-streets. Previous to the erection of the streets which now • occupy the site of the palace, that district was commonly called the Beaumonts.
The religious establishments in Oxford connected with tl1e monastic bodies were, the priory of St. Frideswide, Oseney abbey, and Rewley abbey, St. George's college, St. Bernard's college, Canterbury college, Durham college, London college, St. Mary's college, and Gloucester hall; the Augustinian, ' . Black, Grey, 'Vhite, Crouched, and De Sacco friaries; Trinity house, St. John's hospital, and St. Bartholomew's hospital. Several of these institutions went into decay before the dissolution of monasteries, or were merged into acade mical establishments. ST. FRIDESWIDE'S PRIORY. This establishment which stood on a part of the site of the present college of Christ church, was founded in the beginning o.f the eighth century, by a pious virgin named Frideswide, daughter of Didan, the governor, provost, or viceroy of Oxford, by his wife Saffrida. " Having received a religious education" says Dr. Ingram, on the authority of an account preserved in Leland's Collectanea, "under Elgiva, a most pious devotee ; the youthful Frideswide not only embraced a monastic life herself, but induced 12 other virgins of respectable families to follow her example. It happened about this time (A.D. 727) that Saffrida died; and her husband, seeking consola tion from a work of piety, employed himself in the construction of a conventual church, within the precincts of the city ; and, having dedicated it in honour of St. Mary and All Saints, he committed it to the superintendance of his daughter, at her own request. In process of time; by the munificence of the king of Mercia, certain Inns were constructed in the vicinity of the church, adapted as much as possible to the character of a religious establishment.'' "This," continues the same learned writer, "is the earliest notice of Oxford as a place of religious education; and thus the university may be traced to the priory of St. Frideswide." After having ruled over her nunnery for sevetal years, St. Frideswide died, on the 19th of October, 740, and was buried in a chapel on the south side of the church, which was nearly destroyed in the conflagration caused by the assault of the Danes, in 1002. The anni versary of her death is kept as a 'gaudy' by the members of Christ church. · The present chapter house- was formed out of the ruins of this chapel. In