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From Geoffrey Chaucer to Thomas Becket, several prominent figures were brutally murdered in medieval Britain.
Now, scientists have published an interactive map that sheds light about the bloodshed of the 14th century LondonOxford and York.
In total, 354 homicides were recorded in the three cities, from a deadly soccer match to a priest who killed a man he found with his lover.
However, researchers say one city stands out above the rest.
They claim that Oxford should be called the “murder capital” of medieval Britain, largely thanks to its student population.
Scientists have published an interactive map shedding light on 14th century bloodshed in London, Oxford (pictured) and York.
From Geoffrey Chaucer to Thomas Becket, several prominent figures were brutally murdered in medieval Britain (archive image)
The Medieval Murder Map It maps crime scenes based on forensic investigations from 700 years ago.
Users can toggle between the three cities and choose to filter murders by gender involved, weapons used, time and day of incident, and number of perpetrators.
Clicking on each icon will bring up a file about that murder, and some files also include audio versions of the investigations.
Researchers estimate that the homicide rate in Oxford was up to five times higher than that of London or York in the late Middle Ages.
Among Oxford perpetrators with known antecedents, 75 per cent were identified by the coroner as “clericus”, as were 72 per cent of all Oxford homicide victims.
During this period, clericus is most likely to refer to a student or member of the early university.
“A medieval university town like Oxford had a deadly combination of conditions,” said Professor Manuel Eisner, lead researcher on the murder map and director of the Cambridge Institute of Criminology.
The medieval murder map plots crime scenes based on forensic investigations from 700 years ago.
Users can toggle between the three cities and choose to filter murders by gender involved, weapons used, time and day of incident, and number of perpetrators.
‘The Oxford students were all male and typically aged between 14 and 21, the peak of violence and risk-taking.
‘They were young men freed from the strict controls of family, parish or guild, and thrown into an environment filled with weapons, with ample access to taverns and sex workers.
“In addition to the clashes between the city and the toga, many students belonged to regional fraternities called ‘nations,’ an additional source of conflict within the student body.”
Based on their research, the team estimates that the homicide rate in late medieval Oxford is around 60-75 per 100,000, about 50 times higher than current rates in 21st century English cities.
Clicking on each icon will bring up a file about that murder, and some files also include audio versions of the investigations.
The mix of young male students at Oxford and alcohol was often a tinderbox for violence, investigators say.
The mix of young students and alcohol was often a tinderbox for violence.
One Thursday night in 1298, an argument between students in a tavern on Oxford High Street resulted in a massive street fight involving swords and battle axes.
The coroner recorded that student John Burel had “a fatal wound on the crown of his head, six inches long and deep reaching to the brain.”
In another incident, a gang of students killed one of their own, David of Trampedhwy, after he brought a “whore” named Christiana of Worcester to their school in the winter of 1296.