Christmas is a time for tradition, and the University of Oxford is well known for diligently preserving its traditions for centuries. Many of these have long outlived the people who established the…
But what was the reason for Henry’s condemnation by the University to five and a half centuries of infamy? It was a murder. In 1242 he and a number of other men of the town of Oxford were found guilty of murdering a student of the University. Henry and his accomplices were fined £80 by King Henry III in May 1242 and were made to leave Oxford as a result, forced to stay away (and allowed no closer than Northampton) at least until the King returned from abroad.
Further research is needed to discover the exact details of what happened here but it seems that Henry Symeonis had bought the King’s pardon and his permission to return to Oxford. The King was willing to allow his return if the University agreed to it. But the University refused and chose to ignore the King’s order of 25 March 1264, resuming its hostility to Henry Symeonis. In fact, it felt so strongly about it, that it gave Henry Symeonis the unique honour of being named in its own statutes, making the University’s dislike of him official and perpetual.
Yes but only because of a guy in 1910s who looked into it
The identity of Henry Symeonis was only (re-)discovered in 1912 by the then Keeper of the University Archives, Reginald Lane Poole. In an article for the English Historical Review, he looked at the curious statute and tried to get to the bottom of the Henry Symeonis mystery.
For those who didn’t follow the link:
So they did know who he was and what he did.
“By 1608, SOME people didn’t know who he was. We mention them here for higher article clickability.”
Yes but only because of a guy in 1910s who looked into it
Wonder why it was only Masters of Arts students?
Or was that the only Masters Degree Oxford had?
National Archives gov uk says £80 in 1270 is approx £78k in 2025
Man, boarding school kids always got the easy treatment.
Sounds like people do know who he was and what he had done. Clickbait headline.
Sometimes knowledge is lost and then later rediscovered.