Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council

century jettons in total along with a 17th century lead token, two coin-weights and fifty
coins (Mayhew et al. 1984: 219). Elsewhere in the northern suburb, the 2006-7
Ashmolean Museum Extension in St Giles produced nine Nuremberg jettons of the
16th and 17th centuries, and 17 17th century farthing tokens (Allen 2009).
A notable hoard of nine silver coins was recorded at Wolvercote comprising a single
Elizabethan example and eight from the reign of Charles I, including a single poorly
preserved coin from the Oxford mint (Sutherland 1937: 101).
Bone
The animal bone assemblage from excavations within St Ebbes intra-mural parish
are discussed by Wilson (1985). A number of excavations on St Giles, including the
2006-7 Ashmolean Museum extension site, have produced a useful suburban
assemblage providing an insight into lifestyle, diet and status in the northern suburb
during the post-medieval period. The 16th-17th century assemblage from the
Ashmolean contained a large number of bird bones, including swan and turkey,
suggesting the tenement occupiers were at least periodically wealthy (Strid 2009).
Further north, the animal bone assemblage from the St John’s College Kendrew
Quad excavation in 2008 provides an example of consumption patterns associated
with the 17th-18th century farm known as Black Hall. The assemblage demonstrates
a domestic consumption pattern that included a demand for the supply of younger
cattle in the 17th and 18th centuries (Holmes 2010). An increase in the size of sheep
from the 17th century was noted at Black Hall Farm. A similar trend has been noted
elsewhere from the 18th century from sites in St Ebbe’s (Wilson 1984), and 16th and
17th century deposits at St Frideswide’s (Stallibrass 1988).
A number of small post-medieval college assemblages have been recovered.
Excavations within the grounds of Corpus Christi College in 2008 produced a small
assemblage of animal bones from 17th to 19th century cess pits connected to the
college kitchen, but these were of poor quality (Bashford 2009). Here, the small fish
assemblage from early 18th century cess pit included eel, herring, small gadid, small
salmonid (probably trout), perch and, surprisingly, anchovy (Engraulidae) (Nicholson
2009). The animal bones recovered from 16th-18th century assemblages associated
with the kitchen and hall of Lincoln College were unremarkable, however the wide
variety of fish present suggested that the inhabitants enjoyed a diet that became
more varied over time (Charles 2002; Ingrem 2002). The animal bone assemblage
from 16th-18th century pits at 4A Merton Street, Merton College, represented
consumption and table waste (Worley and Evans 2007). College Kitchen waste
including animal bones and fish remains have been recorded at Queen’s College
kitchen (Strid 2010; Nicholson 2010). This site also produced a large assemblage of
post-medieval oyster and whelk shells (Allen 2010).
Elsewhere, an 18th century domestic assemblage from the central urban area was
recovered from 5-7 Market Street (Hamilton-Dyer 2002: 352-3). Other small
assemblages including 16th-18th animal bones were recovered from Tidmarsh Lane
outside the West Gate of the Castle (Wilson 2003) and bones suggestive of tannery
waste and carcass processing were recovered from St Thomas Street (Wilson 1980;
Poole 2006).
Wall paintings and murals
A great many post-medieval wall paintings have been recorded in Oxford in various
buildings, many of which have since been removed or covered. They are often
associated with inns and taverns, but also appear in private houses and college
chambers. At The Golden Cross, painted cloth was used alongside wall paintings,
and wall papers are found from the late 16th-century onwards. A brief list of recorded
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