Oxfordshire was recorded as a county in the early years of the 10th century and is situated on land between the River Thames to the south, the Cotswolds to the west, the Chilterns to the east and the Midlands to the north, with areas running south to Henley-on-Thames and north to Banbury.

Historically the area has always had some importance, since it contains valuable agricultural land. The University of Oxford has its origins in 1096, though its collegiate structure did not develop until later on. The university and the city grew in importance during the Middle Ages and early modern period.

The area was part of the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th century, generating much wealth, particularly in the western portions of the county such as Witney and Chipping Norton.

During the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I in 1642, after the king was expelled from London, although there was strong support in the town for the Parliamentarian cause. The town yielded to Parliamentarian forces under General Fairfax in the Siege of Oxford of 1646. It later housed the court of Charles II during the Great Plague of London in 1665–66.

In 1790, the Oxford Canal connected the city with Coventry. For the next 15 years it became one of the most important and profitable transport links in Britain, with most commercial traffic between London and the Midlands using the route. Its principal traffic was coal from Warwickshire. It also carried stone, agricultural products and other goods, until a much more direct route between London and the Midlands, the Grand Junction Canal, was completed in 1805. In 1844, the Great Western Railway linked Oxford with London via Didcot and Reading, and other rail routes soon followed.

The paper mill in Lower Wolvercote, former supplier of paper to the Oxford University Press, was once an important employer. It was in existence by 1720. The publishing industry has been important in Oxford ever since. Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912, and car manufacture continues to this day.

There is a long history of brewing in Oxford. Several of the colleges had private breweries, one of which, at Brasenose, survived until 1889. In the 16th century brewing and malting appear to have been the most popular trades in the city.

The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, the main army unit in the area from 1881 to 1958, was based at Cowley Barracks on Bullingdon Green, Cowley.

Exclusive census analysis from the data at TheGenealogist.co.uk reveals that common Oxfordshire surnames include Harris, King, Cox, Webb, Cooper, Turner, Gardner and Hunt. In 1841, Green, Townsend, Carter and Wheeler were common; as were Allen, Clarke and Butler in 1911.

Family historians should note that the Vale of the White Horse and Didcot joined Oxfordshire from Berkshire in 1972, so historical records might be found in either county’s archives.

Find details of Oxfordshire Archives in Oxford at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

cms/public-site/oxfordshire-history-centre.

The Oxfordshire county museum (and the new Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum) is in Woodstock (oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/leisure-and-culture/museums/oxfordshire-museu). Find details of other Oxfordshire museums and heritage sites in The History & Heritage Handbook 2015/16 – get