Oxfordshire, Oxford, History, Photographs, St Ebbe's, St Thomas's, Occupations, Trade, Pubs, Breweries, School, Education, Events, People, Buildings, Oxford Castle, Oxford Mill 

Changing Faces Series 

St Thomas's was once a sprawling parish, boasting Oxford Castle and its Mill, the ruins of several important abbeys, the railway station and the breweries. From the late 19th century it was divided into smaller areas, including Jericho, St Paul's, St Barnabas and Oseney, and became little more than a few roads, centering on St Thomas's High Street. St Ebbe's also has a historic past, being the home of Greyfriars and Blackfriars for many years, although little now remains.
At the centre of these heavily populated and impoverished areas were the churches, St Ebbe's, Holy Trinity and St Thomas's, from which many social occasions were arranged. St Ebbe's was renowned for the number of public houses, for its clubs, Balliol Boys and Holy Trinity Girls, which provided a welcome outlet for the younger people of the district, and for St Ebbe's Street itself, a busy and bustling shopping district.
The neighbouring parishes of St Ebbe's and St Thomas's had much in common. Small courtyards tucked behind rows of houses, shops of all descriptions, pubs on every corner, and a community where everyone knew everyone.