Black Assize
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
July 6th, 1 577, when a putrid pestilence broke out at Oxford during the time of assize. The chief baron, the sheriff, and a large number of the Oxford gentry (some accounts say 300) died.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Black Assize” mean?
July 6th, 1 577, when a putrid pestilence broke out at Oxford during the time of assize. The chief baron, the sheriff, and a large number of the Oxford gentry (some accounts say 300) died.
Is “Black Assize” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.