[citation needed] Northampton was, in the 13th century, a far more important town than is evident today, so it is not particularly surprising that a university was established there.

[2] Philosopher Daniel of Morley wrote around that time: How disappointed I was when I was told that even here [in England] the liberal arts were mute and Aristotle and Plato were forgotten in favour of Smith versus Jones.

In the 13th century, through the reign of King John and his son Henry III, the nascent university gained the patronage of Simon de Montfort.

[7] One factor in this may have been the participation of scholars in opposition to the King's forces during the Siege of Northampton in April 1264, when Henry III's forces besieged the supporters of Simon de Montfort, patron of the university, in Northampton Castle.

But now as we are truly informed by the statements of many trustworthy persons that our borough of Oxford, which is of ancient foundation, and was confirmed by our ancestors kings of England, and is commonly commended for its advantage to students, would suffer no little damage from such University, if it remained there, which we by no means wish, and especially as it appears to all the bishops of our realm, as we learn from their letters patent, that it would be for the honour of God, and the benefit of the Church of England, and the advancement of students that the University should be removed from the town aforesaid; we by the advice of our great men, firmly order that there shall henceforth be no University in our said town, and that you shall not allow any students to remain there otherwise than was customary before the creation of the said University.