1683 - Unknown author - Case against Mr Pilkington

Allusion
Date	1683
Author	Unknown
Title	Summary of case against a Mr Pilkington
Mentions	Robin Hood upon Greendale stood

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-08-01. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2017-12-18.

Allusion

[Summary of legal case: Pilkington and others indicted for riot. Mr Thompson, counsel for the defendants, challenged the array, the challenge being read in French. He desired it might be read in English, whereupon L.C.J. Saunders asked:] Why? do you think I don't understand it? This is only to tickle the people. [Upon the challenge being read in English. Mr Serjeant Jeffries responded:] Here's a tale of a tub, indeed. [Later Thompson said:] My lord, is the fact true or false ? I desire of these gentlemen, if it be insufficient in point of law, let them demur. [To which Serjeant Jeffries responded:] Pray tell me, Robin Hood upon Greendale stood, and therefore you must not demur to it.

IRHB comments

W.G. cites no source. Passages in brackets are IRHB's paraphrases of passages summarized by W.G. Passages not in brackets are as in W.G. The latter appear to be cited from the case report. This is a late example of a legal maxim that was sometimes cited during cases. Usually it is "greenwood", "Sherwood" or "Barnsdale" instead of "Greendale", which latter is probably not recorded elsewhere.

Lists

• Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 315-19.
• Outside scope of Sussex, Lucy, compil. 'References to Robin Hood up to 1600', in: Knight, Stephen. Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw (Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1994), pp. 262-88.

Sources

• G., W. 'Tale of a Tub', Notes & Queries, Series 5, vol. XII (1879), p. 216, p. 216.

Notes