View source for Robin Hood Court (Holborn)

__NOTOC__{{PlaceNamesItemTop|Lat=51.516223|Lon=-0.106892|AdministrativeDivision=Middlesex|Vicinity=West side of Shoe Lane|Type=Thoroughfare|Interest=Robin Hood name|
Status=Defunct|Demonym=English|Riding=|GreaterLondon=Yes|Year=1623|Aka=Robin Hood's Court; Robin-Hood's-Court; Robin-Wood's Court; Robinhood's-court; Robinhood Court|Century=18|Cluster1=Holborn|Cluster2=|Cluster3=|Image=shoe-lane-holborn-google-earth-street-view.jpg|Postcards=|ExtraCat1=Wood for Hood|ExtraCat2=Robinhood place-names|ExtraCat3=|ExtraCat4=|ExtraCat5=|ExtraLink1=Robin Hood Yard (Holborn)|ExtraLink2=|ExtraLink3=|ExtraLink4=|ExtraLink5=|ExtraLinkName1=|ExtraLinkName2=|ExtraLinkName3=|ExtraLinkName4=|ExtraLinkName5=|GeopointPrefix=|GeopointSuffix=|VicinitySuffix=|StatusSuffix=|DatePrefix=|DateSuffix=}}
{{#display_map:{{#var:Coords}}~{{#replace:{{PAGENAME}}|&#39;|'}}|width=34%|enablefullscreen=yes}}<div class="pnMapLegend">Site of {{PAGENAME}}.</div>
[[File:{{#var:Image}}|thumb|right|500px|At Shoe Lane. Robin Hood Court ran left where Deloitte and Athene's Place are now found / Google Earth Street View.]]
[[File:john-rocque-1746-robin-hood-court-shoe-lane.jpg|thumb|right|500px|'Robin-Wood's C[ourt]', John Rocque's ''Map of London'' (1746) / [https://www.locatinglondon.org/ Locating London's Past.]]]<div class="no-img">
<p id="byline">By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-01-17. Revised by {{#realname:{{REVISIONUSER}}}}, {{REVISIONYEAR}}-{{REVISIONMONTH}}-{{REVISIONDAY2}}.</p>
A now lost Robin Hood Court led west out of Shoe Lane to Great New Street in Holborn (Farringdon Ward Without).<ref>{{:Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a}}, p. 300, ''s.n.'' Robin Hood Court [1], have "Farringdon Ward Within", but [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dictionary-of-london/robin-hood-court-rolls-yard#h2-0001 British History Online: A Dictionary of London: Robin Hood Court &ndash; Rolls' Yard] has "Without".</ref> It is first recorded in 1623.

On 26 Oct. 1623 at the French ambassador's house in Blackfriars, London, the floor of an upper room collapsed under the weight of three hundred people attending a religious service. Nearly a hundred of them were killed in this disaster known as the Fatal Vespers. A pamphlet about this tragic event published shortly after includes a list of casualties, among whom were a family from Robin Hood Court, Shoe Lane. This is the first mention of the street name. Strype reprints the list, without stating his source, in his ''Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster'' (1720) (see Allusions below for both). Harben in his entry on the locality refers to Ogilby and Morgan's 1677 map of London, but though the street appears to be indicated, it is not labelled on copies of the map available online.<ref name="harben">{{:Harben, Henry Andrade 1918a}}, p. 505, ''s.n.'' Robin Hood Court [2]. See Maps section for links to web versions of the map.</ref> It is, however, included as 'Robinhood Court' in William Morgan's 1682 map of London.<ref>{{:Morgan, William 1904a}}, No. 62 in the list of 'References for the City and Liberties of London beginning with N<sup>o</sup>. 1. at Little Grays Inne Lane and reaching to N<sup>o</sup>. 330[,] Queens head Court in Newgate Street': 'Robinhood Court'.</ref>


Among other early sources to mention this street is a news broadside dated 1697, dealing with a tragic case of infanticide that had evidently just taken place at Robin Hood Court. A contemporary purveyor of smut and gore published a broadside entitled ''The Unnatural mother: being a full and true account of one Elizabeth Kennet, a marry'd woman, living in Robin Hood's Court in Shoe-lane, who, on Tuesday the 6th April, 1697, privately deliver'd her self, and afterwards flung her infant in the fire, and burnt it all to ashes, but a few of the bones: likewise of her being had before a justice, and her confession there'' (see Background below). The next reference to Robin Hood Court concerns a pawnbroker who is listed on 12 Nov. 1720 as residing there at the sign of the Three Bowls.<ref>{{:Price, F G Hilton 1902a}}, see p. 191.</ref> From 1722 we have the first of quite a few Old Bailey case summaries (see Records below). A register entitled ''A New Review of London'' (1728) lists both "Robin hood's court [...] ''in'' shoe lane" and "Robin hood's yard ''in'' shoe lane".<ref>{{:Anonymous 1728a}}, p. 30 ''s.nn.'' 'Robin hood's court' and 'Robin hood's yard'. Italics as in source. IRHB's brackets</ref> Maybe the compiler of this work knew something we do not, maybe he inadvertently listed two variants of the name of the court in Shoe Lane, or perhaps the yard he listed was in fact [[Robin Hood Yard (Holborn)|Robin Hood Yard in nearby Leather Lane.]] A similar double entry (if such it is) is found in the Company of Parish Clerks' ''New Remarks of London'' (1732).<ref>{{:Company of Parish-Clerks, The 1732a}}, ''s.nn.'' Robin Hood's court, Robin hood's yard.</ref>

On John Rocque's 1746 ''Map of London'' the street is named 'Robin-Wood's C[ourt]' (see Maps section and illustration below). The court is included, as "Robin Hood Court, Shoe-Lane", in the list of London street and place-names in the ''Compleat Compting-House Companion'' (1763).<ref>{{:Anonymous 1763a}}, p. 417.</ref> John Lockie in his ''Topography of London'' (1810) lists it as follows: "Robinhood Court, Shoe Lane, Fleet-Street,&mdash;at 67, the second on the R. from St. Andrew's church, Holborn-hill" (see Gazetteers below).

In all probability Robin Hood Court took its name from the [[Robin Hood (Holborn)|Robin Hood]] inn located there at No. 5. Robin Hood Court is included on the 25" O.S. map of the area published in 1936 (see Maps section below) but is not shown on the 1968 edition of ''Bartholomew's Reference Atlas of Greater London''.<ref>{{:Bartholomew,  John 1968a}}, map 8.</ref> Evidently it had disappeared by the latter date.{{PlaceNamesItemAllusionsAndRecords}}
== Gazetteers ==
* {{:Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a}}, p. 300, ''s.n.'' Robin Hood Court [1].

== Sources ==
* {{:Anonymous 1728a}}, p. 30, ''s.nn.'' 'Robin hood's court' and 'Robin hood's yard'
* {{:Anonymous 1763a}}, p. 417, ''s.n.'' Robin Hood court [5]
* {{:Anonymous 1783a}}, p. 59 ''s.n.'' Robin Hood's court [5]
* {{:Company of Parish-Clerks, The 1732a}}, ''s.nn.'' Robin hood's court, Robin hood's yard
* {{:Elmes, James 1831a}}, p. 354, ''s.n.'' Robinhood-Ct.
* {{:Harben, Henry Andrade 1918a}}, p. 505, ''s.n.'' Robin Hood Court [2]
** [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dictionary-of-london/robin-hood-court-rolls-yard#h2-0001 British History Online: A Dictionary of London: Robin Hood Court &ndash; Rolls' Yard] (has no page numbers)
* {{:Lockie, John 1810a}}, ''s.n.'' Robinhood-Court
** {{:Lockie, John 1813a}}, ''s.n.'' Robinhood Court
* {{:Price, F G Hilton 1902a}}, see p. 191.

== Maps ==
* {{:Ogilby, John 1677a}}
** [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/london-map-ogilby-morgan/1676 British History Online]
** [http://british-library.georeferencer.com/map/tZhzP2P0wma4LPL34zCGXs/201407121539-l8vhPJ/visualize British Library: Online Gallery] (zoomable overlay)
** [http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3100981&partId=1 British Museum: Collection Online]
** [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Maps_Of_Old_London_Ogilby.jpg Wikimedia Commons: Maps of Old London: Ogilby]
* {{:Morgan, William 1682a}}; see next
** {{:Morgan, William 1904a}}, No. 62 in the list of 'References for the City and Liberties of London beginning with N<sup>o</sup>. 1. at Little Grays Inne Lane and reaching to N<sup>o</sup>. 330[,] Queens head Court in Newgate Street': 'Robinhood Court'
* {{:Rocque, John 1746a}}
** [https://www.locatinglondon.org/ Locating London's Past]
* [http://maps.nls.uk//view/103313321#zoom=5&lat=6692&lon=9262&layers=BT 25" O.S. map ''London'' V.10 (1936; rev. 1914)]
* [http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=51.5166&lon=-0.1062&layers=6&b=1 6" O.S. map ''Surrey'' III.NW (1898; rev. 1893-95)]
* [http://maps.nls.uk//view/102345964#zoom=6&lat=4297&lon=6206&layers=BT 6" O.S. map ''Middlesex'' XVII (1880-82; surveyed 1868-73)]
* {{:Bartholomew,  John 1968a}}, map 8.

== Background ==
* {{:Anonymous 1697a}}. Not seen.
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== Notes ==
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File:shoe-lane-holborn-google-earth-street-view.jpg|At Shoe Lane. Robin Hood Court ran left where Deloitte and Athene's Place are now found / Google Earth Street View.
File:john-rocque-1746-robin-hood-court-shoe-lane.jpg|'Robin-Wood's C[ourt]', John Rocque's ''Map of London'' (1746) / [https://www.locatinglondon.org/ Locating London's Past.]
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