1324 - Little John de Cokcroft

From International Robin Hood Bibliography
Record
Date 1324
Topic Little John de Cokcroft fined for not using the mill.
Loading map...
Sowerby.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2020-07-24. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-08.

Record

[1324:]
Little John de Cokcroft, 2d; Henry de Cokcroft, 3d; John de Cokcroft, 4d; Henry de Godelay, d; Thomas s. of Robert de Risheword, 4d; William de Snape, 2d, and Robert de Walrunwalle, 6d, for withdrawing from suit of the mill.[1]

Source notes

Wakefield Manor court rolls; court held at Wakefield (West Riding of Yorkshire), on Friday 1 June [1324]. The entry occurs under the MS heading 'Sourby' (Sowerby).[2]

IRHB comment

The entry refers to a Little John de Cokcroft as well as a John de Cokcroft tout court. The court rolls for 1326 mention a Robert, son of John de Cockecroft, and those for 1326 a John de Cockecroft.[3] These entries may well concern the man figuring in 1324 as John de Cokcroft tout court, but we cannot quite rule out the possibility that either or both in fact concern(s) Little John de Cokcroft, the adjective before his Christian name being possibly omitted since on these occasions only one John de Cokcroft was concerned and there was hence no need to distinguish between two men of the same name. Little John de Cokcroft seems to have been overlooked by Yorkshire local historians and others scouring the Wakefield Manor court rolls for supposed 'originals' of the characters of the early Robin Hood poems.

Lists

Sources

Also see

Notes