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By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2020-09-07. Revised by … 'Robertsmen', in primary use in sources dating from the 14th to the 17th century, and subsequently used mainly historically, as a synonym for 'robbers'. … explains 'Roberdsmen' as a term for 'marauding vagrants or outlaws' in 14th century England, noting that it has been popularly taken as alluding to Robin Hood. … term. As the OED notes, the first element is Robert, not Robin, and two 13th century sources use the Christian name 'Robert' ('Robertus') as a designation for a robber. …

Pagham, Bognor Regis, Sussex, where once was a place named Loxley. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2016-11-23. Revised by … This lost place-name in Pagham parish could be derived from 'Loxa', the name of a stream, but more likely it is from OE lox, 'lynx,' "used here in the form Loxa as a pers. name, hence 'Loxa's clearing' [...] but no certainty is possible." It is recorded as 'Loxelegh', 'Loxelee', and 'Loxeleye' in 1316, 1344 and 1359, respectively. Mawer, Allen 1969a, pt. I, pp. 94-95. As this was apparently lost in the 14th century, it seems distinctly unlikely to be the Loxley associated with Robin Hood c. 1600. Gazetteers ⁃ Not included in Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a, pp. 293-311. Sources ⁃ Mawer, Allen 1969a, pt. I, pp. 94-95. Notes

Hyth Bridge Street (formerly Rewley Lane), where the Robin Hood was located. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-06-19. Revised by … An 1830 trade directory lists this as a tavern or public house in "Ruly lane", i.e. Rewley Lane, the proprietor an Elizabeth Bossom. An 1846 trade directory has the pub at Hythe Bridge Street. See Oxford History: Pigot's 1830 Directory: Oxford: Trades: T; Oxford History: Oxford inns and hotels in 1846. The pub had not moved. Sometime between 1830 and 1846 Rewley Lane was renamed Hythe Bridge Street. See Wood, Anthony 1889a, vol. I, p. 332; Gelling, Margaret 1953a, pt. I, p. 42. Pub History lists information on publicans etc. for the years 1863 to 1903, Pub History: Robin Hood, 1 Rewley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire. which can be supplemented by the Oxford History site Oxford History: Oxford inns and hotels in 1846; Oxford History: Gardner’s 1852 Directory: Oxford: Hotels, Inns, &c. and Slater's Directory for 1850. Slater, Isaac 1850a. p. 34 of …

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2020-07-22. Revised by … At least government records from the mid-1330s to the late 50s refer to a John Petit (Petyt or similar) who was a sheriff of Cornwall and was often employed for various official tasks. It seems unlikely that he has anything to do with Robin Hood's sidekick, but he is certainly among the more prominent John Littles of the 14th century. He was in prison for debt in 1339. Relevant records The following records are relevant: Notes

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2015-08-28. Revised by … The items listed below all concern historical persons – law-abiding or otherwise – named Little John (John Little, John Petit, Parvus Johannes etc.) 'Petit' and 'Parvus' can of course be French/Latin renderings not only of Little but also of Small or Short. This complication is probably less important for the 14th century and earlier than it would be for a later period, for apart from members of the upper classes, during most of the medieval period most Englishmen's surnames had not yet become fixed. They were still often essentially additional (descriptive) identifiers that could be added to the Christian name in contexts were unambiguous reference was desired. A Small might therefore conceivably appear in another context as a Short or Little or, if he earned his daily bread at the anvil, as a Smith. Nonetheless I have left out of consideration individuals surnamed Small or Short. The list will be long enough …

Hathersage Church. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-07-03. Revised by … The reputed grave of Little John is in the graveyard of St Michael and All Angels' Church in Hathersage. Inside the church, which dates from the 14th century, were until c. 1750, Little John's bow, helmet, arrows, and chain mail. By 1868 the helmet and bow were said to be in the collection at Parham House. Scott, Sibbald David 1868a, vol. I, p. 197. The church is in a joint parish with St John the Baptist's Church, Bamford and Derwent. Wikipedia: St Michael and All Angels' Church, Hathersage. Gazetteers ⁃ Not included in Dobson, Richard Barrie 1976a, pp. 293-311. Sources ⁃ White, William 1845a, p. 376. Background ⁃ Scott, Sibbald David 1868a, vol. I, p. 197 ⁃ Wikipedia: St John the Baptist's Church, Bamford ⁃ Wikipedia: St Michael and All Angels' Church, Hathersage. Notes File:26349286.jpg|Hathersage Church / Colin Jackson, Creative Commons, via …

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2014-08-21. Revised by … Allusion Source notes Marginal note (MS): "De domino Egidio Argentein". Marginal note (editorial): "Tournament at Stepney, May 28." IRHB comments There is an almost identical entry in the Annales Paulini. Giles Argentine (c.1280-1314) was an illustrious knight who got himself illustriously killed at the battle of Bannockburn. In his time he was – at least in Britain – considered one of the greatest knights in Europe, but he was also a reckless youth who frequently got himself into trouble, now with the law, now with the king, now with the fishermen of London. See Stubbs. loc. cit. for the fishermen, and see Kathryn Warner's blog post about Giles Argentine Kathryn Warner, who has written an excellent biographical blog post about Giles Argentine, renders the Latin "dicebatur" in the chronicle entry as "was crowned". While this may be right, I do not believe it is exactly what the chronicler meant. Ian …

Barnsdale Bar where the Great North Road forks; both branches were called Watling Street during the Medieval period. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-08-17. Revised by … In the Gest of Robyn Hode, Robin Hood sends his men to 'Watlinge Strete' to look out for wayfarers. 'Watling Street' is of course the name of the Roman (and pre-Roman) road from Dover to Wroxeter, but during the Middle Ages and the early modern period the name was also applied, at least locally, to several other stretches of Roman road, including two or three in Barnsdale. Since the 1970s it has been generally assumed that the Sayles to which Robin Hood sends three of his men to look out for wayfarers should be identified with Sayles Plantation near Wentbridge. In Barnsdale, at Barnsdale Bar, the Great North road forks into a north-westerly and a north-easterly branch, both of which were called Watling Street and both of which pass through Wentbridge. The name is recorded for the north-westerly branch (now …

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2014-08-16. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, - -. Allusion Source notes Latin translation as in the MS. G.E. Morris, who published the above, added full stop after each line. I have removed them and put his ellipsis in brackets. Letters in italics (as in Morris) expand MS abbreviations. Morris has "hit" in "In hits hondus", but he notes that the MS possibly reads "hits". I have assumed the latter is the correct reading. IRHB comments The above lines of doggerel are scribbled on the verso of a blank leaf in Lincoln Cathedral MS 132, a vellum book written during the 13th and 14th centuries containing miscellaneous texts by ancient writers and medieval scholars such as Maximianus, Claudian, Alexander Neckham, John of Garland etc. G.E. Morris finds that "[o]bscurities in the Latin version suggest that the writing is a copy of an original made by a person who scarcely understood Latin." Thus one "scribble probably conceals a misunderstood contraction mark …

Southampton, the homeport of the Petit John. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2019-04-22. Revised by … The Petit John was a royal ship, of a type known as a balinger or ballinger, whose homeport was Southampton. Figuring in the records from 1416 to 1423, this is the oldest vessel known to have been named 'Little John'. In his review of the work in which the records are found – they are cited below – J. R. Maddicott noted, as if this interpretation were certain, that 'the historian of popular culture may note the appearance in the accounts of a ship called the Little John, a rare and early allusion to the Robin Hood ballads'. Maddicott, John Robert 1982a. Apart from a few printed in appendixes the records are in fact inventories, not accounts, and not only can the bare mention of the name 'Little John' not be taken as an allusion to ballads, it is in fact also doubtful if the vessel was named after the traditional character, something Maddicott could hardly have failed to notice …

Walsham le Willows. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-09-09. Revised by … Includes information from Robert Lynley. "Robhood" is in evidence as a family name in Walsham le Willows (Suffolk) from 1283 to 1628. See entry: 1283 - R Robehod of Walsham le Willows; Dodd, Kenneth Melton 1974a, p. 165, s.n. 'Robwood, John'; p. 166, s.n. 'Robwood, John'; Lock, Ray 1998a, p. 355, s.n. 'Robhood'; McLaughlin, Audrey. 'The Beeches and it’s Occupants', Walsham Village History Group Quarterly Review, No,. 16 (January 2001). By 1577 and probably already by the mid-15th century, "Robwood" had become the standard form of the name. Dodd. op. cit., p. 165, s.n. 'Robwood, John', and p. 166, s.n. 'Robwood, John'. For other examples of 'Wood' for 'Hood', see the page on Wood for Hood. Entries relating to the Robhoods occur frequently in the local court rolls from 1317 to 1350. Lock. op. cit., pp. 59, 334, and as per index of persons, p. 355. The form found there is almost exclusively "Robhood" …

Barnsdale, formerly Bernard's Hill, near Exton, Rutland. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2017-05-23. Revised by … Barnsdale near Exton in Rutland, a locality now largely covered by a large water reservoir known as Rutland Water, does not have any connection with Robin Hood, except the rather tenuous one that it may conceivably have been renamed after the area of the same name near Doncaster, which is one of Robin Hood's chief haunts in the earliest tales. In his 1994 monograph on Robin Hood, Stephen Knight advanced the remarkable but untenable idea that this Rutland Barnsdale was, if not the original, then at least an earlier scene of the outlaw's adventures or an alternative locale coeval with Barnsdale in South Yorkshire. It is uncertain which of these hypotheses he favoured, but he clearly felt that his discovery of this other Barnsdale was significant. He did not miss the opportunity to criticize 'empiricist historians' – often butts of his criticism – for not having …

Halifax Minster. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-10-29. Revised by … Allusion, background materials and comments kindly provided by Robert Lynley. Allusion Source notes IRHB's brackets. The printed source provides no reference to the MS source of the cited passage. John Favour was vicar of Halifax for thirty years. Born at Southampton, he was educated at Winchester and at New College, Oxford, 1576-92 (LL.S. 31 Apr. 1585; LL.D. 5 June 1592). He was instituted as vicar at Halifax on 3 Dec. 1593, became master of St Mary Magdalene's Hospital there in 1608, collated to the prebend of Oxton in the collegiate church of Southwell on 30 sep. 1611, resigned as vicar of Halifax in 1623, succeded by his son John. He became prebendary of Oswaldwick in York Minster on 2 sep. 1614, from which he resigned in 1617 on being made precentor of York with the prebend of Driffield annexed. He was chaplain to Archbishop Matthew and residentiary of York. Walker, Walter James 1885a, p. 1, which …

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2015-07-23. Revised by … It is hoped that the list of historical sheriffs included below will in time become complete for the medieval period (up to 1500). For most of that period, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire formed one bailiwick. Unless otherwise indicated, sheriffs in office before 1449 can be assumed to have served this larger bailiwick. From that year and until 1835 there were two sheriffs: one for Nottingham itself and one for the rest of Nottinghamshire. The two boroughs mentioned at Nottingham City Council: Previous Sheriffs Of Nottingham and Nottingham in the Middle Ages (600 – 1499) should be two shrievalties or sheriff's bailiwicks. There was always only one borough of Nottingham. I am grateful to David Crook for pointing this out. More sheriffs will be added to the list when found. The list is based on both primary and secondary sources, little attempt having been made to verify the information or resolve apparent conflicts. The …

From east to west, localities discussed on this page: Stanley, Newton, Wakefield, Alverthorpe, Hipperholme, and Sowerby. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2015-07-11. Revised by … The Manor of Wakefield was a vast estate covering two large areas of the West Riding of Yorkshire. In addition to Wakefield, townships within the manor included Stansfield, Heptonstall, Northowram, Hipperholme, Brighouse, Clifton, Hartshead, Dewsbury, Ossett, Sandal, Walton, Holme, Shepley, etc. (see map of the estate). An almost unbroken series of records of the manorial court exists from 1274 to 1925, when the manor was dissolved. See Yorkshire Archaeological Society: Wakefield Court Rolls. During the first half of the 14th century, families surnamed Hood with at least one member carrying the first name Robert were found in Wakefield, Alverthorpe, Stanley, Sowerby, and perhaps Sandal (see interactive map below). Joseph Hunter famously suggested that one of these Robert Hoods, a Wakefield tenant who …

A) Wrangbrook. B) Haver Lands. C) Point along the beck on which the Mickle- or Middle­furlong bounded. D) The Eastfield. E) Sleep Hill. Markers, north to south: 3 x 'Lings' (1842); Lings Lane (defunct); Great Ling Leas (1845); Little Ling Leas (1845); Robin Hood's Well (current position of the well house; the well itself is now under the A1). Shaded area: Skelbrooke. Roughly based on boundary coordinates provided by TheGenealogist. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-07-07. Revised by … Inspired by a suggestion made by David Hepworth. Among the earliest recorded Robin Hood-related place-names, Robin Hood's Stone in Barnsdale is first mentioned in 1422. Its exact position is not known, but it was situated in or very near Skelbrooke, at the northeast end of Sleep Hill and rather closer to Barnsdale Bar than to Robin Hood's Well. It must have been situated quite close, though not adjacent, to the Great North Road, which followed a route more or less identical with that of …

Top left to bottom right: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (see section 'Little John – master of the king's ship'), Whitby and Robin Hoods' Bay (pointers overlapping), Bury St Edmunds, and Nieuw­poort, Belgium. By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2017-03-07. Revised by … Reference brought to light by Robert Lynley, who has also generously provided back­ground information and materials. Transcription and translation courtesy of Ian Short, Emeritus Professor of French, Birkbeck, University of London, and President of the Anglo-Norman Text Society. Information from Dr David Hepworth and Dr David Crook via members of 'robinhoodforum4'. Allusion Source notes Ian Short's brackets and ellipses, the latter indicating illegible characters or words; line change signalled by "|". Uncertain readings indicated by "[?]". The letter was written on 1 March, year unknown, at the castle in Male, once a separate village, now part of Sint-Kruis, a suburb of Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. MS Word …