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Some Candidates for Robin Hood |
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| In all the wealth of painstaking historical research, medieval detective work and, of course, the more speculative notions of well meaning enthusiasts, there is still no definitive answer to the question: who was Robin Hood? That said, there have been several attempts to hunt down the actual historical figure behind the name. Some of these attempts and their conclusions are explored below. Robert fitz Ooth - Earl of Huntingdon Born 1160 - Died 1247 In 1746, Dr. William Stukeley put forward the theory that the true identity of Robin Hood was Robert fitz Odo (or Fitzooth). According to Stukeley, he was born at Loxley and lived for 87 years. Robert fitz ooth was outlawed in the 12th. Century with his lands being transferred to Ranulf, Earl of Chester, the name associated with Robin Hood in the "Vision of Piers the Plowman" ie "I do not know my paternoster prefectly as the priest sings it, but I know the rhymes of Robin Hood and Randolph, earl of Chester." This theory has come in for strong criticism by Professor J.C. Holt who believes that Stukeley confused the whole family pedigree to fit his theory and arrived at a wholly ficticious and fanciful account of this particular claim to the identity of Robin Hood. However, this did not prevent another researcher called Jim Lees following up Stukeley's claims and providing a new candidate for Robin's identity. (See below). Robert de Kyme Born c1210 - Died c1285 The eldest son of William de Kyme, Robert de Kyme was of Saxon blood. He was outlawed in 1226 for robbery and disturbing the King's peace and pardoned in 1227. According to Nottingham author Jim Lees, events in de Kyme's life bear a resemblance to events in the "Little Geste" ballad including his return to the forest as an outlaw following his pardon. According to Lees, Robert de Kyme had claim to the pretended earldom of Huntingdon through ownership of land. Lees gives credit to Stukeley for being on the right trail to the identity of Robin Hood but claims to have uncovered new evidence for the family pedigrees which points conclusively in Lees's opinion to the de Kyme connection rather than that of fitz Ooth. Robin Hood of the Wakefield Rolls Born 1290 - Died 1347 In 1852, Joseph Hunter's examination of historical documents led to the postulation that Robin Hood was actually Robert Hood who appeared in the Wakefield Court Rolls in 1316 and 1317. According to this theory, Robert Hood became an outlaw not through theft but through his support for Thomas, Earl of Lancaster who rebelled against King Edward 11 at the battle of Boroughbridge in 1322. |
Robert Hood was born at Loxley near Sheffield and, at the age of fifteen, killed his stepfather with a scythe during an argument. He fled to Barnsdale and then on to Wakefield where he appears in court roll entries for a string of minor offences. In 1317, the Earl of Lancaster began to form his own army gathered from tenants of the Manor of Wakefield to fight King Edward and his favoured nobles. In 1322, the army attacked Royalist forces at Boroughbridge and was defeated and consequently executed. All men loyal to Lancaster were stripped of their lands and possessions and those not present were declared to be outlaws. Thus were Robert Hood and a gathering of poverty stricken fellow men reduced to seeking subsistence and survival in nearby Barnsdale Forest. Could this have been the basis of the Robin Hood tales we know today? Sir Robert Foliot and descendents Born 1110 - died 1165 In a fascinating recent book, local author Tony Molyneux-Smith put forward a new theory about the origins of the Robin Hood legend. This new approach placed the outlaw firmly back in Nottinghamshire but broke with tradition regarding his true identity. Molyneux-Smith's conclusion is that Robin Hood was a pseudonym used by succeding generations of a family named Foliot who held the Lordship of a place called Wellow through to the late 14th. Century. The author believes that Wellow's proximity to Sherwood Forest, together with a range of historical and geographical clues provides ample evidence for his theory. Here, it is postulated that the Foliot family used the name of Robin Hood to hide their true identities as protection against the lawless society in which they lived. These clues, together with the family's strong belief in chivalry and fair play convinced the author that Wellow and the Foliot family held the key to uncovering the truth behind the Robin Hood legend. Robert Hod - Hobbehod Birth and death unknown In 1936, L.V.D. Owen put forward another candidate for the identity of Robin Hood. This theory is based on records of the York assizes which, in 1226, included 32 shillings and 6 pence for the chattels of Robert Hod fugitive. The account occurred again the following year in which the name now appeared as "Hobbehod". Through notes in the margin it can be deduced that this Robert Hod was a tenant of the archbishopric Whilst there is no other evidence for this Robin Hood candidate, he was clearly an outlaw who had fled the juristriction of the court and remains the earliest reference discovered to date who might just be the man who sparked the legend we know and love today. |
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