The Sherwood Forest Artchaeology Project 5000 Facebook likes!

We now have over 5,000 Facbeook LIKES for the Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project!!! Archaeology and History of Medieval Sherwood Forest

Thank you to everyone for supporting the project and following us on Facebook!

This is one of our best mediums we have for sharing the work of the project, promoting the heritage of Sherwood Forest, and the work we and many others do in the Forest.

Please see the project website: http://www.mercian-as.co.uk/sherwoodforest.html for information on projects and how you can get involved...

Please see our crowdfunding page:http://www.gofundme.com/sherwoodforest for how you c an support the project and enable others to become involved.

We are proud to announce our upcoming volunteer test pitting dig in Edwinstowe village: Robin Hood's Village Dig 2014!

Http://www.mercian-as.co.uk/robinhood.html

We also have guided tours coming up in Sherwood Forest this summer:

http://www.mercian-as.co.uk/tours.html

Again we would like to say a big thank you and a warm welcome to 

"The Future of Sherwood's Past!!"

Mercian Archaeological Services CIC

Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project

Robin Hood shows his support for "The Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project" by Mercian Archaeological Services CIC



the Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project will be launching a brand new website in the next few days, and launching a number of exciting new funding campaigns and announcing a number of fantastic Community Archaeology projects in the heart of Sherwood Forest- so thank you to Robin Hood for rubber stamping things!

We were joined by Robin Hood aka Ezekial Bone of the National Award nominated @Nottingham Town Tour:

vote for Robin at http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/british-breaks/vote-visitenglands-tourism-superstar-2014-3191570

These photographs were taken yesterday as part of Mercian's promotion for the project and the upcoming news, and include many prominent members of groups undertaking work in the forest who support the project and its work... a fantastic community day in the forest with members of The Friends of Thynghowe, Warsop Path Group, Sherwood Forest Trust, The Jolly Bodgers of Sherwood Forest
, The Public Information Research Organisation, Viking Sherwood, some archaeological volunteers from the project, and the site owners of King John's Palace- the royal heart of Medieval Sherwood Forest

More info will be available through the project facebook page Archaeology and History of Medieval Sherwood Forest very very soon!

Exciting times in Sherwood Forest! thanks to all for your amazing support!


 


  



#TourismSuperstar #lovenotts #archaeology #communityarchaeology #mercianarch #sherwoodforest

Mercian Archaeological Services CIC

Unearthing Mansfield’s secret past in Sherwood Forest

Andy Gaunt of Mercian Archaeological Services CIC talking about medieval Sherwood Forest, Mansfield, and King John's Palace... in the Mansfield Chad

Full article: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/unearthing-mansfield-s-secret-past-1-6220209

Photo: Mansfield from the air- from Chad Newspaper.

Mercian Archaeological Services CIC

3,000 Facebook Likes for Sherwood Forest Heritage

The Archaeology and History of Medieval Sherwood Forest Facebook page now has over 3,000 followers!
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC would like to thank everyone for the amazing support they have shown to their Archaeology and History of Medieval Sherwood Forest project.

www.facebook.com/SherwoodForestHistory , www.facebook.com/MercianArch

Reaching 3,000 Facebook likes is a fabulous landmark that just goes to show how interested people are in the heritage of this wonderful area, and how close the subject is to so many peoples hearts.

This project is ran by Mercian Archaeological Services as part of their Community Archaeology outreach and is all about promoting Sherwood Forest and its fantastic heritage to as wide an audience as possible around the world. 

This support helps to give a platform for the work undertaken by ourselves and many others in Sherwood Forest, and helps to promote the forest as a whole- reflecting its changing medieval boundaries, which stretch far beyond those in the modern landsape.

The community in Sherwood Forest is a strong and vibrant one, and there is a healthy  network of groups, landowners, charities, volunteers and companies who give blood sweat and tears everyday to promote this forest 

This collective work hopefully goes someway to helping to protect Sherwood Forest for future generations to know and love too.

The work goes on...

Please spread the word and help promote this marvelous story as far as we can.

facebook.com/sherwoodforesthistory - please like the page.
facebook.com/MercianArch  - please like the page.

Thank you,

Mercian Archaeological Services CIC

the Case of William Robehod

The oldest literary reference to Robin Hood comes from the medieval poem Piers Plowman by William Langland and dates from the year 1377.

However the use of the surname ‘Robinhood’ predates this considerably.

From the early 1980's onwards a number of ‘Robinhood’ surnames have been found in 13th century documents.

All of those found so far date from 1261-1290. This is a hundred years earlier than the Piers Plowman reference. 

This suggests that the legend- or the term ‘Robin Hood’ was in use by the second half of the 13^th century at least. 

Any original Robin Hood must therefore have been operating before or around this time.

The notorious Folville gang operated in the early 14^th century and were mentioned in Piers Plowman within a few years of their exploits (see outlaws page for more information).

Most of the surnames recorded are to do with law-breaking, and were suspected or outlawed criminals, as shown by the list below from the 1989 edition of J C Holt’s Robin Hood:

Alexander Robehod was sought for theft in Essex in 1272;

Gilbert Robehod was released to pledges by the justices after an unspecified charge in Suffolk in 1286;

Robert Robehod was indicted in Hampshire in 1294 on a charge of stealing sheep;

John Rabunhod was charged with others in 1272 with murder- after a quarrelsome brawl in a tavern near Fareham, Hampshire; he had fled and was outlawed.

And a William Robehod who appeared in 1261-2 in Berkshire as a member of an outlaw gang suspected of robberies and of harbouring robbers.

Coincidentally, along with these ‘Robin Hoods’ in a 1292 a Little John and a Petit Johan were both appealed of robbery.

(Holt 1989)

Of all these surnames the most significant is William Robehod of 1261.

His entry into history was discovered by David Crook formerly of the National Archives and former editor of the Transactions of the Thoroton Society.


William Robehod is listed for the crime stated above in the King's Rememberancer's Memoranda Roll of Easter 1262.

By a chance survival the crime is also recorded in the roll of the Justices in Eyre for Berkshire in 1261. 


Here William Robehod is actually revealled to be a William son of Robert le Fevere.


The Clerk in the 1262 roll had changed his name to Robehod!!!

Therefore the name in this instance is a nickname and not a surname. (Crook 1987).

Was Robin Hood a nickname for any 'Robbing Hoody'? 


Or was this clerk familiar with a legend already widely in circulation in 1261?


Whatever the reason the entry is incredibly significant as it means it would be very difficult if not impossible to be sure of the authenticity of any earlier ‘Robinhood’.

There are earlier names that could be the original Robin hood.

A 1225 entry for a Robert Hod on the Pipe Roll, with the form Hobbehod used in 1226 exists, and will be the subject of a future entry. 

But it could well be that the fame of Robin Hood may also be the insurance of his permanent obscurity (Holt 1989).

If anyone convicted of a crime, or outlawed in medieval England could potentially receive the nickname of a 'Robinhood' then maybe we can never be sure of the authenticity of anyone no matter how strong the case…

(More on Robert Hod or Hobbehod of 1225/6 coming soon, along with many other outlaws and their stories)…

 

Robin Hood Interview BBC

In May 2010 Ridley Scotts Robin Hood film was released. It was claimed it would be the most historically accurate version of the legend ever.

Interest in Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest was high, and so the BBC sent a camera crew to Sherwood Forest to interview the author on BBC Breakfast News.

Click on the image below to see the interview

 

The outlaw Roger Godberg

As well as the legend of Robin Hood...

Medieval Sherwood Forest had its own recorded outlaw at large, Roger Godberg.



Outlawed for his involvement in the 2nd Barons’ War (Simon De Montfort against Henry III 1264-1267).

Roger Godberg fled to Sherwood Forest.

Roger de Leyburn, the lieutenant of Reginald de Grey, the king’s Constable at Nottingham castle fought 2 engagements with him and his followers… 

One in the heart of Sherwood Forest!

In 1270 they were still at large:

‘through outlaws, robbers, thieves and malefactors, mounted, or on foot, wandering by day and by night, in the counties of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, so many and great homicides were done that no one with a small company could pass through most parts without being taken and killed or spoiled of his goods…’

A price was put on their heads:

Henry III ordered that a sum of a hundred marks be levied from the three counties and paid to Reginald de Grey to hunt them down.

They were eventually captured and Roger was sent to the castle at Bruges- probably a more terrible punishment than it sounds...

For more on outlaws and villains, see the outlaws page...more outlaws and crime to come soon...

Introducing the anachronistic Friar Tuck...

Friar Tuck is an interesting character- often portrayed as an ale-swigging figure of fun.

Friar Tuck appears in the ballad Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar which survives in the Percy Folio.

The complexity of tracing an original Robin Hood, and dating the legend is demonstrated by the inclusion of Friar Tuck in the stories:

If as the victorian, and later hollywood traditions tell us: that Robin Hood undertook his exploits in the late 12th century whilst King Richard I was away on crusade and bad King John had usurped the throne- circa 1194...

Friar Tuck could not have been involved...

The Franciscan Friars were not formed until 1209 and did not reach England until 1221!

The Legend of Robin Hood

Almost all that is known of the Medieval legend of Robin Hood comes from 5 surviving ballads or poems, and a small part of a play.

The oldest is known as Robin Hood and the Monk. This is from a manuscript written circa 1450.

Another tale written around 1503 is called Robin Hood and the Potter.

These are chance survivals.

By this time the legend was well known enough to warrant printing.

Between the end of the 15^th century and the middle of the16th century no less than 5 versions of a lengthy poem called A Gest of Robyn Hode were made.

One of these was made by the early English printer Wynken de Worde who worked between 1492 and 1534.

The 2 remaining poems come from the Percy Folio.

This was written in the middle of the 17^th century- but the poems are far older.

These are Robin Hoode his death, and Robin Hood and Guy of Gisbourne.

These tales were written down from the 15^th century onwards, but the legend was clearly far older.

The oldest literary reference comes from William Langland’s Piers Plowman, written in about 1377.

The legend was older still than this… dating back before 1261- but that is another story.

(See Holt 1989 in the bibliography for more information)

And check out the Outlaws page for more anti-heros and villains

A Bad Sheriff?

The Sheriff of Nottingham was responsible for the upkeep of law and order in Nottinghamshire

He was not however officially responsible for the royal forest of Sherwood.

This was the responsibility of the Keepers of the forest.

In Sherwood Forest these were hereditary keepers the De Caux and later D’Everingham families based at Laxton Castle and from 1286 the constables of Nottingham Castle.

It was the keepers of the forest who controlled the Foresters - the police force of the forest.

The sheriff however was responsible for controlling the royal parks of Clipstone, Bestwood and the Castle park.

One such Sheriff was Philip Mark.

He was Sheriff from 1208/9-1224

He seems to have been an ‘upright character’…

…He was merely accused of the usual kidnap and bribery of the time during his tenure.

In 1215 he kidnapped 3 sons of the friends of William of Lancaster, and held them for 7 years!!

After his death he was found to have accepted payment annually of 100s from the burgesses of Nottingham to support and maintain their liberties.

He also spent a great deal of time bullying landowners and taking manors off them for himself.

He took over running the forest and was ordered in 1217 to hand back keepership of the forest to Maud De Caux its rightful keeper.

He was instructed to remove his officials.

Obviously he disobeyed and in 1220 complaints were made about his men and the extractions he was making in the forest.

Obviously they were extorting the people illegally .

He was ordered to reduce their number and make them behave.

Could he have been the original bad Sheriff of Nottingham who inspired the legendary character?

(See Holt 1952 in the bibliography for more information)

Outlaws and Nottinghamshire Domesday Customs

The Domesday Book was written in 1086 at the command of William the Conqueror.

The Nottinghamshire section lists all the vills and parishes in exixtence at Domesday, listing the amount of arable, pasture, woodland, mills and ploughs that belonged to the different manors for taxation purposes.

As well as taxable property people are sometimes mentioned:

In Warsop (a village within Sherwood Forest- although not described as such) Domesday lists a blind man living with 1 bovate (an area of land equivalent to that which an ox could plough in one season- around 15 acres) in alms from the King.

Obviously charity existed in Medieval times- William the Bastard may have had a softer side too...

With regards to Outlaws Domesday lists in its section on Shire Customs:

'anyone exiled according to the law for any crime, no one but the king can restore peace to him'.

Outlaws were clearly a part of day to day life in the time of the conquest...

  

Robin Hood Guardian Interview

My search for the real Robin Hood The Guardian newspaper April 2010. Interview including comments by Andy Gaunt

Ridley Scott claims his new film starring Russell Crowe will be the most historically accurate ever. But what do we actually know about the real outlaw and his merrie men?

by Stephen Moss

 
...'In the cafe, Andy Gaunt, an archaeologist with Nottingham county council, tells me not to think of medieval Sherwood as just a forest. It was a working community, governed by forest law (a draconian code introduced by William the Conqueror to protect his hunting land). The inhabitants of areas governed by forest law loathed it, and would have been likely to lionise anyone who flouted it. It is easy to see how outlaws became heroes, and common criminals could be confused with freedom fighters.

People were being outlawed all the time," Gaunt says. "It was quite common in medieval times – it was a violent society. The forest was seen as a wild place and after dark it would be pitch black. I wouldn't want to go there on my own (though there are parts of Nottingham I wouldn't want to go on my own now). Robin Hood in the ballads is quite a brutal character, but people didn't seem to worry about that, just as people in the Wild West didn't worry that Billy the Kid was actually a serial murderer."' 

See the full article by clicking on the title or see Stephens profile by clicking on his name.