Poachers

In countless stories and films about Robin Hood the people were always unwilling to give poachers away to the foresters. Historical evidence also shows that during the medieval period this was true and that they also refused to answer questions. A good example of this is recorded from an inquest held in 1248 about a poaching incident in Weybridge Forest in Huntingdonshire.

On 2 August the walking foresters were going about midnight to watch over their bailiwick and met a red greyhound worrying a doe, they called the greyhound and took it. Afterwards twelve men came...one of them with an axe in his hand, another with a long stick, and the other ten with bows and arrows. And they led three greyhounds in a leash, of which one was white, another speckled with black and white, and of what colour the third was they know not.

The foresters called the men, who shot six arrows at them.........and the foresers shot at the men, who entered the wood, and on account of the thickness of the wood and the darkness of the night the foresters know not what became of them.

One of the men was recognised by the foresters as Gervase of Dene in Bedfordshire who was captured a fortnight later and put in Huntingdon gaol.

After the ninth hour there came to the foresters, Walter the chaplain of Huntingdon and other chaplains of the same place and William of Leicester, the bishop of Lincoln's bailiff, with book and with candle intending to excomunicate all who had laid hands on Gervase, and they sought him as a clerk and a servant of the bishop and commanded the forester to free him from prison.

When the foresters said that it was beyond their power to let him go they went to the prison and took the said Gervase as a clerk. And they took off his cap and he had his head newly shaved, and the foresters suspected that it had been shaved that day in prison

The foresters doubted whether Gervase was a clerk at all and when the Justice of the Forest visited in 1255, Walter the chaplain was summoned to appear. He was later convicted of the rescue and handed over to the archdeacon of Huntingdon. Gervase was also convicted.

(English Society in the Early Middle Ages-Doris Mary Stenton)

Olivia de Havilland

Above is a copy of free Olivia de Havilland 'wallpaper,' taken from Meredy's Olivia de Havilland Trivia Mania site. Also on that site is a link to Meredy's excellent full biography of the star. Both sites can be found at http://www.meredy.com/oliviatriv.htm

For the role of Maid Marian, the production team of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) selected Olivia de Havilland, who had been paired so successfully with Errol Flynn in Captain Blood and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936). But Jack Warner opted for contract player Anita Louise, who was confirmed by producer Hal B. Wallis during the early stages of planning. But later Wallis announced that Olivia de Havilland had been given the part and the rest is classic cinematic history!

Robin Hood's Larder (c.1902-1904)

Here is a very rare postcard of Robin Hood's Larder in Sherwood Forest, dated between 1902-1904. Robin Hood's Larder was a large hollow oak tree where the Sherwood outlaws supposedly hung their venison after having stolen it from the King. The tree was also sometimes known as the Shambles Oak, but sadly it no longer exists.

To find out more information on Sherwood Forest and the history of Robin Hood's Larder, please click on the label below.

23: Demands from the Outlaws

“Ten shillings for my dog maimed…..”
“Five for the loss of my sow…..”
“Four marks for my stolen horse….”
“My son thrown down a well…”
The priest began to tally the individual cases.
“Roughly,” the friar eventually said, “one hundred….”
He raised his hand to scratch his head and he touched the massive bump caused by the Sheriff’s sword.
“TWO hundred shillings.”

“You thieving mock-priest!” Yelled De Lacy, “Why don’t you join them too?”
The friar looked surprised.
“God forgive me,” he said, “It seems I have already done so.”
The outlaws roared with laughter.

“Come,” said Little John to the Sheriff, “Let’s see the colour of your money.”
Stutely quickly severed De Lacey’s purse from his belt and poured out a stream of golden coins onto the table.

“You’ll pay for this,” raged the Sheriff, “my men will take you yet and hang you too– as an example to other rebels.”
“But first,” said Robin, “we’ll make an example of you.”

At Robin’s signal the Sheriff was surrounded. Then Stutely ran in with a pair of antlers, which the men bound firmly around De Lacey’s head. With yells of laughter he was tied to his horse with his face turned towards the creature’s tail. As a final touch, Stutely put the horse’s tail in the Sheriff’s bound hands.

With a smack on the rump the horse leaped forward carrying a furious Sheriff back to Nottingham amidst yells of laughter.

(To read the earlier chapters of the story from the film, please click on the Label 'Story.')

Fairbanks's Nottingham Castle

This is the 90ft. Nottingham Castle, constructed on the Goldwyn Lot out of 'chicken wire, plaster and old rocks' by 500 construction workers for Douglas Fairbanks's 1922 movie Robin Hood.

The Page Boy from Nottingham

A few weeks ago a good friend of this web site, Neil Vessey, sent in another stunning still from Walt Disney’s live-action film the Story of Robin Hood. It shows Joan Rice as Maid Marian, dolefully looking out from Nottingham Castle towards Sherwood Forest, as she tries to think of a way of finding her lost love, Robin Fitzooth.

But Neil wanted some information on Giles, the Page Boy, who stands behind, asking her, “Mistress Marian, why so sad?”

This rekindled an inquiry that I started a few years ago and set me off once again, looking for the young actor who mysteriously does not appear on the list of credits at the end of the film, even though his character had dialogue.

Well it looks like I could have found him! It seems that Giles the Page Boy was played by television and film actor Brian Smith. I can not find anything else about his life apart from the fact that he was born in Nottingham, England on 24th December 1932. His film career started in 1950 and he appeared as Taplow in the classic, The Browning Version (1951) alongside Michael Redgrave. Smith went on to appear in TV’s Billy Bunter in 1954, the colorful swashbuckler, Quentin Durward (1955) with Robert Taylor and the 1957 version of The Barretts of Wimpole Street.

Through the next four decades, Brian Smith appeared in a whole range of various television programs, the last of which was Peak Practice in 1996.

Why did his name not appear in the acting credits of Walt Disney’s Story of Robin Hood? Perhaps it will remain a mystery. But The Browning Version was released in April 1951 and amongst the cast and crew were the familiar names of Bill Travers and Carmen Dillon who would start working, it seems, with Brian Smith on Disney’s Story of Robin Hood at the end of that month.

Richard Todd and James Hayter

The Haunted Mill

The classic TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood had many strong links with Walt Disney’s live-action motion picture the Story of Robin Hood. Here is just one example, with James Hayter (Friar Tuck in Disney’s Robin Hood) playing the part of Tom the Miller in an episode from the second series called The Haunted Mill.

The original ITV program was first transmitted on 3rd December 1956. James Hayter can be seen standing behind Friar Tuck (Alexander Gauge) admiring Tom the Millers freshly cooked strawberry cake.

James Hayter went on to have a long association with cakes, when he became the familiar voice-over for television advertisements of Mr. Kipling’s Cakes.

Blondel's Song by David Boyle

From time to time I will recommend books that have helped me to understand the complex legend of Robin Hood and historical events that have helped inspire his myth. An historical person who has, since about 1521 been continually linked with the outlaw, is of course King Richard I of England (1189-1199).

I have already begun to chronicle the early days of his reign and his association with the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn, near Nottingham Castle and over the years I have read many books on the lionhearted monarch. But none have come as close as Blondel’s Song in explaining his capture, imprisonment and ransom.

Many of us know the legend of Blondel and how this faithful minstrel made his way through Germany and Austria in search of the missing King Richard the Lionheart, singing hopefully under each castle wall. It culminates when, one quiet night under a tower, Blondel’s song is taken up and echoed by a familiar voice inside. That of Richard himself.

“Blondel’s Song sheds new light on one of the most interesting periods in medieval history. Providing new perspectives on the lives of Richard and Blondel, as well as an insight into the courts of love, the Holy Grail and Europe in the turbulent aftermath of the Crusades. As one of our most famous medieval kings, Richard the Lionheart’s rule encompassed some of England’s most colourful and enduring legends- Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham and the discovery of King Arthur’s grave. None however match the untold story of Blondel, Richard’s faithful minstrel and reputed saviour.

Centered around the monarch’s imprisonment, Blondel’s Song uncovers the real story behind Richard’s secret journey back from the Crusades across the Alps in winter, his arrest and subsequent discovery through a minstrel’s song and the effects of his gigantic ransom.”

The author of Blondel's Song is David Boyle and the book is published by Penguin.