Robin Hood's Grave

Did Robin Hood Exist?
Well, er, yup! The oldest known record of him is a folk history called, "The Ballad of the Guest of Robin Hood" and this places him in the reign of Edward I (Not Richard I).  While both were Plantagenet kings, there is little evidence that Robin was around during the reign of Richard.  Some Historians place Robin's exploits during an earlier period than Edward because of the mention of a bandit with the same name in Yorkshire (not far from Nottinghamshire), however the Wakefield court rolls also mention a Robin Hood during the reign of Edward.  In the guest the king pardoned him and at the time when someone was pardoned by the king they had to work for him, the household records of Edward show that a "Robin Hood" did in fact work for him.  The name Robin or "Robert" Hood was (and still is) quite common, so it could well have been his real name.
     Did Robin Marry Maid Marion? No.  She's a later addition to the story.  If Robin Hood of Wakefield is the Robin Hood of legend, then his wife's name was Matilda.  Friar Tuck did not know Robin, he was a bandit in his own right and existed at a much later date - this historians agree upon.  The other crew members, Little John, did exist.  His grave can be found in the church graveyard of St. Michael, Hathersage in the Peak District.  Will Scarlet or Scarlock was also real and probably Much the Miller's son.

The Death of Robin

At some point Robin was with his cousin, the prioress of Kirklees Abbey, when she and her lover Sir Roger of Doncaster, treacherously let out too much blood when Robin sought her help.  Dying in the arms of Little John, Robin fired an arrow in the air and asked John to bury him where the arrow landed.

Kirklees Abbey is long gone, but the gatehouse is still standing forming a barn among the buildings of a working farm owned by Lady Armatage.  The grave site is nearby on the top of a rise, but because it is on private property there is no public access.  Lady Armatage once informed me that she did not believe Robin to be burried there, but groups from Nottingham University and other organisations, have been permitted the occasional visit.