After a mountain of research (David will attest to this), in which just about every Robert Hod as been catalogued and his background researched, I actually now
agree with Tim Midgeley's conclusion, that the outlaw tales of Barnsdale are based on one of the Robert le Butilers who held Skelbrooke manor itself.
Either the 1226 rebel Robert son of Richard le Butiler bc1230 or his grandson Robert le Butiler bc1273 who was up at the York Eyre in 1293 for committing
robberies, homicides. Every single Robert Hod, the events around him are so localised, time and time and time again. There are just no outlaw Robert Hods
anywhere near Barnsdale, living or active. Even Wakefield is now not close enough for me after seeing all these records. An outlaw active in Barnsdale would
have had to have had local lands, family, I am now convinced. The Butlers were benefactors of the chapel of St Mary Magdelene at Skelbrooke, they built it,
precisely has Robin Hood did in the ballads. The Barnsdale elements came from the Butlers I am now convinced.
The 1293 Robert Butiler has no connection directly to the name 'Hod'. He may have been compared, likened to RH, as Piers Venables was in 1439, and tales sprang up around him in the Barnsdale locality. This is exactly what happened with Piers Venables around Tutbury, tales associated RH with this area.
A diminutive of Richard I have found out was 'Hudde'. The 1266 Robert le Butiler was the son of Richard le Butiler. Could Robert have been called Robert fil Hudde le Butiler, shortened to Robert Hudde le Butiler, Robert Hudde? There is just no evidence of this in records is the problem. This could be the man whom Bower placed in 1266?
Of the two, the activities of the 1293 Robert look more RH than those of the 1266 Robert.
The 1293 Robert Butiler has no connection directly to the name 'Hod'. He may have been compared, likened to RH, as Piers Venables was in 1439, and tales sprang up around him in the Barnsdale locality. This is exactly what happened with Piers Venables around Tutbury, tales associated RH with this area.
A diminutive of Richard I have found out was 'Hudde'. The 1266 Robert le Butiler was the son of Richard le Butiler. Could Robert have been called Robert fil Hudde le Butiler, shortened to Robert Hudde le Butiler, Robert Hudde? There is just no evidence of this in records is the problem. This could be the man whom Bower placed in 1266?
Of the two, the activities of the 1293 Robert look more RH than those of the 1266 Robert.
