The Impoverished Knight
Picture: Horse rider on Loxley Common
After the Battle of Poitiers when life returned to normal Robin stopped Sir Richard at the Lee as he rode along the Saylis. “What is your business Sir Knight,” asked Robin. A sad tale the knight told Robin. His false friends tricked him out of all his money, and John O’ Gaunt jailed his son for killing two of his knights while jousting. Desperate to bail his son out of prison, he borrowed £400 from Saint Mary’s Abbey in York. Failure to repay the loan meant he would lose his castle to the abbot*. One year later and still destitute, he was on his way to York, to plead for more time.
Hearing of the knight’s troubles our heroic archer, merchant knight and moneylender loaned him £400 on the same terms and conditions as the abbot except the Virgin Mary was the guarantor. Little John, acting as his squire, accompanied the knight to York, where he paid his debt. From there Sir Richard crossed the salty sea by permission of the king who issued him with a licence. (Family tree) When he reached foreign soil, fortune favoured him, and he returned home with enough money to repay Robin.
Twelve months after making the loan Robin and Little John went to the Saylis on Watling Street as arranged. Soon the High Cellarer of Saint Mary’s Abbey came by with another monk at his side. They only had twenty marks, and neither did they know any knight. Imagine Little John’s surprise when he found £800 concealed in their bags! Robin concluded the Virgin Mary sent the money to help the poor. The monks ate their meal as fast as they could, and galloping away shouted, “Blyth and Doncaster are cheaper!” Robin told them to “give the abbot my greetings and tell him to send a monk to dine with us every day!”
Sir Richard arrived at the Saylis before sunset. He apologized for his lateness while offering Robin the £400 he owed. Much to his surprise, Robin refused it, saying, “Nay, our Lady sent my pay by the High Cellarer with £400 interest.” When Robin finished telling his tale the knight laughed. “By my pledge, you have your money already!” “Yes,” said Robin, “I have my money, and the money your friends stole from you is back in your hand, your son is free, and you are clear of debt.”
NOTES:
* The abbots of St. Marys were known for their excessive personal fortunes and were frequently in a position to furnish loans to the sovereign. Licences transferring ownership of property in perpetuity granted to the abbey for the acquisition of various properties were numerous. (British history online.)
Sir Henry Green. Knight, High Justice of England, Lord Chancellor, and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench was stripped of his office on charges of corruption in 1365. The Geste tells us the abbot of St Marys had a hold over the Justice of England. (“The justyce of Englonde, the abbot there dyde holde.”)
* History tells us Sir Richard was licensed by the king to go overseas in 1364. He and the king were at Bestwood together. The Battle of Auray led by de Montfort took place in September that same year.
Copyright © 2014, Graham Kirkby. All rights reserved NEXT PAGE
After the Battle of Poitiers when life returned to normal Robin stopped Sir Richard at the Lee as he rode along the Saylis. “What is your business Sir Knight,” asked Robin. A sad tale the knight told Robin. His false friends tricked him out of all his money, and John O’ Gaunt jailed his son for killing two of his knights while jousting. Desperate to bail his son out of prison, he borrowed £400 from Saint Mary’s Abbey in York. Failure to repay the loan meant he would lose his castle to the abbot*. One year later and still destitute, he was on his way to York, to plead for more time.
Hearing of the knight’s troubles our heroic archer, merchant knight and moneylender loaned him £400 on the same terms and conditions as the abbot except the Virgin Mary was the guarantor. Little John, acting as his squire, accompanied the knight to York, where he paid his debt. From there Sir Richard crossed the salty sea by permission of the king who issued him with a licence. (Family tree) When he reached foreign soil, fortune favoured him, and he returned home with enough money to repay Robin.
Twelve months after making the loan Robin and Little John went to the Saylis on Watling Street as arranged. Soon the High Cellarer of Saint Mary’s Abbey came by with another monk at his side. They only had twenty marks, and neither did they know any knight. Imagine Little John’s surprise when he found £800 concealed in their bags! Robin concluded the Virgin Mary sent the money to help the poor. The monks ate their meal as fast as they could, and galloping away shouted, “Blyth and Doncaster are cheaper!” Robin told them to “give the abbot my greetings and tell him to send a monk to dine with us every day!”
Sir Richard arrived at the Saylis before sunset. He apologized for his lateness while offering Robin the £400 he owed. Much to his surprise, Robin refused it, saying, “Nay, our Lady sent my pay by the High Cellarer with £400 interest.” When Robin finished telling his tale the knight laughed. “By my pledge, you have your money already!” “Yes,” said Robin, “I have my money, and the money your friends stole from you is back in your hand, your son is free, and you are clear of debt.”
NOTES:
* The abbots of St. Marys were known for their excessive personal fortunes and were frequently in a position to furnish loans to the sovereign. Licences transferring ownership of property in perpetuity granted to the abbey for the acquisition of various properties were numerous. (British history online.)
Sir Henry Green. Knight, High Justice of England, Lord Chancellor, and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench was stripped of his office on charges of corruption in 1365. The Geste tells us the abbot of St Marys had a hold over the Justice of England. (“The justyce of Englonde, the abbot there dyde holde.”)
* History tells us Sir Richard was licensed by the king to go overseas in 1364. He and the king were at Bestwood together. The Battle of Auray led by de Montfort took place in September that same year.
Copyright © 2014, Graham Kirkby. All rights reserved NEXT PAGE
