Recent cataloguing of the Poole Borough Archive has revealed an early mention of Robin Hood!
The earliest existing record book for Poole Borough, dating 1490-1553, provides us with a yearly record of appointed officers – mayors, churchwardens, bailiffs, keymen and constables – along with accounts of town and parish funds, traditionally held in the ‘town box’ and ‘church box’. Yet the volume also includes a series of curious references to a certain ‘Robyn Hode’ for the years 1509-1511. Varying amounts of money are generated on each occasion, from £16 13s 4d in January 1509 and 16s remaining in January 1511 to a massive £20 10s in 1510 – the equivalent of roughly £10,000 in today’s money:
‘There restyd more in [th]e towne Boxe [tha]t day [tha]t Robyn Hode [Robin Hood] and hys C[o]mpany gaderyd [gathered] xx l x s’
Uncovering the legend
So was there a legendary outlaw frequenting the West County in the 16th Century, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor? Alas, not quite. The money was likely generated through collections taking place during ‘Robin Hood games’ – folk plays, revels or pageants centred on the Robin Hood legend which have generally been associated with May Day celebrations. These ‘games’ were particularly popular in the 16th Century, with the earliest reference to such events thought to be from Exeter in 1426. Might this be the earliest reference for Dorset?
On such occasions, significant sums of money could be collected by players costumed as Robin and sometimes Little John and the merry men – perhaps the ‘company’ mentioned in the account. The funds are thought to have benefited the church and townspeople – the sixteenth century’s answer to community fundraising!