Robin Hood

For valor in Evesham, he was named High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests and Constable of Chester Castle, Constable of Nottingham Castle.

Roger Godeberd of Swaneton came at Gerewedon [Garendon] and took and carried away by extortion the charters, which he had made to the abbot and convent of Gerewedon concerning one assart [a piece of land converted from forest to arable] and a wood in the same town and concerning a quittance of 5s. and certain land, which they held of the same man for a term, and one deed obligatory of seven marks, in which he was bound to them, on Saturday next after the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary in the 50th year of the reign of the king [1266]. In the same year on the day of St Calixtus next following [October] the same Roger caused the said abbot and convent by force and compulsion to make him a certain charter of quittance concerning all the things, above-said.

Admission to the king’s peace of Roger Godbert and William his brother; and pardon to them of all their trespasses and forfeitures in the time of the late disturbance on condition of their good behaviour’ and grant to them the lands which they now hold shall not incur loss thereby provided that they stand to the award of Kenilworth with regard to their lands which the king has given to others. Therefore, they only get some of their lands back. And if they offend against their fealty again their bodies shall be at the king’s will, and their lands shall fall (incurrantur) to the king and his heirs forever.

Safe conduct for eight days for Roger de Remes, Nicholas de la Hus’ and Roger and William Godeberd and twoin their company, coming to the king to treat of peace for themselves and those in their company

Probably with his brothers, Geoffrey and William. Maybe also with the de Colevill brothers.

Roger de Leyburn, the lieutenant of Reginald de Grey, the king’s Constable at Nottingham castle fought 2 engagements with him and his followers, one in the heart of Sherwood Forest.

Foliot's Castle Fenwick was besieged by royal troops under the command of Reginald de Grey, who intended to capture Godberd and his companions, but the outlaws managed to flee before the Sheriff's arrival.

Godberd, Walter Devyas, and four others were captured in the grounds of Rufford Abbey, and from there taken to Nottingham Castle, but managed to escape. A prominent local knight named Richard Foliot helped Godberd and his fellow fugitives, and protected them from the Sheriff.

Roger Godberd committed a robbery at Stanley Abbey Wiltshire.

Holds them up, probably Reginald de Grey's stepmother, the widow of John de Grey

de Grey is given money by the king to catch the bandits.

Foliot was accused for his protection of Godberd, and had to surrender Fenwick. This knight resembles the figure of Richard at the Lee in the ballads of the Robin Hood story.

‘The king, to the sheriff of York, greetings. Whereas Richard Folyot had been indicted of the harbouring of Walter de Euyas, Roger Godberd and other Wrongdoers, by occasion of which indictment you took the lands and tenements of the same Richard in your bailiwick into our hands, and in addition you came to his castle of Fenwyk to capture him, on account of which the same Richard handed over the aforesaid castle and Edmund his son as a hostage, namely with such a condition that he should come before you at York at a certain day, fixed in advance between you and him concerning this, to surrender himself to our prison, and the same Richard, personally appearing before us and our council at Westminster, found for us the below written mainpernors, namely John, son of John, Robert de Stutevill, Baldwin de Akeny, Walter de Colevill, Philip de Colevill, John de Haveresham, Robert de Affagaz of the county of Essex, Richard de la Wache, Herbert de St Quintin, Gilbert de Clovill, Roger de Leukmore and Walter de Bures of the county of Essex, to come before us in the quindene after the day of St Michael, or, if Edward, our first-born son, returns more swiftly to England and wishes this business to be hastened, at a certain day, which we consider to be lawfully fixed in advance for the same Richard, to stand trial in our court concerning the aforesaid harbouring imposed on him, just as he ought lawfully to do according to the law and custom of our kingdom; we order you that you cause his aforesaid lands and tenements thus taken to be delivered to the same Richard without delay in the aforesaid form. Witnessed by the king at Westminster on the 17th day of February’.

Godberd was eventually captured and sent to jail at Northgrange in Sherwood Forest.
imprisoned at Bruges castle (Bridgenorth, Shropshire).

Roger Godberd imprisoned in Chester, regents of Edward I order an inquiry into his capture.

Moved to Gaol of Hereford, subjected to trial with a jury by sheriffs and justices.

Hereford. The same Roger, accused as a public criminal of many burglaries, homicides, arsons, and robberies committed by him in the counties of Leics, Notts, and Wilts, and especially accused that he, together with other evildoers, wickedly robbed the Abbey of Stanley in the said county of Wiltshire of a great sum of money, horses, and other things found there, and also of the death of a certain monk killed there about the feast of St Michael in the 54th year of the reign of the lord king Henry, father of the present lord king [29 Sept 1270] , comes and denies all burglaries, homicides, arsons, robberies and all larceny etc., except at the time of the disturbance recently happening in the kingdom between the lord king Henry and Simon, former earl of Leicester, and his accomplices. And whereof he says that the same lord king Henry received him into his peace and pardoned him for whatever he had done against his peace etc. up till the ninth day of December in the 51st year of his reign [1266], on condition that from then on he would conduct himself faithfully towards the king and his heirs, etc., and he puts forward letters of patent of the same king Henry which bear witness to the same. And he says that he has always thereafter conducted himself well and faithfully towards the said king and his heirs and everybody else, and that he is not guilty of any of the foregoing, and for godd and ill he puts himself on the country of the aforesaid counties. And so the sheriffs of the aforesaid counties were instucted to cause, each from his own county, 12 men to come beforeJ. de Cobbeham, (justice appointed to deliver Newgate Gaol) at London ( marginated: London) three weeks after Easter to decide the matter. [There now follow, in the shortened form, the standard formulae-12 jurors by whom the matter will be considered, who are not related to the parties, because the defendant has asked for a jury trial.] And the sheriff of Hereford was instructed to cause the said Roger to come there on the said date.

He claims everything was done in war, claims amnesty.

Godbert's defense is good enough, he is released after his trial three weeks after Easter.

Loxley, Warwickshire