A tussle in Sherwood

In 1233 Sir Thomas de Lascelles, Knight, granted to William Blundel and his heirs in a charter a home and land in exchange for his (William's) service and the gift of gilded spurs each year. In medieval England spurs were symbolic of Knighthood.

Crusader’s decorated iron prick-spur, early Christian symbolism. found in central Europe

 Squires wore silver spurs while their knights wore gold or gilded spurs. These golden spurs were buckled to a knights heels usually with reverenat ceremony. They were a sign or rank and pride and to be ordered to remove your spurs was a sign of disgrace. It became the tradition of armies to confiscate the spurs of conquered knights and hang them on display as a war trophy and a sign of victory.

In the Bayeux Tapestry, the riders are clearly wearing spurs. In the Bayeux Tapestry, created around 1077) the riders are clearly wearing spurs.

 

But that is not all interesting I found. In the 1440s Walter Bower wrote a ballad about a historical character/legend who was fighting at the end of a war in 1266 involving the local Barons and King Henry III. This character was from Sherwood Forrest and was known by the name of Robin Hood. In 1267 John de Lascelles was the Sterward of Sherwood Forrest. Records kept by the courts mention this incident in 1267....

....John De lascelles, the steward of Sherwood, caught 2 men, Robert the Monk and Robert of Alfreton with bows and arrows in the forest and took them to Blidworth. (Probably intending to take them to Nottingham Castle in the morning). In the night 20 men armed with swords and bows and arrows burst in, released the men, and beat up Johns servants who were acting as guards. They then went to the stewards house, where they broke the windows and shouted insults at him.

Robert de Bruce, King of the Scots from 1306 to 1329.

 

Robert de Bruce was King of Scotland. (Yes as in William Wallace, Braveheart.) His Grand Father Robert de Bruce was married to Christina de Ireby. Christina was married first to Sir Thomas de Lascelles, Knight.

                                                                                   Gisborne Priory

The de Lascelles family was a benefactor of Gisborne Priory. The family of de Bruce were also benefactors of the Priory at Gisborne. William de Bruce was the first prior and the King of Scotland's grandfather Robert de Bruce is buried at the Priory in Gisborne. There is a famous ballad written in 1475 titled "Robin Hood and Guy de Gisborne". In the ballad Guy de Gisborne is a bounty hunter sent to capture Robin. There are many similarities between Robert de Bruce and legends/myths of Robin Hood. Manuscripts give credit for the founding of the Priory to a Robert de Bruyse in 1129. Could the steward of Sherwood, John de Lascelles, have hired a man named Guy from Gisborne Priory to seek out Robin Hood or perhaps a Robert de Bruce disguised as a Robin de Hod who was attempting to claim the throne of Scotland?

Picot de Lascelles, my 27th Great Grandfather, is mentioned as having been in the entourage of Alan a nephew of William the Conqurer when they invaded from Normandy. He is mentioned as being in the Battle of Hastings and was granted lands in Richmondshire. This land, was taken from three Saxon Lords and was Picot's reward for his brave fighting.

The Lascelles were untitled Nobility in Scotland and donated much land to St. Andrew's Priory.