Important Information from Arthur Lloyd's Publications
including
Reasons/Evidence for saying Rufus fell at Truham

Sources/Publications

There are 2 articles and a booklet written by Arthur Lloyd giving his reasons/evidence for his contention that Rufus was killed at Thorougham (Truham in the Domesday Book.

There is a detailed newspaper article for which no doubt Arthur gave the newspaper much of the information.

Finally there is an article by the Beaulieu History Society quoting from Arthur's booklet for which Arthur gave his permission.

1. His article, "Where did Rufus die? (1962)
2. Extract from his article, "A new look at the New Forest" (1965)
3. His booklet, "The Death of Rufus" (2000)
4. The newspaper article, "..Rumpus over Rufus" (2001)
5. The Newsletter article, quoting from " The Death of Rufus" (Beaulieu History Society) 2017

1. His article, "Where did Rufus die? (1962)

1.1 There is a farm on Lord Montagu's estate which marks the site where William Rufus was killed.

1.2 The earliest writer to refer to the spot (440 years after the event) was Henry VIII's librarian Leland who referred to Thorougham where a chapel stood (now Park Farm on the Bealieu estate, close to the sea).

1.3 No medieval writer had specified the spot, though:

1.4 Florence of Worcester (d 1118) wrote, William while engaged in hunting in the New Forest...was struck by an arrow carelessly (incaute directa) aimed
and
that Rufus fell where a chapel was destroyed

1.5 The manor of Thorougham was granted to the Cathedral in 749, and

1.6 Domesday confirmed it was held by the Minster and Bishop

1.7 Reference is made to the grant (made in 749) by King Cuthred, in Mr. Gover's book on "Place Names of Hampshire" where the spelling was "Thruhham"

1.8 The place name became lost, when incorporated into the New Forest in 1079.

1.9 Other historians recalled Leland's Thorougham:

- Gilpin (c 1790)
- Wise (C 1850)

1.10 Wise realised that the 5 manors in Domesday called Truham and Trucham must be the area Leland knew as Thorougham.

1.11 Dr. Round recorded that a chapel at Througham was included in the grant (of Beaulieu Abbey lands) in 1538

1.12 Captain Widnell stated in his essay "Beaulieu Abbey and its estates" that in a survey of 1578 Throughams Park is cited in detail.

1.13 Stow in his Annals (1580) says that Rufus died at CHORENGHAM where a chapel stood (Believed to be correctly spelt as Thorougham).

1.14 Dr. C.H. Taylor working on the medieval documents of Beaulieu Abbey found a reference to "TROUT(T)HAM".

1.15 If Leland was right, Rufus was killed close to the southern sea bounds of the Forest, now the present farm buildings of Park Farm

1.16 Florence of Worcester stated that Rufus was killed in "the New Forest, called in English Ytene"

1.17 per Fowler's History of Beaulieu Abbey (p16 1911), there is an extract from the Annals of Waverley Abbey, "In the year 1204 King John once built a Cistercian Abbey which he named Bellus Locus, near the spot where William Rufus, the King, was killed." (less than 120 years after Rufus' death).

2. Extract from his article, "A new look at the New Forest" (1965)

2.1 (the manor of) Brockenhurst's position was unique, for it actually doubled its value

2.2 it was the centre from which the monarch hunted

2.3 it was the only manor within the Forest in Domesday on which a church is recorded

2.4 a chapel (that was destroyed) was at the spot where Rufus fell

2.5 the earliest reference says that this was at Thorougham, i..e. Truham

2.6 Truham was a Domesday manor owned by Winchester Cathedral since 735

2.7 This area is now called Park Farm in Beaulieu (see Hampshire Sept 1962)

2.8 King John chose that area to build Beaulieu Abbey (Bellus Locus Regis) in 1204

2.9 It was the only Abbey founded within the bounds

2.10 King John had an important country retreat there already, in 1203 (per the Pipe Rolls)

3. His booklet, "The Death of Rufus" (2000)

Arthur wrote his booklet on the 900th anniversary of Rufus' death.

It has 5 main subjects:

- The Events leading up to Rufus' Death
- Where he was killed
- The aftermath of Rufus' death
- The Rufus Stone, and
- Findings by other historians through the years

This section is concerned with where Rufus was killed.

I have used the extract from the Newsletter of the Beaulieu History Society as far as possible but have added some additional quotes from Arthur's booklet which I have highlighted.

Arthur's findings on the other subjects are covered in a separate article:

Arthur's Other Subjects

3.1 The fat season for red deer began on 1st August and lasted for six weeks, so Rufus' arrival with his courtiers in 1100 was on the opening day for hunting.

3.2 William Rufus ....was at Winchester several times in his reign and it seems very probable that he journeyed to the Forest to hunt at least on some occasions when he was there.

3.3 He was specifically recorded as being at Brockenhurst in June 1099 and again in the summer 1100, when he met his death. Gaimar in his long poetic history makes three references to the King being at Brockenhurst

3.4 "In the place where the king fell, in former times, a church had been built, but in the time of his father, as we have said, it was destroyed." (Florence of Worcester (d 1118). This is the only contemporary account to mention that the death occurred where there formerly had been a chapel.

3.5 Roger of Hoveden who died about 1201....gave an account similar to that of Florence...he also records the place where it happened was called Ytene

3.6 Sir William Berkeley told John Leland in the 1530s that the place where it is said that Tyrell killed King William Rufus was called Thorougham and there stood a chapel. (The first time that a place was positively asscoaited with the king's death)

3.7 John Stow (1615) wrote that King William hunted in the New Forest at a place called CHORENGHAM where since a chapel was built
(should have been correctly spelt THOROUGHAM)

3.8 There were 6 manors in the Domesday book called Truham or Trucham (in the valley of the River Otter)

3.9 Cuthred gave a manor
DRUCAM
(should have read THRUCAM)
to Winchester Cathedral in the year 735 (per Luard 1865 using 13th century copies of the early charters)

3.10 Birch recorded Thruhham of the year 749.
(Arthur Lloyd suggested that this was Truham of the Domesday book)

3.11 Shortly after Beaulieu Abbey was founded a monk of Waverley Abbey noted in its Annals that Beaulieu Abbey had been built close to the site where Rufus was killed.

3.12 In 1203, King John spent a large sum on repairing his hunting lodge at Bellus Locus a year or two before Beaulieu Abbey was founded. In 1204 the Abbey was called Bellus Locus Regis (the lovely site on royal land) near the hunting lodge, it is suggested.

3.13 Further evidence for the location of 'Thorougham' comes from the work of Father Hockey ...in a later work he notes that offerings from'Troutham' came from Througham which 'appears to be the original name of the district close to the sea, now known as Park Farm.

3.14 H. Widnell noted in 1960 that there existed a detailed survey of 'Throughams Park in 1578....but I discovered that by 1607 the name had passed out of use and was replaced by 'Park Farm (alias Througham)'.

3.15 The following pieces of infomation seem to intertwine:

- Leland's Thorougham (5.4 above)
- Truham or Trucham in the Domesday book (5.7. above)
- Winchester Cathedral's Trucam (5.8 above)
- Florence of Worcester's destroyed chapel (5.11. above)
- Beaulieu Abbey (Annals of Waverley Abbey) (5.12 above)
- The hunting lodge and Abbey (Bellus Locus Regis) (5.13 above)

All were in close proximity though possibly on different sides of the river.

4. The newspaper article, "..Rumpus over Rufus" (2001)

4.1 Sir William Berkeley told Leland in the 1530s that Rufus was killed at Througham

4.2 Througham is believed to be one of the 6 manors called Truham in the Domesday book

4.3 Rufus fell near a chapel close to what is now Palace House, Beaulieu

4.4 Beauliu Abbey (Bellus Locus) was built close to where Rufus was killed (per Waverley Abbey Annals circa 1204)

4.5 There was a Royal hunting lodge in Beaulieu that became the Abbey (Pipe Rolls)

4.6 Authors Edward Rutherforsd and Prof. Frank Barlow agreed with Arthur's findings

5. The Newsletter article, quoting from " The Death of William Rufus" (Beaulieu History Society) 2017

NB Items highlighted do not appear in Arthur Lloyd's booklet in 3. above.

5.1 William Rufus ....was at Winchester several times in his reign and it seems very probable that he journeyed to the Forest to hunt at least on some occasions when he was there.

5.2 He was specifically recorded as being at Brockenhurst in June 1099 and again in the summer 1100, when he met his death. Gaimar in his long poetic history makes three references to the King being at Brockenhurst.

5.3 The fat season for red deer began on 1st August and lasted for six weeks, so Rufus' arrival with his courtiers in 1100 was on the opening day for hunting.

5.4 Sir William Berkeley told John Leland in the 1530s that the place where it is said that Tyrell killed King William Rufus was called Thorougham and there stood a chapel - See Footnotes/Postcripts below. (The first time that a place was positively associated with the king's death)

5.5 This place ceased to be used in 1607 until Arthur Lloyd identfied it with a place on the Beaulieu estate

5.6 John Stow (1615) wrote that King William hunted in the New Forest at a place called CHORENGHAM where since a chapel was built - See Footnotes/Postcripts below. (should have been correctly spelt THOROUGHAM)

5.7 There were 6 manors in the Domesday book called Truham or Trucham (in the valley of the River Otter)

5.8 Cuthred gave a manor
DRUCAM
(should have read THRUCAM)
to Winchester Cathedral in the year 735 (per Luard 1865 using 13th century copies of the early charters)

5.9 Birch recorded Thruhham of the year 749.

5.10 Arthur Lloyd suggested that this was Truham of the Domesday book

5.11 The King was killed where a chapel had stood (Florence of Worcester) - See Footnotes/Postcripts below.

5.12 Shortly after Beaulieu Abbey was founded (c 1204) a monk of Waverley Abbey noted in its Annals that Beaulieu Abbey had been built close to the site where Rufus was killed.

5.13 In 1203, King John spent a large sum on repairing his hunting lodge at Bellus Locus a year or two before Beaulieu Abbey was founded. In 1204 the Abbey was called Bellus Locus Regis (the lovely site on royal land) near the hunting lodge, it is suggested.

5.14 The following pieces of infomation seem to intertwine:

- Leland's Thorougham (5.4 above)
- Truham or Trucham in the Domesday book (5.7. above)
- Winchester Cathedral's Trucam (5.8 above)
- Florence of Worcester's destroyed chapel (5.11. above)
- Beaulieu Abbey (Annals of Waverley Abbey) (5.12 above)
- The hunting lodge and Abbey (Bellus Locus Regis) (5.13 above)

All were in close proximity though possibly on different sides of the river.

5.15 The evidence appears to confirm the death of Rufus took place close to the village of Beaulieu.

Footnores or Postcripts

There are two interesting footnotes or postcripts to the article:

1. ('The Death of Rufus' by Arthur Lloyd was published in 2000 by 'The New Forest Centenary Trust' and gives much greater detail concerning not just the whereabouts but also the actual incident. It is available in local libraries. - Ed.)

2. Note: It is known that for a long time there had been a chapel at Park, though this is unlikey to have any connection with the death of Rufus. In "Beaulieu, King John's Abbey' by Dom. Hockey he mentions 'In 1563 the chapel at Park was also being used as a farm store. Described by Richard Warner in 1793, it was destroyed in the 19th century.' Captain Widnell, in his chapter on Beaulieu Abbey in 'The New Forest' states...'In additiom there had been the important Throughams Park, today Park Farm, where the ouline of the chapel, finally pulled down in the nearly nineteenth century, can be esily discerned, for its foundations stand under the brick and slate southern wing of the exiting farmhouse.'

Colin Bower
31 October 2024

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