The Forest by Edward Rutherford

Edward Rutherford brilliantly wove the story of William Rufus into his readable book, The Forest, which contains an interesting Preface and extracts:

Preface

In his Preface, Edward Rutherford includes the following in his historical notes:

King William Rufus: No one will ever know the exact truth about the killing of Rufus; but we probably do know where it took place. I have followed the arguments set out by the distinguished New Forest historian, Mr Arthur Lloyd, which places the killing down at Trougham and not at the site of the Rufus Stone. As to the part played by the family of Purkiss, I have followed Mr Lloyd and Mr David Stagg in suggesting that the legend of Purkiss carting the body away derives from a later date.

Extracts

"...When the King went hunting with his friends they normally used bows."

"...I've received word that the King and a party of companions are arriving at Brockenhurst tomorrow, "he announced,"He wishes to hunt in the Forest the following day..."

"The movements of King William II, known as Rufus, at the start of August in the Year of Our Lord 1100, are tolerably well known. On the first of the month he issued a charter, from the lodge at Brockenhurst. He ate with his friends and later went to bed.

But then he slept badly. As a result, instead of leaving at dawn, the sun was well over the horizon and glistening on the treetops at Brockenhurst before he finally stirred to join the waiting courtiers.

They were a small select company. There was Robert FitzHamon, an old friend; William, the keeper of the treasury of Winchester; two other Norman barons. There were three of the powerful family of Clare, who had once nearly betrayed him. And there was his younger brother Henry...And lastly there was Walter Tyrrell.

Rufus (said) I don't want to drive the deer into your great trap today, my friend. I want to hunt the woods."

Hounds had been produced. There were two kinds; the tufters, agile scenting dogs, whose job was to sniff out the deer and spring them from dense covert; and the running hounds which, today, would only be used to bring down any deer who having benn wounded, escaped into the open.

"...It was open country - a broad, low, gently undulating coastal oplain. To the south, not seven miles a way...was near the Solent water...the heath...streteched...all the way down to the belt of wooded marsh and meadowland that masked the line of the coast."

"...But where were the hunters?"

"...There are two places they could be..a line of woodland...Or they could be down in the marshes."

"...We'd better split up."

"...What's the name of the place you're going to?"

There's a farm down there..known as Througham".

"...An animal was moving, with extraordinary speed, across the heath towards the woods at Througham. The sun in the west was shining...

...A moment later the horseman came into sight...For it was Walter (Tyrrell) as she had never seen him before...as he came up, he cried out hoarsely: "Flee, Flee for your life."

"...The King is dead.

"...It was an accident"

"...One of my Clare kinsmen came racing up to me and said there'd been an accident. "And as you were alone with the king." he said, "you'll take the blame." I told him I hadn't been with the king but I got the message..."

A single arrow from a bow had killed Rufus. The red-headed monarch had died instantly. His companions had gathered and taken counsel quickly. It was his silent, thoughtful younger brother Henry, who, after only moments of persuading, had announced: "We must go to Winchester at once." The treasury was there.

It was fortunate indeed that, ...Puckle (Purkiss) and his cart should have been near at hand. They wrapped the body of the king, put it in Puckle's cart and all set out for the ancient capital.

...Nor have men ever been able to say with certainty what really passed in the Forest that strange and magical day. The hunting companions of the king were known. Tyrrell, it was said, had taken aim at a stag, missed and struck the king. No one, or very few, asserted that he had done it deliberately, nor was there any clear reason why he should.

BEAULIEU

...in 1204, King John founded Beaulieu, a monastery of the order of the Cistercians...endowing it...with a great tract of land down in the eastern half of the New Forest - which included, by chance, the very place where...Rufus had been slain a century before.

...Bellus Locus, the abbey was called in Latin...But the forest people did not speak French, so they pronounced it Boolee, or Bewley.

Conclusions

Though a novel, Edward Rutherford includes Walter Tyrrrell and the Clare Family and addresses most of the elements of the story including::

- a possible plot by the Clare Family to kill Rufus
- Rufus was killed near Beaulieu
- Tyrrell's denial

He majors on a hunting lodge at Brockenhurst even saying that a charter was issued there.

Colin Bower
31 October 2024

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