Reflections on William Rufus
by Nick Saunders
published in our local paper*
September 2019

* The New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times

Sources of Information

Nick provided a list of the sources that have been used by historians

Monks

1. William of Malmesbury 1118-1125
(translated from Latin and published in a book (which one?) in 1882)

2. Orderic Vitalis who lived 1075-1142

3. Florence of Worcester who died 1118

4. Matthew Paris who wrote Chronica Majora

Other Authors

5. John R. Wise, who wrote The New Forest, its History & Scenery in 1863

6. John Murray, who published A handbook for travellers in Surrey, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight

7. Historian F.H.M. Parker, writing in 1912

8. An in-depth article written by C. Warren Hollister in 1973

9. Arthur Lloyd who wrote The Death of William Rufus in 2000
(900 years after William Rufus was killed)

Information Provided

Nick included some interesting information from the above publications numbered 1-9:

1. Historians need to treat sources with caution and look at them critically. With that in mind the first text under review was writtebn by William of Malmesbury who was a monk at the abbey in the town (Winchester?). He wrote his account at some time between 1118 and 1125. It was translated from the Latin and later published in a book in 1882 (which book?). Therefore, the account is potentially written twenty-five years after the event, by a monk who may not have given an unbiased account of what took oplace. There is also a risk of mistranslation or selective use of the account by later historians.

In the afternoon, the King went hunting with a small number of attendants.

Eventially the party split up leaving just Rufus and Tirel together. William wrote that the king and Tirel were in a clearing when a stag ran close to them. The king fired an arrow which wounded the animal. Another stag was spotted and Tirel took a quick shot but missed, hitting instead King William in the breast.

William of Malmesbury does not mention the arrow ricocheting off a tree or animal or name who brought the king's body to Winchester.

Tirel is supposed to have run to the King's assistance but finding him lifeless mounted his horse and rode for the coast.

The King's body was recovered by some locals who took it by cart to Winchester Cathedral , the blood dripping from it all the way.

2. there were several companions with the King and Tirel when the fatal shot was fired.

The hunting party had taken up posts around the forest to wait in ambush for the deer, bows at the ready.

On hearing of the death of his brother, without checking the body, he rode to Winchester.

3. William Rufus was killed on the spot where a church had previously stood.

4. The arrow fired by Tirel was deflected by a tree into the King's breast. This is the first account to suggest this.

5. A number of the accounts are based on the early chronicles by:

Vitalis
William of Malmesbury and
Florence of Worcester

John Leland was the topographer to King Henry VIII

Wise questioned how could a dead body bleed all the way to Winchester. (which Nick Saunders points out would have taken a horse and cart over a day to reach Winchester Catherdral
and required an overnight stay at, for example, Romsey).

6. The King was staying at Castle Malwood in a royal hunting lodge

7. Tirel swore affirmation to an abbot that he did not fire the fatal shot.

8. -

9. Not one recent historian of the period (which?) believes the death was murder (would need to check)

Evidence from the Domesday Book suggested that Thorougham or Truham was located somewhere on the Beaulieu estate.

This was reinforced by a monk (name?) who wrote soon after Beaulieu Abbey was founded, that it was located near to the site of the death of William Rufus.

The memorial cairn to King William II was unveiled on the Beaulieu Estate beside the millstream ,as reported in the A & T in April 2001.

(Nick says that Arthur Lloyd managed to convince Lord Montagu that the incident happened at Truham or Througham on the Beaulieu estate).

Colin Bower
18 August 2024

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