Little Johns Grave, Hathersage, Robin Hood, Legend, Folklore, Outlaw

Some information taken from Explorer The Peak District

Following a walk around Hathersage Moore, my cousin and I went into Hathersage itself to find the Church and the Grave of Little John. He was supposed to have been a close friend of Robin Hood
There are some doubters that Little John ever existed.
Little John, as a character, is referenced, alongside Robin, in the very early 15th century poems by the likes of Andrew Wyntoun and Walter Bower. He is referred to, initially, as a cunning character. However, in later fables, he becomes dimmer and less capable. He tends to always be the second most prominent character, through fables and later television and film adaptions. He’s the only member of Hood’s Merry Men to be present in the ballad ‘Robin Hood’s Death’.

In later ballads, more of Little John’s character was revealed, and he was reputed to have originated from Hathersage and even settled there again in later life. He died in a small cottage by the River Derwent – in this site now lies a grade-II farmhouse named Nether House. It is also alleged that Little John chose his gravesite in St. Michael’s Church himself. He did this by firing an arrow from Robin Hood’s Stoop – a boundary stone located on nearby Offerton Moor – which landed in the Mew Tree above what became his burial site.

Hathersage records suggest that Little John’s longbow, alongside his cap, were on display inside St Michael’s Church in 1652. The items were later taken by the Shuttleworth family and put on display at their stately home, Cawthrone.

Little John’s grave was excavated in 1784, during which a thigh bone, measuring 30 inches long, was uncovered. This suggests a body of large stature is, in fact, buried in this plot of land, one measuring upwards of 8ft.
The care of Little Johns grave was undertaken by The Ancient Order Of Foresters Friendly Society.

Little John is a companion of Robin Hood who serves as his chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. He is one of only a handful of consistently named characters who relate to Robin Hood and one of the two oldest Merry Men, alongside Much the Miller's Son. His name is an ironic reference to his giant frame, as he is usually portrayed in legend as a huge warrior – a 7-foot-tall (2.1-metre) master of the quarterstaff. In folklore, he fought Robin Hood on a tree bridge across a river on their first meeting.
The first known reference in English verse to Robin Hood is found in The Vision of Piers Plowman, written by William Langland in the second part of the 14th century. Little John appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories, and in one of the earliest references to Robin Hood by Andrew of Wyntoun in 1420 and by Walter Bower in 1440.[citation needed] In the early tales, Little John is shown to be intelligent and highly capable. In "A Gest of Robyn Hode", he captures the sorrowful knight and, when Robin Hood decides to pay the knight's mortgage for him, accompanies him as a servant. In "Robin Hood's Death", he is the only one of the Merry Men that Robin takes with him. In the 15th-century ballad commonly called "Robin Hood and the Monk", Little John leaves in anger after a dispute with Robin. When Robin Hood is captured, it is Little John who plans his leader's rescue. In thanks, Robin offers Little John leadership of the band, but John refuses. Later depictions of Little John portray him as less cunning.

The earliest ballads do not feature an origin story for this character. According to a 17th-century ballad, he was at least seven feet tall and introduced when he tried to prevent Robin from crossing a narrow bridge, whereupon they fought with quarterstaves, and Robin was overcome. Despite having won the duel, John agreed to join his band and fight alongside him. From then on he was called Little John in whimsical reference to his size. This scene is almost always re-enacted in film and television versions of the story. In some modern film versions, Little John loses the duel to Robin.


Little John's grave in St Michael's Church graveyard, Hathersage
Starting from the ballad tradition, Little John is commonly shown to be the only Merry Man present at Robin Hood's death.

Despite a lack of historical evidence for his existence, Little John is reputed to be buried in a churchyard in the village of Hathersage, Derbyshire. A modern tombstone marks the supposed location of his grave, which lies under an old yew tree. This grave was owned by the Nailor (Naylor) family, and sometimes some variation of "Nailer" is given as John's surname. In other versions of the legends, his name is given as John Little, losing the irony of his nickname.

According to local legend, Little John built himself a small cottage across the River Derwent from the family home.

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