Notes |
- , Lincolnshire County about the same time that the Robin Hood and his Merry Men were (according to legend) headquartered in the nearby Sherwood Forest. King John (1199 to 1216) had just signed the Magna Carta, helping England to take its first tentative steps towards the definition and protection of personal rights, the rule of law, and – eventually – democracy. Despite that historical achievement, it was a tumultuous time for England. John lost control of Normandy and his son Henry III (1216 to 1272) tried unsuccessfully to take it back. Henry also had ambitions of launching a crusade. To finance his foreign adventures, he taxed his subjects unmercifully, leading to multiple revolts and social instability. In the midst of these troubles, John Wrighte married and moved his family south to Essex County where he was father to at least one child, Robert William.
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