Roger of Doncaster

Origin
Sir Roger, called Red Roger in later ballads, appears as the ally of the Prioress of Kirklees who aids her in the murder of Robin Hood and in some version pays her to kill her weakened cousin.

Prioress of Kirklees
Despite the fact that she was head of a nunnery she the treacherous Prioress of Kirklees is considered to have taken Sir Roger for her lover before he became her co-conspirator in Robin's death due to these lines: "'For the love of a knyght, Syr Roger of Donkester, that was her owne special'"

Robin Hood
Red Roger is one of Robin's most dangerous and unexpected foes as he is among the very small number of them Robin had never robbed or otherwise encountered prior to his very successful attack on the rogue.

Possible Historical Figure
Several historic individuals have been proposed as possibly being or being the inspiration for the Robin Hood vilian.

P. Valentine Harris found in the Wakefield Court Rolls a record of a knight Roger de Doncaster whom he recognized as the same man as a Roger de Doncaster described as a clergyman in a quitclaim witnessed by a Robert de Pavley from March 13, 1301. In 1309 a Roger de Doncaster thought by Harris to possibly be this same fellow was charged for adultery with Agnes, wife of Philip de Pavely. The Wakefield Court Rolls give another mention of a Roger de Doncaster in the record of a court order from January 22, 1327 that 8 acres at Crigleston be given to Roger, son of William de Doncaster. A further mention of Roger de Doncaster son of William de Doncaster from 1333 names his paternal uncle as Elias and a cousin in Elias' son Thomas. The dates for this individual, if it was indeed just one and not several persons, make him a contemporary to Robert Hood of Wakefield an individual popularly theorized to have been the source of some Robin Hood legends.

Other possible candidates include a Roger de Doncaster who was the keeper of the priory at Lenton from 1267-1270.

Ballads:

 * c.1460 Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode/A Gest of Robyn Hode
 * Robin Hood's Death

Literature:

 * 1852 The Ballad Hero : Robin Hood by Joseph Hunter
 * 1951 The Truth About Robin Hood by P. Valentine Harris