Much the Miller's Son

Origin
One of the earliest named of Robin's Merry Men, Much's first appearance is one which starkly reminds the reader of the more violent nature of the original tales when he murders a page to keep him silent after the page overhears his master's confession to Much and Little John and witnesses John kill the corrupt monk.

Name
In most surviving ballads Much is called Much the Miller's son but in the ballad Robin Hood and Queen Katherine he is called Midge the Miller's son and he is given the name Nick in a single ballad. Whether this means he is the son of a Much the Miller or that he is called Much and is the son of a miller is variable. When the reason behind Much's name is addressed it is often an amusing reference to his size like Little John's own name can be though Little John's name may also be referring to his cleverness due to an older use for the word little.

Early Life
Much was born to a miller and, according at least one ballad, named Nicholas. At some point he gained the nickname Much or Midge and became an outlaw, in several versions including 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood Much turned outlaw after being caught poaching to try to feed himself, a crime punishable by death, and being saved by Robin.

Later Life
He was pardoned when the king returned alongside the rest of the Merry Men.

Later Adaptations
Much is often used as the youngest of the Merry Men and the catalyst to Robin's outlawry as saving him from punishment after Much is caught poaching a deer has become a popular way to start Robin down the road to becoming the outlaw leader of Sherwood forest. When he is not used as either of those things but still appears in a modern work he tends to be little more than a named extra such as in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves where his modern role of youngest caught poaching and saved by Robin is given to Little John's son Wulf.

Ballads:

 * A Gest of Robyn Hode
 * Robin Hood and the Monk
 * Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar
 * Robin Hood and Allin a Dale
 * Robin Hood and Queen Catherin

Theater:

 * 1593 George a Greene the Pinner of Wakefield by Anonymous

Literature:

 * 1883 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Comics:

 * "Much the Miller's Son" by Steve LeCouilliard

Film:

 * Robin Hood (1922) played by
 * 1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood played by Herbert Mundin
 * The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) played by
 * 1991 Robin Hood (1991) played by Daniel Webb
 * 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves played by Jack Wild

Television:

 * The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) ? episodes
 * Robin of Sherwood (1984 - 1986) 24 episodes
 * "Robin Hood and the Sorcerer" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
 * "Seven Poor Knights from Acre" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
 * "The Greatest Enemy" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
 * "Cromm Cruac" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
 * "Adam Bell" played by Peter Llewellyn Williams
 * Robin Hood (2006-2009)
 * "" played by Sam Troughton