According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, King William II of England, otherwise known as William Rufus, was shot dead with an arrow by one of his own men, while hunting in the New Forest on 2nd August 1100.
This is all that is known for sure about his death. Whether it was accident or murder remains a mystery. If the latter, there is more than one possible murderer. A man called Walter Tirel, Count of Poix, who was visiting the court, is popularly credited with loosing the fatal arrow, whether intentionally or not, and, if the latter, whether on his own behalf or that of someone else.
Other names have been mentioned. Tirel’s brother-in-law Gilbert Clare, Earl of Tonbridge, is thought by some to have been involved, with arranging Tirel’s escape if nothing else. Gerald of Wales, writing many years later, also names a man called Ranulf des Aquis as having been concerned. He was writing in Latin and ‘Ralph des Aix’ is a reasonable Anglo-French rendering of the name. I have christened my character accordingly. For bringing Ranulf des Aquis (and much else besides) to my notice, acknowledgements go to Duncan Grinnell-Milne’s informative book, The Killing of William Rufus.
The place where William Rufus is traditionally said to have died is near a small community called Canterton. At the time of the Domesday Book this was known as Chenna’s Tun, which is the name I have used. Similarly, Truham was the eleventh century name for the district now called Fritham Plain.
I am indebted to the historian Catherine Morton for her theory about the real nature of the relationship between William Rufus and Count Helias of Maine. Their recorded exchanges have an intense quality which is extremely puzzling, except in the light of this theory.
I am also indebted to Professor Frank Barlow, for patiently answering queries about Count Helias, and above all, for the goldmine of information in his biography of William Rufus.
Finally, the rare commodity which Richard Debrouillard grows on his manor was known in England before the Conquest but then faded out and was not officially reintroduced until the 14th century. But it continued to be known in Cornwall and who is to say that in England no entrepreneur ever tried producing it between the 11th and 14th centuries? My thanks go to the Spice Bureau for their helpful advice on this subject.