Jack o'Legs
Encyclopedia
Jack O'Legs is the name of a character from folk legend in Hertfordshire
, UK. Jack is said to have been a renowned archer
who was famed for robbing the rich to give to the poor.
In the Holy Trinity Church at Weston, Hertfordshire
, just inside the entrance, are two stones that are supposed to mark the head and the foot of Jack's grave. Legend states they stand 14 feet (4.3 m) apart, though they are actually about 8 feet (2.4 m) apart, which if accurate, still would have made Jack one of the tallest people in history.
.
The century in which Jack lived saw war, plague (the Black Death
) and the first peasant revolt
. Life for a poor person was described as "nasty, brutish and short". Much of the countryside was still organized according to a system introduced by William the Conqueror, where land, rather than being owned as is the case nowadays, was held from a member of society higher up the social tree. For peasants, this was usually the Lord of the Manor. However, it was also a time when the country was changing from an economy based on agriculture to a more mixed one, as towns, and the merchants that traded in them, grew in power and influence.
Villagers or peasants, like Jack’s friends mentioned in the story, could earn the opportunity to hold a small amount of land for growing their own food (usually a strip) by also working on the land of the Lord of the Manor, to whom they paid their taxes. Farms were much smaller in the Middle Ages
. Farming tools were basic and the farming year was shaped around the weather. A severe frost could kill a crop and heavy rain could flatten it, making it impossible to harvest, leaving a village with nothing. However, the peasants still had to find the money or goods to pay their taxes. So when the harvest failed, the villagers of Weston would have been very worried, as in the story.
Medieval towns, such as Baldock
, were places where village people came to trade. They developed in areas where people could easily meet, such as crossroads or rivers. Baldock
is situated where two ancient roads cross: the Icknield Way
and the Great North Road. The present town was established by the Knights Templar
in the 12th century. Medieval Guilds played an important role in the towns. Guilds formed where groups of skilled workers in the same trade joined together to protect their shared interests, by making sure that items produced by guild members were up to standard and sold at a fair price. Guild membership was a sign that you were skilled and respected in society. The bakers in the story would have belonged to a guild organized to limit the markets and increase their profits. Only members of a guild were allowed to sell their produce in towns, except on market days when anyone could trade.
At the very bottom of society were the landless people and those outside society, the outlaws (thieves and rogues) just like Jack. Punishments for wrong doing were severe, as it was believed people only learned how to behave properly if they feared the consequences of not doing so. Even the ‘smallest’ offences had serious punishments. People could be put in the stocks, beaten and those accused of a minor theft could have their hands cut off. Those found guilty of serious crimes such as murder, highway robbery, stealing livestock or produce were executed. Most towns, including Baldock, had a gallows or gibbet
nearby.
Although a town could obtain a charter giving it the right to have its own law court, there was no police force to ensure law and order, so despite the severe punishments many got away with their crimes. Larger towns had fences or walls around them with gates that were locked at night. However, most towns did not have enough wealth to build such expensive protection to keep out undesirables. Often, people had to look after themselves. As a member of a guild, the guild would look after you if you were sick or in trouble so, as in the story, the Bakers may well have banded together to help each other remove the problem of Jack.
The Bakers' treatment of Jack may seem brutal but life was harsh for most people and although relatively well off, a baker's life was not easy. The work was hard, the hours terrible and, because of the importance of bread in feeding the population, there were numerous and constantly changing laws that had to be obeyed. Bakers found guilty of selling underweight loaves could be locked in the pillory (a wooden framework on a post with holes for the head and hands) and exposed to public scorn and abuse. In times of famine, municipal authorities could force bakers to sell below production costs. Sometimes bread was simply confiscated to feed the town.
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, UK. Jack is said to have been a renowned archer
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
who was famed for robbing the rich to give to the poor.
Mythology
Jack is said to have lived in the 14th century in a cave, in the middle of Weston Wood. The forest is no longer there but the field where the wood once stood is still called ‘The Cave’ and the neighboring field is called ‘Weston Wood’. A steep incline on the Great North Road, close to the village of Graveley, where Jack was supposed to have robbed wealthy travelers, is still called “Jack’s Hill”.In the Holy Trinity Church at Weston, Hertfordshire
Weston, Hertfordshire
Weston is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England.It is located between Stevenage, Letchworth and Baldock. just east of the A1 junction 9. The Baldock bypass passes through the Weston Hills between Weston and Baldock in a cut-and-cover tunnel...
, just inside the entrance, are two stones that are supposed to mark the head and the foot of Jack's grave. Legend states they stand 14 feet (4.3 m) apart, though they are actually about 8 feet (2.4 m) apart, which if accurate, still would have made Jack one of the tallest people in history.
Factual basis
According to an 1811 dictionary of slang terms (Grose), his name was originally Jack of Legs, meaning a tall long-legged man or giantGigantism
Gigantism, also known as giantism , is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average...
.
The century in which Jack lived saw war, plague (the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
) and the first peasant revolt
Peasant revolt
Peasant, Peasants' or Popular is variously paired with Revolt, Uprising and War and may refer to :*Daze Village Uprising 209 BC*Yellow Turban Rebellion 184...
. Life for a poor person was described as "nasty, brutish and short". Much of the countryside was still organized according to a system introduced by William the Conqueror, where land, rather than being owned as is the case nowadays, was held from a member of society higher up the social tree. For peasants, this was usually the Lord of the Manor. However, it was also a time when the country was changing from an economy based on agriculture to a more mixed one, as towns, and the merchants that traded in them, grew in power and influence.
Villagers or peasants, like Jack’s friends mentioned in the story, could earn the opportunity to hold a small amount of land for growing their own food (usually a strip) by also working on the land of the Lord of the Manor, to whom they paid their taxes. Farms were much smaller in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Farming tools were basic and the farming year was shaped around the weather. A severe frost could kill a crop and heavy rain could flatten it, making it impossible to harvest, leaving a village with nothing. However, the peasants still had to find the money or goods to pay their taxes. So when the harvest failed, the villagers of Weston would have been very worried, as in the story.
Medieval towns, such as Baldock
Baldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
, were places where village people came to trade. They developed in areas where people could easily meet, such as crossroads or rivers. Baldock
Baldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
is situated where two ancient roads cross: the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
and the Great North Road. The present town was established by the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
in the 12th century. Medieval Guilds played an important role in the towns. Guilds formed where groups of skilled workers in the same trade joined together to protect their shared interests, by making sure that items produced by guild members were up to standard and sold at a fair price. Guild membership was a sign that you were skilled and respected in society. The bakers in the story would have belonged to a guild organized to limit the markets and increase their profits. Only members of a guild were allowed to sell their produce in towns, except on market days when anyone could trade.
At the very bottom of society were the landless people and those outside society, the outlaws (thieves and rogues) just like Jack. Punishments for wrong doing were severe, as it was believed people only learned how to behave properly if they feared the consequences of not doing so. Even the ‘smallest’ offences had serious punishments. People could be put in the stocks, beaten and those accused of a minor theft could have their hands cut off. Those found guilty of serious crimes such as murder, highway robbery, stealing livestock or produce were executed. Most towns, including Baldock, had a gallows or gibbet
Gibbet
A gibbet is a gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. In earlier times, up to the late 17th century, live gibbeting also took place, in which the criminal was placed alive in a metal cage...
nearby.
Although a town could obtain a charter giving it the right to have its own law court, there was no police force to ensure law and order, so despite the severe punishments many got away with their crimes. Larger towns had fences or walls around them with gates that were locked at night. However, most towns did not have enough wealth to build such expensive protection to keep out undesirables. Often, people had to look after themselves. As a member of a guild, the guild would look after you if you were sick or in trouble so, as in the story, the Bakers may well have banded together to help each other remove the problem of Jack.
The Bakers' treatment of Jack may seem brutal but life was harsh for most people and although relatively well off, a baker's life was not easy. The work was hard, the hours terrible and, because of the importance of bread in feeding the population, there were numerous and constantly changing laws that had to be obeyed. Bakers found guilty of selling underweight loaves could be locked in the pillory (a wooden framework on a post with holes for the head and hands) and exposed to public scorn and abuse. In times of famine, municipal authorities could force bakers to sell below production costs. Sometimes bread was simply confiscated to feed the town.
Modern references
- A number of local landmarks are named after the character of Jack O'Legs.
- Tring Brewery brews a range of aleAleAle is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
s named after local legends, including one after Jack O'Legs.