Heritage Talk: Rogues, Vagabonds or Heroes? The Story of the Rufford Park Poachers - Southwell Library

Life for working class families in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign was anything but easy. While families struggled to feed themselves, the forest and heath lands of Sherwood were full of wildlife that could supplement their diets. New laws,  however, made the taking of this wildlife a criminal offence that could lead to severe punishment. 

This talk by local historian Sam Millard tells of a violent clash between poachers and gamekeepers on the Rufford Abbey estate, an incident that was  reported in newspapers throughout the land. What happened to those involved? Were they the rogues and vagabonds described by the courts, or the heroes portrayed in a folk song written at the time?