Will Scarlett of Crigglestone

"For the time being, love conquers all things..."

I was re-watching Disney's 1973 Robin Hood and, though wonderful and very likeable film, it is unfortunately lacking, mainly due to the point that it related little to the original ballads and its Robin had no suitable villains to challenge him: Prince John had cruelty and cleverness but was too overrun by cowardice; Sir Hiss had brains but no brawn; the Sheriff of Nottingham had brawn and no brains; and Nutsy and Trigger were comic relief and nothing more. There was no equal and worthy foe that could give Robin Hood a run for his money, therefore Robin ended up a rather dull, infallible character. Plus, where are my two favourites from the original legend? Where were they in the film?

Therefore, if I retold the Disney film, I would have cast two additional characters that would flesh out the film and the many of the main characters. Thus, I doodled this:


Will Scarlett

Real Name:  Sir William "Will" Scathelocke of Crigglestone.
Aliases:  Scadlock, Scarlock, Scatheloke, Scarlok, Scalok, Scarelock, Scarllett, Scadlocke, Scardelocke, Shirlock, Skirlock, Schacklock of Crigglestone, Schakelock of the Crusades, the Lock-Smasher, the Minstrel Outlaw, Master Scarlett of Sherwood.
Age:  Same age as Robin.
Species:  Saxon Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Relations:
     • Sibyl of Crigglestone, Lady de Staynton and Prioress of Kirklees — Sister.
     • Robert "Robin" Hode of Locksley (Robin Hood), 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, Yeoman of Locksley — Cousin from his mother's side.

William Scathelocke was born in Crigglestone, a peaceful county west of Yorkshire; his father a wealthy Saxon nobleman and his Saxon mother, a lady of Locksley, and his others siblings died of the Plague, save his sister Sibyl. His childhood friends were his cousin, Robin of Locksley, son of the Dame of Locksley, and Lady Marian of Dunmow, daughter of Baron Robert Fitzwalter of Dunmow and ward of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (mother of Richard and John). Mischievous and carefree, equally reckless and irresponsible, Scathelocke grew to have a love for fighting, music, and women — an adventurer, a poet, a singer, a storyteller, an incurable romantic, and an absolute lover of life!

At the age of fifteen, Richard I was crowned as the king of England in 1189 after the death of his brother Henry, and proclaimed Lady Marian as his new ward; however, the new king spent only six months of his ten-year reign in England. Immediately after his coronation, King Richard embarked on his journey to join in the fighting of the Third Crusade in an attempt to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. William of Scathelocke and Robin of Locksley joined the war and fought together, under "the Lionhearted," the many battles and long travels separated them, thinking the other was died. During the King's absent, his younger brother, Prince John, connived with King Phillip II of France to usurp his elder brother's throne. And when the French withdrew early from the war, troubles in England contributed to the failure to deliver Jerusalem led by Saladin and his Muslim regime. Hearing of the plot, King Richard signed a truce with Saladin in 1192, and prepared for his return home, but en route to England, he was captured and held for ransom by King Leopold V of Austria, and imprisoned by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, King of Germany.

Knighted as Sir William Scathelocke, now a man, returned home to his family estate at Crigglestone, sadly he was to find his home stolen. He searched for his missing family, reuniting with his lost sister Sibyl, now the Prioress of Kirklees.  Before he left to search for their mother's family of Locksley, his sister gifted him the last surviving belongings of their home — clothing of rare, rich colour of the expensive silk and wool. In Sherwood Forest, on the way to Nottingham, assuming the identity of a minstrel of "Will Scarlett," he met a thievish bandit (or "hood") about his age. They went into an argument and duelled. Scarlett won and was surprised to find that the arguer was his long-lost cousin who was now infamously known as "Robin Hood." With joy, the friends re-united and joined Robin Hood's band of outlaws still loyal to Richard and the people of England, as they stole from the rich to give to the poor and collected to pay the ransom to free the true king of England.

Also see Sir Guy of Gisbourne.


Models - Patric Knowles

Medium - 2B mechanical pencil, coloured pencil (Prang, Primsacolours, Crayola, Rembrandt).

Sir William Scathelocke of Crigglestone (Will Scarlett) © Diane N. Tran.
Robin Hood © Walt Disney, 1973.