Humphrey Kynaston

Sir Humphrey Kynaston (1474 - 1534) A.K.A. "Humphrey the Wild", "Red Kynaston" and "Humphrey Kinneston"

Early life

Born in 1474 to Roger Kynaston (c. 1450 - 1517), a Yorkist, who was involved in the first battle of the War of the Roses, the Battle of Blore Heath. At this battle, Roger Kynaston killed Lord Audley, and the Yorkists won. Rodger died in 1517.

Dissolute Outlaw

Living at Myddle Castle, Humphrey was named 'the Wild' due to his dissolute and notorious manner of life. This wild lifestyle is said to have put him severely into debt.

On December 20, 1491, he was found guilty for the murder of John Heughes, and declared an outlaw by Henry VII. Legend states that due to the debt and new criminal charges, he decided to move from Myddle Castle, to a cave in Nesscliffe Rock.

Cave Dweller

The cave had two rooms; he lived in one, and stabled his horse 'Beelzebub' in the other. The cave also featured an iron door for an entrance. There is an engraving in the cave, in the strong pillar dividing it into two rooms, which reads HK1564. Although this engraving is concluded to be made by Humphrey, he was dead 30 years before the year 1564.

Highwayman

It was here in Shropshire that Humphrey supposedly lived a life that would match the fictional highwayman Robin Hood. It seems he had a reputation for robbing from the rich, and giving to the poor. There is little evidence to prove this, but there are also no signs of anyone attempting to turn him over to the authorities.

Royal Pardon

Accounts show that in 1518, Humphrey provided men to aid in one of Henry VIII's wars, and in return received a royal pardon. After this, it is said that he lived in Paris, France until he died in 1534.

Miscellanea

*Legend claims that he nailed his horse's shoes on backwards so people couldn’t tell if he was coming or going.
*Legend claims that planks were removed from a bridge on a path to the cave, to make it impossible for a horse to clear, but Beelzebub could manage an enormous leap and safely clear it.
*The cave is real, it is called Kynaston's Cave.
*A semi-fictional account "Wild Humphrey Kynaston, the Robber Troglodyte" by Henry Hudson was published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner Ltd in 1899.

External links

* [http://www.showcaves.com/english/gb/misc/HumpreysKinneston.html Subterranea of Great Britain: Kynaston's Cave]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/beyond/factsheets/makhist/printable/makhist7_print4b.html BBC - Beyond the Broadcast - Making History - Humphrey Kynaston]