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Also known as Robert Knolles, Kanollys, Knowlys, Canolle, Canole or Knowles
Born: about 1330, Sculthorpe, Norfolk (also given as Born: 1312, North Mimms, Hertfordshire, England)
Christened:
Died: 1407
Buried: Whitefriars, London
Parents:
Siblings:
Married:
Spouse: Beverly (born about 1335)
Offspring:
Thomas Knolly (born about 1360, North Mymms, Herts, died 1445) narried Isabel
Emma (died 1407) married Anthony Babington
Heraldic Coat of Arms: gules, on a chevron argent three roses of the field
Knollys was knighted in 1351 and was known to his men as The Old Brigand. He was in the books Sir Nigel and The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle. His leadership of a free company has led a historian to call such people England's "dogs of war". Period accounts refer to the burnt gables and roof-peaks of houses as Knollys' Mitres (a form of pointed hat). It was said that Robert had an inscription on his helm that read 'whomever captures Sir Robert Knolles will gain 100,00 moutons'. Sir Robert was known as, 'the man of few words', and has risen through the ranks in the Breton wars. In 1351 at the Combat of the Thirty, Sir Richard Bamborough, to avoid a siege of his garrison at Ploermel agreed to a combat of thirty champions against the French force under Robert de Beaumanoir. Sir Richard died in the combat, Robert Knollys survived and gained his knighthood but was captured as was Hugh Calveley. Robert captured Fougeray castle from Bertrand du Guesclin in 1352. Sir Robert captured Le Vieux-Château in 1355.
Sir Robert served under Henry of Lancaster in 1357. In 1358 Robert, now a routier captain, becomes the principal captain of the Grand Company. In 1358 Sir Robert captured and plundered Montmorceny. In the year 1357-8 he is said to have amassed plunder worth 100,000 crowns. Sir Robert established himself in the Loire valley controlling 40 castles and plundered, sacked and burned from Orléans to Vézelay. He fought against Bertrand Du Guesclin, whom he captured in 1359 at the siege of Melun. In 1359, Châtillon was besieged and destroyed entirely by the English troops led by Robert Knolles. Sir Robert told Edward III that all his castles were at his disposal, and Edward pardoned him of all violations of the peace treaty. Robert took part in the Brittany civil war between Jean de Montfort and Charles of Blois for the Duke of Brittany and fought at battle of Auray in September 1364 where Du Guesclin was captured and Charles of Blois killed. Sir Robert assisted Edward the Black Prince in his Spanish campaign, especially at Nájera on 3 April 1367. On December 1368 Prince Edward ordered the viscounty of Limoges sold to Robert Knolles, for the debt owed by Jeanne de Penthièvre. Olivier IV de Clisson stepped in and paid the debt. Continuing to fight throughout France, either for the English or for his own plunder, he ravaged Normandy and the Loire valley. In 1369 he ravaged through Picardy and at the end of July 1370 Sir Robert Knollys, with a force of 1,500 men-at-arms and 4,000 archers, departed Calais, and pillaged his way across France, from Arras to Vermandois, then west towards Brittany. By September 1370 Robert Knowles chevauchée was burning Arcueil, Cachan, villejuif and others near Paris. On the 4 December 1370 Bertrand du Guesclin and Olivier III de Clisson defeat a contingent of Robert Knolles' forces, led by Thomas de Grandson.at Pontvallain, near Le Mans. December 1370 Bertrand du Guesclin and Olivier III de Clisson attack and defeat John Cresswell, another of Knolles' commanders. Also in December 1370 Olivier III de Clisson attacks and defeats another English detachment, that was being sent to reinforce Robert Knolles. The Duke of Gloucester and Sir John Knollys march from Calais and make a raid towards Brittany, by way of the Beauce and Vendome, finally linking up with troops of Jean de Montfort, Duc de Bretagne.
Robert Knollys who had travelled through Picardy, had been ordered by Edward III to leave the lands of Eguerrand de Coucy intact. In 1377 Sir Robert assisted John de Montfort in Brittany, and led a force in Aquitaine, and was one of the commanders of a fleet sent against the Spaniards in 1377. On July 19 1380 Thomas Woodstock, later the Duke of Gloucester landed at Calais for an expedition in which Richard II had funded by pawning the crown Jewels for £10,000 and consisted of 5,060 men, about half being archers. Robert took part in the expedition and Buckingham advanaced to Burgundy and at the gate of Troyes a skirmish was fought lasting about 1 hour. The expedition took a wide detour through northern France, swinging as far west as the County of Champagne, pillaging and burning. The French refused to be drawn into a general engagement. When Buckingham's army finally arrived in Brittany, the political situation had changed, with the succession of a new French king and peace between Brittany and France seemed likely.In March 1381 the expedition returned to England.
In 1381 Sir Robert, built a fortified manor-house at Sculthorpe near the market town of Fakenham in North Norfolk and rebuilt the Parish Church of St. Mary and All Saints. Greys, or Rotherfield Greys or Grays parish was given to Robert Knollys. This Parish Church is an ancient structure, in excellent repair, with a wooden turret. The chancel is very ancient, and formed the whole of the original edifice. In the chancel are fine monumental brasses in a good state of preservation, one of which is to the memory of Sir Robert de Grey, who died in 1387. Beneath a spacious recess, on the north of the chancel, is the burial place of the Knollys family.
During the Peasant revolt of 1381 Sir Robert was in his house guarding his treasure with over six score fighting men all in readiness, who would have sallied out at once if the word had been given. It was the same with Sir Perducat d'Albret, who was in London at that time. They could have mustered between seven and eight thousand men all fully armed. But none of this was done, for fear of the rest of the common people in London. A rumour spread through London that the King was being attacked. Loyal men left their houses armed and equipped and made for Smithfield and the fields nearby, where the King was. Soon they were some seven or eight thousand strong. Among the first to arrive were Sir Robert and Sir Perducat d'Albret, accompanied by a strong force of men, and nine of the London aldermen with over six hundred men-at-arms, and also an influential London citizen called Nicholas Brembre, who received an allowance from the King, and had a powerful company of men-at-arms. When they arrived they all dismounted and drew up in battle formation near the King, on one, side. Sir Robert Knollys argued frankly that they should go and fight them and kill them all, but the King refused. Wat Tyler was struck down by the Lord Mayor of London, William Walworth, and killed. The remaining peasants prepared to fight, but Richard II risked placing himself in front of them and subdued their wrath. He led them out of the city, and many were attacked and killed by Sir Robert Knollys.
Sir Robert obtained a licence to travel to Rome in 1389 for "the quieting of his conscience and the salvation of his soul."
Sir Robert built a college and chaplancy and founded Trinity Hospital in Pontefract, the birthplace of his wife and restored the churches of Sculthorpe and Harpley, and helped to found an English hospital in Rome. A new bridge at Rochester, made entirely of stone, was finished in about 1391. It was built a little upstream of the present strucutre and was paid for by Sir John de Cobham and Sir Robert. Sir John was a local landowner. Together they worked to provide for the upkeep of the bridge, maintaining the system of raising money for repairs under the supervision of two elected wardens.
The Ceremony Of The Knollys Rose
The Knollys Rose Ceremony commemorates an ancient City custom dating from 1381. Sir Robert Knollys owned a house on the West Side of Seething Lane. During one of his absences abroad his wife is reputed to have purchased a property on the east side of Seething Lane and built a footbridge over the lane to the other side, without the equivalent of planning permission and resulted in the City Corporation of the day imposing a rent of one red rose, payable each year on the Feast of St John the Baptist (June 24).
The rose payment was no more than a peppercorn rent, a symbolic fine upon Sir Robert, a leading citizen and a successful and respected soldier. For this payment permission was given "to make an hautpas of the height of 14 feet" across the lane. The footbridge has long disappeared, but the legal requirement for the payment of this quit-rent has now been re-established as one of the City's traditions.
The Ceremony is organised by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames, and the Company, the Knollys family and the Vicar of All Hallows invite guests to this annual ceremony which takes place at the Mansion House. On that day one red rose is plucked from the garden in Seething Lane and presented to the Lord Mayor on the altar cushion of All Hallows by the Tower.
He was listed under the Suffolk and Norfolk Roll of Arms of 1400.
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