The most despised English historical figure

There's something of a debate going on at the moment on the History of England Facebook group about who's the most despised English historical figure. Here are the results of the jury so far ...Bloody Mary (rather unfairly I feel) leading the pack by a nose at the moment. .

 

 

The despised one	Votes
Bloody Mary	4
King John	3
James II	3
Edward II	3
Edward I	2
Henry VI	2
Charles I	2
William I	2
Margaret of Anjiou	1
The Barons of Henry I	1
Matilda	1
Isabella	1
The bloke who shot Richard I	1
Thomas Becket	1
Richard II	1
Eadric Streona	1
The Duke of Wellington	1
Field Marshal Haig	1
Michael Grade	1
Mary Whitehouse	1
People who said nasty things about Oscar Wilde	1
Neville Chamberlain	1
Vortigern	1
Ed, some guy fron London who is a jerk	1
Aethelred	1
Henry VIII	1

 

Comments

[Les Read]

I personally think King Stephen should be up there. A most despised yet mis understood figure I think. Beside's we've never had a Stephen the second (or a second King John come to that) so he must be despised by someone!

[Les Read]

Technically, the boy who shot Richard I was not English. However, Richard's men should be up there for killing him against Richard's orders.

[Les Read]

Where's Richard III in the list? Has he been reprieved since his discovery in a pub car park recently? Maybe people think that any infanticidle uncle who likes a pub that much that he has one built over his grave can't be that bad. Forget the children in the tower and let's go to the pub. It's the place to die for!

[The History of England]

Weeell, I have to say that the discussion has been pretty pro Richard III...on the lines of 'well it's hardly out of the ordinary in a pretty brutal age and otherwise he seemed like a good bloke. But happy for you to put him on the list...

[Les Read]

I think the jury's out on Richard III; It's not clear whether he did kill the kids or whether that was just a part of a tudor smear campaign. It's hard to tell with the Plantagenates. They sure make the middle ages a load of fun!

It's a bit like the debate around Richard II. (why is it always the Richards?). Did Henry IV save England from a tyrant or was he a tyrant blackening Richard's previously good name? Did the contemporary historians change their tune once Richard had gone because good King Henry had freed them from the yoke of Richard or because bad king Henry now intimidated them into changing their tunes. It's so difficult to see clearly looking down the corridors of time.

[Les Read]

How about one we can all agree about... Jack the Ripper? Assuming he was English that is. But if you can have Margaret of Anjiou why not!

[juanenbrisbane]

Field Marshal Haig. Did he not kill and maim more than the rest put together through his incompetence and Upper Class attitudes?

[The History of England]

The Richard's do seem to suffer a bit...though glorious RI...I have to say that I think RII probably was a stinker. Too full of himself by half...

Yes! Jack the Ripper has to be a slum dunk. Easy one.

Haig I think is a bit more difficult. I mean yes, millions of men under his control died in pain and agony. But like many others he was dealing with a situation that was completely new and they just didn't know how to deal with. So he's guilty of failing to find a world changing solution, but I don't see him as an evil man, just limited.

[Les Read]

How about Robert Curthose for founding Newcastle? Just joking, the geordies are really nice people.

[Simon]

The bloke who designed the one way system in Derby.

[Robertson Shinnick]

Jack the Ripper for sure! Or Burke and Hare?

(Oh, wait a sec... were they Scots? Out here in the "Colonies", we can't always keep you UK types sorted out, y'know.)

Surprised ol' Ollie Cromwell didn't make anybody's list? On the other side of the coin, I guess Charlie the First gets a little sympathy for having lost his head, and perhaps Richard III is also undergoing a rehabilitation now that we've dug him up?

[The History of England]

Actually, I think that someone did say Olly Crom...but there's no way he's going on any list of baddies I'M involved in...