Two small shires under one sheriff: Cambridgeshire with the Isle of Ely, where the bishop of Ely holds the regalian liberty, and Huntingdonshire, which Henry II put entirely under forest law, and where the abbots of Ramsey hold much of the land and the great fair of St Ives.
Who holds it
- Name
- Robert de Lisle (Robert de Insula)
- Title
- Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire
- Since
- Michaelmas 1197 (until Michaelmas 1200, when Hamo de Valognes succeeds)
- Confidence
- medium
From the list of sheriffs.
Overlord
King John (the Exchequer)
What it holds
- The farm of the two shires
- Cambridge castle
- The borough farms of Cambridge and Huntingdon
- The forest of Huntingdonshire (with the forest officials)
How it was acquired
A shire of the English kingdom since before the Conquest.
How things stand that morning
At peace; the sheriff in office.
Wealth
Fen produce (fish, eels, reed, turf), corn of the uplands, the river trade of the Ouse and Cam to Lynn; the fair of St Ives.
Military
The shire levy; Cambridge castle.
Sheriff in 1200
Robert de Lisle, sheriff from Michaelmas 1197 to Michaelmas 1200, keeping Cambridge castle.
Hundreds
Cambridgeshire: Armingford, Chesterton, Cheveley, Chilford, Flendish, Longstow, Northstow, Papworth, Radfield, Staine, Staploe, Thriplow, Wetherley and Whittlesford; the Isle of Ely (two hundreds, the bishop's liberty). Huntingdonshire: Hurstingstone, Leightonstone, Normancross and Toseland.
Forests
All Huntingdonshire is royal forest (Henry II's afforestation), in bailiwicks such as Sapley, Weybridge and Harthay. No royal forest in Cambridgeshire.
Castles
Royal: Cambridge. Huntingdon (Earl David's, slighted after 1174). The bishop of Ely's Wisbech and Ely. Kimbolton (Mandeville lands, now with Geoffrey FitzPeter).
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- Michaelmas 1200Hamo de Valognes, lately justiciar of Ireland, becomes sheriff.Depends on: the king's appointment Stopped by: another choice
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Sheriff from the list; the start term is given as Michaelmas 1197.
On the map: Historic county outlines, approximate.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.