Editing William II of England (section)

== Rufus Stone ==
[[File:Rufus Stone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The site of the Rufus Stone, now a metal monument]]

A stone known as the "Rufus Stone", close to the [[A31 road|A31]] near the village of [[Minstead]] ({{gbmapping|SU270124}}), is claimed to mark the spot where William fell. The claim that this is the location of his death appears to date from no earlier than a 17th century visit by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] to the forest. At the time the most popular account of William's death involved the fatal arrow deflecting off a tree, and Charles appears to have been shown a suitable tree. Letters in ''[[The Gentleman's Magazine]]'' reported that the tree was cut down and burned during the 18th century. Later in that century the Rufus Stone was set up. Originally it was around {{convert|5|ft|10|in|m}} tall with a stone ball on top. [[King George III]] visited the stone in 1789, along with [[Queen Charlotte]], and an inscription was added to the stone to commemorate the visit. It was protected with a [[cast iron]] cover in 1841 after repeated vandalism.<ref name="Lloyd22">{{Cite book |last=Lloyd |first=Arthur |title=The Death of Rufus |publisher=The New Forest Ninth Centenary trust |date=2000 |isbn=0-9526120-5-4 |pages=22–26}}</ref>

The inscription on the Rufus Stone reads:
<blockquote>Here stood the Oak Tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a Stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100.

That the spot where an Event so Memorable might not hereafter be forgotten; the enclosed stone was set up by John Lord Delaware who had seen the Tree growing in this place. This Stone having been much mutilated, and the inscriptions on each of its three sides defaced, this more Durable Memorial, with the original inscriptions, was erected in the year 1841, by Wm [William] Sturges Bourne Warden.

King William the Second, surnamed Rufus being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis,{{efn|The claim was first made by a certain Mr Purkis of the family of charcoal-burners and cottagers remaining at the same spot, who claimed descent when, in 1806, he sold a bridle he claimed was the king's to [[Sir Richard Phillips]], claiming also to have possessed a wheel from the cart that carried his body.<ref>Timbs ''Historic Ninepins'' p. 92</ref> Sir Francis Palgrave in his ''The History of Normandy and of England'', reported the story uncritically. The Purkis family cottage remained at Canterton until the end of the 19th century.<ref>Rodgers and Parson "New Forest" ''English Woodland'' p. 51</ref>}} and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that City.<ref>Hollister ''Henry I'' pp. 102–103</ref></blockquote>