Sir Richard at (the) Lee is the poor knight who RH aided to pay his debt of 400 pounds to the Abbot of St Mary's, and who later help RH not to be captured by shielding him in his castle. There is a known match for this knight in the person of Sir Richard Foliot in the Roger Godberd records.
The Geste has RH first meeting Sir Richard in Barnsdale (Yorkshire). Sir Richard Foliot of the Godberd records had a castle at Fenwick in the eastern Barnsdale area. RH's men met Sir Richard at Wentbridge, and we find that the Went was on the north boundary of Fenwick. (Though the "Wentbridge" of the ballad might even be corruption of Fenwick?)
"1266 Roger Godeberd of Swaneton came at Gerewedon and took and carried away by extortion the charters, which he had made to the abbot and convent of Gerewedon concerning one assart (a piece of land converted from forest to arable) and a wood in the same town and concerning a quittance of 5s. and certain land, which they held of the same man for a term, and one deed obligatory of seven marks, in which he was bound to them, on Saturday next after the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary in the 50th year of the reign of the king. In the same year on the day of St Calixtus next following the same Roger caused the said abbot and convent by force and compulsion to make him a certain charter of quittance concerning all the things, above-said."
The above is maybe similar to RH aiding Sir Richard and saving his land from being taken by the abbot/abbey?
Sir Richard at Lee also has some similarlity to Sir John Deyville who was connected with a settlement of a mortgage of 400 pounds to Abbot of St Mary's in 1276. In the ballad Little John goes with Sir Richard to help him pay his debt. Deyville also laid waste the Abbot of St Mary's (York) lands in 1263.
(Mortmain prevents land passing to church in 1279.)
"1270 The same Roger, accused as a public criminal of many burglaries, homicides, arsons, and robberies committed by him in the counties of Leics, Notts, and Wilts, and especially accused that he, together with other evildoers, wickedly robbed the Abbey of Stanley in the said county of Wiltshire of a great sum of money...."
This might match when RH got back the 400 pounds?
"1272 Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry III 1268-1272, 19380, p. 462. Richard Foliot is accused of harbouring Roger Godberd, Walter Deyvas, and others. The mainpernors of lord Richard Folyot, that he should come before the king in the quindene of St Michael in the 57th year of the reign of the king, to make and receive justice concerning those things, which were imposed on him both concerning the harbouring of Walter Deyvas, Roger Godberd and other wrongdoers and also concerning other things...."
This quote above matches Sir Richard at Lee saving RH from being captured. (Not sure if page 462 might also match the 400 pounds debt of the other earlier incident?)
"Whereas Richard Folyot had been indicted of the harbouring of Walter de Euyas, Roger Godberd and other Wrongdoers, by occasion of which indictment you took the lands and tenements of the same Richard in your bailiwick into our hands, and in addition you came to his castle of Fenwyk to capture him, on account of which the same Richard handed over the aforesaid castle and Edmund his son as a hostage, namely with such a condition that he should come before you at York at a certain day, fixed in advance between you and him concerning this, to surrender himself to our prison...."
In the above excerpt we have matches with 2 details in the RH stories. Firstly it matches the king confiscating Sir Richard's castle for having shielded RH from being captured. Secondly there is surely a similarity to the earlier incident of Sir Richard going to pay his debts at York on a set day, which debts were previously brought about from his son slaying a knight.
(Sir Richard's son who "slew a knight of Lancaster" might match in the records of Godberd's times with either: "Edmund his (Foliot's) son"? or "Roger son of Richard (Foliot) d 1274"? or Walter de Ewyas who was pardoned as not guilty for the death of William fuiz le Chapeleyn? Richard Foliot & Waler Deyvas seem somewhat closely connected in the records. "Power to Richard Folyot to conduct Walter Deuyas, charged with divers trespasses to the king", "Richard Folyot... should come before the king... to make and receive justice concerning... the harbouring of Walter Deyvas...".)
Richard Foliot changed sides from the barons to royal camp in 1263-4, which may be similar to that Sir Richard at Lee was loyal to the king in the RH stories?
For the 100 years Sir Richard's ancestors were knights for in the ballad this may match with either that the Foliots were in 1110, 1165, 1270/2, & 1290, and/or Sir John Deyvilles ancestors dates which reach back to 1111 & 1215 & 1230?
Some one asked us "what about the 'at Lee' though?" Well it happens that Richard Foliot has two associations with Lee place names. Foliot had 2 castles, one at Fenwick & one at Wellow/Grimston (Jordan's castle). There is a vill called Lea 12 mi east of Blythe, near Fenwick/Deighton, and there is a Leyfields near Grimston/Wellow, one of them "within the Lacy fee"? (It might be possible that the "assart of land" in the 1266 quote above is the Lee?) Foliot also fought at the battle of Lewes. (There might have also been a confusion/conflation with a Richard de le Wache/Vache whose name is also mentioned in the Godberd records?)
For the alternative name of Verysdale/Uterysdale where Richard's castle was located, this might match in the Godberd records with either Gerewedon of the 1266 record quoted earlier, or Fer(r)esdale/Ferysdale on west bound of Boughton a mile nw of Jordan's castle in Rufford charters, or Wellow (Grimston).