Notre Dame School…

Still deserted because the new term starts tomorrow.
It was pouring with rain when I set off the get my blip of the school in Burnt Lane. Not the ideal place to walk on a wet day wearing Crocks but by hook or by crook I was determined to get my pic that fitted the WidWeb theme of school/education.
So that is my saying today.
The origin of "by hook or by crook" is disputed, though the most plausible explanation is that it stems from medieval English customs, allowing commoners to collect firewood from forests using a shepherd's crook or a billhook (a type of curved knife). The phrase first appeared in the 14th century, predating other theories like those involving Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Ireland or specific judges named Hook and Crook. 

The Medieval Firewood Theory
The Custom:
In medieval England, peasants were allowed to gather fallen firewood from royal or church lands. 

The Tools:
To collect the wood, they were permitted to use either a shepherd's crook to pull branches or a billhook (a long, curved knife) to cut them. 

The Phrase:
This allowed them to gather as much wood as they could reach or cut, thus "by hook or by crook". 


Disputed Theories
Cromwell in Ireland:
One popular but less likely theory connects the phrase to Oliver Cromwell, who supposedly vowed to take the city of Waterford in Ireland by either Hook Head or the village of Crooke, both located in the area. However, this story is anachronistic because the phrase was already in use centuries before Cromwell. 

Judges Hook and Crook:
Another theory suggests the phrase referred to judges named Hook and Crook who presided over cases in London. This explanation also lacks evidence and the names postdate the phrase's documented use. 

The Phrase's First Appearance
The phrase "by hook or by crook" is recorded in 14th-century texts, such as the Middle English Controversial Tracts by John Wyclif in 1380. 

A similar phrasing appears in John Gower's Confessio Amantis (1390), showing its established presence in the English language by that time.