King John and his entourage of courtiers and Soldiers became notorious for taxing people and stealing produce. The roads he traveled along, becoming known as the Kings Highway had to be repaired and kept in good repair by and at the expense of the local people. In those days, it was believed that madness was catching, so when they heard the king was coming on his way to Nottingham, the men of the village pretended to be mad. A different route was taken by the king, leaving the villagers to their madness and the people of Gotham won their reputation for stupidity.
Hence the expression “There are more fools passing through Gotham than actually live there”.
King John can be seen at the top
