Roger of Howden served as a royal clerk under Henry II. Between 1185 and 1190 he worked as Henry's Justice of the Forest. This job involved him travelling round the country dealing with people who had broken the king's forest laws. Later he accompanied Richard the Lionheart on the Third Crusade. When he returned, Roger retired to Howden in Yorkshire where he wrote books about his experiences. Roger provides important information on the way Henry II ruled England. He believed Henry II was a great king and tended to support him in his struggles with the church. Roger died in about 1202.