ON this day in 1739, the infamous highwayman Richard “Dick”; Turpin was publicly hanged at Knavesmire, York.
If you’ve heard of only one highwayman, it’s probably Dick Turpin.
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There’s a lot of myths that surround his short life, having been executed at just 33 years old, but the following account of the life and times of Dick Turpin draws from the facts that most sources agree to be true.
Richard Turpin was most likely born in 1705 at the Blue Bell Inn, Hempstead, Essex. He was the fifth of six children born to John Turpin and Mary Parmenter.
The nickname “Dick”; seems to have come from the 1834 novel Rookwood by William Harrison Ainsworth, the source of most of the Dick Turpin legends.
Turpin became a butcher’s apprentice but he soon took his skillset to the notorious Gregory Gang. They were cattle stealers and smugglers, who usually robbed farmhouses and terrorised the owners.
When the gang was caught, Turpin was able to flee and go into partnership with Tom King, a famous highwayman, in 1735. They primarily held up carriages travelling around the Epping Forest area.
Two years later, there was an incident during an attempted robbery, about which accounts vary, that ended with King being killed and Turpin accused.
After fleeing London to avoid arrest, Turpin adopted the alias “John Palmer”; and settled in Brough, East Yorkshire. At this point, he started posing as a cattle dealer, stealing horses and sheep in Lincolnshire to sell on.
So, after years of flaunting the law and evading capture, what was it that finally got Turpin arrested? Shooting a cockerel!
On 2nd October 1738, Turpin killed his landlord’s gamecock. When a witness, possibly an associate, mentioned getting the authorities involved, ‘Palmer’ threatened to kill him as well.
This saw the case get passed onto a local magistrate who demanded sureties of Palmer’s good character. Unable to provide them, Palmer was sent to a house of correction to await trial.
During this time, it was discovered that he was wanted for sheep theft in Lincolnshire so he was detained in York Castle.
This next part sounds so serendipitous, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was one of the myths of Turpin’s life. However, according to all of the accounts, it is completely true.
The ex-highwayman wrote to his brother-in-law, Pompr Rivernall, begging him to provide the character witness that would help to exonerate him.
However, he didn’t put a stamp on the envelope. Rivernall refused to pay the postage and the letter was returned to the local post office.
The postal worker was none other than James Smith, a former teacher who had taught Dick Turpin to write. When he recognised Turpin’s handwriting, he reported the letter’s contents to the authorities. Smith went to York Castle, confirmed Turpin’s identity and is said to have collected a £200 reward (worth approximately £38,000 today).
Despite the list of charges against Turpin being extensive and severe, the infamous figure was tried only for horse theft.
This is because there were several witnesses that could be called against him, giving the prosecution a strong case. The witnesses and accomplices to his previous crimes were mostly dead, transported or too far away to be called to give evidence in York.
On 22nd March 1739, Dick Turpin was found guilty of two charges of horse theft and sentenced to death.
In preparation for his execution, Turpin hired five professional mourners and is said to have bowed to crowds as they gathered to watch the sentence be carried out.
As York had no permanent executioner, a custom developed whereby pardons would be offered to prisoners if they agreed to step into the role. Turpin’s hangman was, ironically, fellow highwayman, Thomas Hadfield.
Thus, Dick Turpin was hanged on 7th April 1739 at Knavesmire, York. It is said that his remains were removed by body-snatchers but were soon reclaimed when an angry mob seized them from a local surgeon’s rooms.
Now, there is a grave in St George’s Churchyard, York, that claims to be the resting place of “John Palmer otherwise Richard Turpin the notorious highwayman and horse stealer”;.
Fact-checking the story
Here are some of the facts that you might have heard about Dick Turpin, which cannot be corroborated.
- Dick Turpin was a Rood Hood figure: Actually, he stole from the rich and poor alike, and didn’t distribute his loot among the needy.
- His horse was called Black Bess: There’s no recorded evidence of the horse’s name.
- He rode from London to York in a single night to give himself an alibi: This story came about in the early 19th century and has also been associated with other highwaymen of the time, such as John Nevison and Richard Dudley.
- He wore a scarf or mask to conceal his identity: This was only added in later accounts. However, when he was a housebreaker, he may have disguised himself with black paint or mud.
- He was devilishly handsome: Contemporary descriptions of his face mention disfigurement due to pox marks.
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