Highway Robbery

Dick Turpin or ‘Turpin the Butcher” became a highway robber in 1735. He’d started out as a butcher but became involved  with a gang of deer thieves from Essex in the early 1730s. The gang poached the deer and Turpin sold the meat. By 1773 Turpin had enough money to become the landlord of a Pub – The Rose and Crown at Clay Hill.

But poaching was risky business and many of the gang were captured. Turpin found himself needing money and so began his career of theft.

It is known that Turpin was part of gang of six  that raided the home of Ambrose Skinner, a local farmer, in December 1734. They escaped with 300 guineas. The gang were quite brutal in their attacks. Their success was short lived and by March of 1735 most had been captured and hanged.

In those days a gibbet was the last place for robbers and bandits.

The Gallows at Tyburn

Turpin escaped and joined forces with Thomas Rowden “the pewterer’. Thus began four years of skullduggery and mayhem.

An engraving showing Dick Turpin shooting Thomas Morris.

Included in his list of ill doings were, murder, robbery, highway robbery and horse theft . This last was his final downfall. He was hanged for horse theft in York on Saturday 7th April 1739.

Mr Ball