Turpin, Dick

Turpin, Dick (1705-39), outlaw, b. Hempstead, Essex, England.

As a young man, Richard (Dick) Turpin was a butcher in the Essex village of Sewardstone. But he was found to be stealing cattle to provide meat for his shop. He fled and took up a life of crime.

At first he worked with a gang of robbers, but the leader was captured and put to death. The gang broke up and Turpin became a highwayman.

He worked with a partner named Tom King. One day, the two were in danger of capture. In the fight that followed, King was fatally wounded by a shot fired by Turpin. A reward of £200 was offered for Turpin.

He stopped being a highwayman and moved to Lincolnshire, where he changed his name. Afterwards he moved many times but was finally arrested at York for horse stealing.

By chance it was discovered who he was and he was hanged there.

Turpin is famous because of the story of his non-stop ride from London to York on his horse, Black Bess. In fact he never made such a ride but another highwayman did. He was John Nevison, known as 'Swift Nicks', and in 1676 he rode 227 miles (365 kilometers) from Chatham, Kent, to York in about 15 hours.

Richard Turpin's grave, which is quite large and some say also contains his horse, can be seen in Saint Georges church graveyard in York.

See Dick Turpin: The Myth of the English Highwayman ~ J. A. Sharpe