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Rogues of the Road: Highwaymen & Highway Robbery In 18th Century England
A complete and concise look at the malefactors, rogues and highwaymen who pursued their evil and wanton calling by assaulting and depriving the fair citizens of England of their most precious and prized possessions by use of the most reprehensible of methods...
Highway Robbery!
This book is mainly concerned with the Seventh Commandment, and its application to the protection of property in eighteenth century England during a period when highway robbery was, for many, the preferred way to steal. The work examines the extent of highway robbery in eighteenth century England and the various ways in which highwaymen operated. An essential basic account of the English eighteenth century legal system with regard to the courts and policing is provided in order to establish a point of reference as well as to illustrate the importance and significance of the receiver of stolen property upon whom the success of most thieves, even today, remains dependent.
Highway Robbery!
This book is mainly concerned with the Seventh Commandment, and its application to the protection of property in eighteenth century England during a period when highway robbery was, for many, the preferred way to steal. The work examines the extent of highway robbery in eighteenth century England and the various ways in which highwaymen operated. An essential basic account of the English eighteenth century legal system with regard to the courts and policing is provided in order to establish a point of reference as well as to illustrate the importance and significance of the receiver of stolen property upon whom the success of most thieves, even today, remains dependent.
- GenresHistory
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2014
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June 7, 2014
In 'Rogues of the Road', Tony Duke gives us a fascinating, and impeccably well researched, view of the phenomenon of the highwayman in 18th century England. Highwaymen could be found in earlier times (my personal favourite being Captain James Hind who attempted to rob Oliver Cromwell and only just escaped with his life) and also in the early 19th century but the 18th century was certainly the golden period.
Duke starts us off with a detailed chapter on the origins of highway robbery and the increasingly draconian laws attempting to suppress it including the infamous Waltham Black Acts of 1722 which, among other things, made wearing a mask on the highway a capital offense.
The infamous master criminal of the early 18th century, Jonathan Wild, rates a chapter to himself as indeed he should. When Wild was at the height of his power from around 1723 until his execution in 1725, the incidence of highway robbery fell drastically. Wild was no highwayman but he brooked no challenge to his empire. After his death there was a sharp rise in robbery on the highway.
Much of the rest of the book concerns the most famous highwayman of them all - Dick Turpin. Duke teases out the truth from the myth and shows how the stories of other men such as Thomas Boulter, William Hawke and William Page among others accreted to the Turpin legend. I learned a lot here, including the interesting possibility that the man who was executed as Turpin was in fact someone else.
The only real criticism I have of this book is that are so many highwaymen we don't hear about. The Newgate Calendar has around fifty examples of highwaymen and Haywood's 'Lives of the Famous Criminals' lists more than fifty just in the decade between 1720 and 1730. There is no way, of course, that all of them could rate a mention but I would liked to have seen a few more.
Perhaps the subtitle of the book should have been 'Dick Turpin and Highway Robbery in the 18th Century'? Still, this is more a matter of personal preference than anything else and within the area that the author has chosen to investigate this is a very worthwhile read.
Duke starts us off with a detailed chapter on the origins of highway robbery and the increasingly draconian laws attempting to suppress it including the infamous Waltham Black Acts of 1722 which, among other things, made wearing a mask on the highway a capital offense.
The infamous master criminal of the early 18th century, Jonathan Wild, rates a chapter to himself as indeed he should. When Wild was at the height of his power from around 1723 until his execution in 1725, the incidence of highway robbery fell drastically. Wild was no highwayman but he brooked no challenge to his empire. After his death there was a sharp rise in robbery on the highway.
Much of the rest of the book concerns the most famous highwayman of them all - Dick Turpin. Duke teases out the truth from the myth and shows how the stories of other men such as Thomas Boulter, William Hawke and William Page among others accreted to the Turpin legend. I learned a lot here, including the interesting possibility that the man who was executed as Turpin was in fact someone else.
The only real criticism I have of this book is that are so many highwaymen we don't hear about. The Newgate Calendar has around fifty examples of highwaymen and Haywood's 'Lives of the Famous Criminals' lists more than fifty just in the decade between 1720 and 1730. There is no way, of course, that all of them could rate a mention but I would liked to have seen a few more.
Perhaps the subtitle of the book should have been 'Dick Turpin and Highway Robbery in the 18th Century'? Still, this is more a matter of personal preference than anything else and within the area that the author has chosen to investigate this is a very worthwhile read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review