Stand and Deliver .....................
David's going Ghost mad again.
As I have "mentioned" before, I do have a liking for Living TV's Most Haunted program, and over the nights of the 29th , 30th and 31st of December they are trying to follow in the the ghostly footsteps of the famous highway man Dick Turpin.
Romantic history has him as a dashing thief, holding up the carriages of the rich in the then forests of 18th Century north London, astride his famous horse, Black Bess. After many adventures, he then makes the famous dash to York to escape the authorities, which of course eventually capture Turpin ( the actual "ride" is believed to have been taken by another highway man - John "Swift Nick" Nevison). Even at his execution , Turpin is supposed to have continued being the showman, but in the end "they got him"
Of course, the reality of Dick Turpin is far (or maybe not that far) from the myth.
John Palmer alias Dick Turpin Richard Turpin
There is some discussion in the history books as to where Turpin was born, but it is generally thought to be either Thackstead or Hempstead, near London. But what is known is that he was baptised Richard Turpin on 25th September 1705. He started out life quite "ordinarily", being apprenticed to a Whitechapel Butcher.
But it didn't take long for the darker side of his character to come through, although not the successfully. He was caught stealing two oxen. He then turned to smuggling, again with little success. He , in time, became part of a Gang of cut throats known as the Gregory Gang (Thomas Barnfield, Mary Brazier, John Fielder, Jasper Gregory, Jeremy Gregory, Samual Gregory, Herbert Haines, John Jones, James Parkinson, Joseph Rose, Thomas Rowden, Ned Rust, William Saunders, Richard Turpin, Humphry Walker, and John Wheeler to list the main members, although it is known that there were others). They "robbed" their way around the houses and forests of the Home Counties. The King offered a reward of £50 for their capture (although by the end of his escapades there was a bounty of £200 for Turpin alone)
Eventually, local constables captured two of the gang, Turpin himself narrowly missing capture by bursting out a window.
Turpin headed back into the familiar East Anglian countryside and lived rough for some time., until he began working with 'Captain' Tom King, one of the best-known highwaymen of the day and the kind of swashbuckling, devil-may-care character into which legend would later transform Turpin. From a cave in Epping Forest from which they could watch the road without being seen, they robbed virtually anyone who passed their hiding place. Even local peddlers started to carry weapons for protection. By 1737, Turpin had achieved such notoriety that another bounty of £100 was placed on his head- a reward that unwittingly transformed him from a common footpad into a murderer. On 4th May, 1737, a gamekeeper named Morris tracked Turpin to Epping Forest, but when he challenged him at gunpoint, Turpin drew his own gun and shot Morris dead.
However, it could be said that what happened next was really the start of his eventual capture. One night Turpin took a liking to a fine looking horse, the only problem being it already belonged to a Gentleman by the name of Major. After Turpin "persuaded" Mr Major to "swop" horses, he then rode off. The pity for Turpin was that Mr Major was made of sterner stuff. He issued handbills around the pubs of London, describing the horse and naming Turpin as the thief. Eventually Mr Majors horse was found at the Red Lion pub in Whitechapel, where Turpin had stabled it. When Tom King came to collect the horse, he was arrested. Turpin, who had been waiting nearby, rode toward the constables holding King and fired at them. Unfortunately, he was a dreadful shot, and the bullets hit King rather than his captors.
Before he died, King provided the constables with sufficient information to force Turpin to again live rough in Epping Forest. Realising that he could not long escape capture if he remained in the London area, Turpin set off for, first Long Sutton in Lincolnshire, and then Yorkshire., where he settled under the name of John Palmer.
He rustled horses, and then even set himself up as a horse dealer, so , the now John Palmer lived as a Gentleman. However, the smallest error, began the biggest of tumbles. On returning home from a hunt near the Yorkshire town of Brough, he foolishly shot the local Landlords prise cock, for which he was then brought before the local magistrate.
Unable to explain his actions, and how he made his money, he was held in custody in the Cells at York Castle. Further investigations showed no proof of employment - where WAS the money coming from. It was then found that complaints had been made against "Mr Palmer" when he lived in Lincolnshire. Then came the rumours.
Whilst in the York Cells, Turpin wrote to his brother, asking for help:
Dear Brother,
I am sorry to acquaint you that I am now under confinement in York Castle for horse stealing. If I could procure an evidence from London to give me a character, that would go a great way towards my being acquitted. I had not been long in this country before my being apprehended, so that it would pass off the readier.
For Heaven's sake, dear brother, do not neglect me. You will know what I mean when I say
I am yours
John Palmer.
Unfortunately for Turpin, at that point in history, it was the person that received the letter that paid the postage, and his brother was to mean to put his hand in his pocket, so the letter was returned to the Post Office. In one of those twists of fate that so often occur in history, Turpin's former schoolmaster, Mr James Smith, saw the letter and recognised the handwriting. The letter was opened with permission of the local magistrate. Although it was signed John Palmer, Smith identified the handwriting as belonging to the man he knew as Richard Turpin. Mr Smith was then asked to go to York and identify Palmer as Turpin, which he duly did.
Turpin was then tried on two charges, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged.
On 19th April, 1739, Dick Turpin was hung at the Tyburn which is on the modern day Knavesmire or York Race Course.
Sadly , the spirit of Dick Turpin has been disturbed several times. His body was buried a number of times as people kept on digging it up. Finally he was buried in quicklime across from St. George's Church in York England.
That is the story of Dick Turpin. Tomorrow will be the complete story, if that's the right way to put, of the Smudger view on the three nights of the most haunted trail of Dick Turpin (and the first to nights have been fascinating)
