Who Was Richard Turpin?

Richard Turpin was born on the 21st of September in the year 1705. He was basically a legendary English robber who started his career as a deer thief and later on moved to burglary, to high way robbery and then even murder. Due to his accounts of thievery he became a legend and was mentioned in English ballads and theaters and even in film and television in the 20th century. He as known as the heroic Highway Man. Turpin was born in Hempstead where his father was into the smuggling business. Therefore at a very early age Turpin was exposed to criminal life. At the age of sixteen he moved down south and became a butcher at White chapel in the district of London where he conducted himself in a very loose and disorderly manner. He them married his childhood sweetheart Elizabeth Millington at the age of twenty one. After their marriage the couple moved to Buckhurst Hill where Turpin opened his own butcher shop.

He started stealing lambs, sheep and cattle for his business which at that time was a serious offence punishable by death. Finally he was caught stealing and he fled leaving his wife and business behind with officials in his pursuit. He then lived in caves and the forest and robbed smugglers. Later on when he left the gang he turned to stage coach robbing. He was executed in York on the 7th of April in 1739.