Dick Turpin

Tony Dalton
July 28, 2023

Dick Turpin has become a legendary figure, a heroic dandy, with ballads written about him, popular theatre shows in the 18th and 19th century, and even Film and TV shows. In reality though, he was far from dandy, and was a vicious and violent criminal!

Richard (Dick) Turpin was born at the Blue Bell Inn in Hempstead, Essex, the fifth of six children, his father John Turpin was a butcher and Inn keeper, and his mother was Mary Elizabeth Parmenter.

He was baptised on 21 September 1705.

Several stories suggest that Dick Turpin may have followed his father into the family business; but one hints that, as a teenager, he was apprenticed to a different butcher in the village of Whitechapel, while another states he ran his own butcher’s shop in Thaxted.

At his trial in 1739 his Testimony suggests that he had a little education and, although no records survive that corroborate it, it is believed he married Elizabeth Millington in 1725.

Following his apprenticeship, they moved north to Buckhurst Hill, Essex. where Turpin opened a butcher’s shop.

By the early 1730s things seem to change for the worse for Turpin. He joined a gang of deer thieves and, later, became a poacher, burglar, horse thief and killer.

Turpin’s involvement with highway robbery, followed the arrest of the other members of his gang in 1735. He then disappeared from public view towards the end of that year, only to resurface in 1737 with two new accomplices, one of whom Turpin may have accidentally shot and killed.

Turpin fled from the scene and shortly afterwards killed a man who attempted to apprehend him.

Later that year, he moved to Yorkshire and assumed the alias of John Palmer. While he was staying at an inn, local magistrates became suspicious of “Palmer” and made enquiries as to how he funded his lifestyle. Suspected of being a horse thief, “Palmer” was imprisoned in York Castle, to be tried.

Turpin’s true identity was revealed by a letter he wrote to his brother-in-law from his prison cell. Amazingly the postman delivering the letter had taught young Dick to read a write, and he immediately recognized Turpin’s handwriting.

On 22 March 1739, Turpin was found guilty on two charges of horse theft and sentenced to death. He was hanged at Knavesmire on 7 April 1739.

In Victorian times, Novelist William Harrison Ainsworth based a story on Turpin, giving him a horse called Black Bess and inventing a 200 mile overnight dash from London to York, almost 100 years after the real Turpin’s death. This story, among others, have fuelled the legend of Dick Turpin.

At our sister site, Educational Musicals, we love a good story about brigands and scoundrels. Check out our musical.

PERFECT PIRATES – The Story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read. About a couple of female rogues who became pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. It’s a great script, created especially for Children, and it has 12 incredibly catchy songs. Check out PERFECT PIRATES – The Story of Anne Bonny and Mary Read where you can read two pages of script and hear two of the songs.

Isn’t History fun?

10 questions to discuss:

1. 1. 1. What was Dick Turpin’s early life like? Was there any truth to the stories about his different occupations?
    2. What led Dick Turpin to turn to a life of crime? What were his initial crimes before becoming a highwayman?
    3. Can you elaborate on the incident where Turpin allegedly shot and killed one of his accomplices? What happened after that?
    4. How did Dick Turpin manage to evade capture for so long, even after fleeing from the scene of the previous murder?
    5. What happened to Dick Turpin during his time in Yorkshire under the alias John Palmer? What led to his true identity being revealed?
    6. What were the specific charges for which Dick Turpin was sentenced to death? What was the public reaction to his execution?
    7. What were some of the key elements of William Harrison Ainsworth’s story that contributed to the romanticized image of Dick Turpin?
    8. How do historians and scholars view the real Dick Turpin compared to the legendary figure? What are some of the discrepancies between fact and fiction?
    9. Are there any other notable works of fiction or popular culture that have perpetuated the myth of Dick Turpin?
    10. Does the case of Dick Turpin offer any insights into the social and economic factors that contributed to crime in 18th-century England?