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From Criminal to Folk Hero, Dick Turpin Was an Idolized Ruthless Thief and Murderer
Richard “Dick” Turpin is often remembered as a hero, but his dastardly deeds have been greatly embellished.
To learn the full story, read my article on All That’s Interesting.
Dick Turpin, an 18th-century English highwayman, gained fame long after his execution for horse theft. While romanticized as a Robin Hood figure in popular works of fiction, his true nature as a career criminal is now coming to light.
By the early 1730s, Turpin joined a gang of deer thieves, later expanding into poaching, burglary, horse theft, and murder. Following his execution for theft, however, the legend Turpin left behind was drastically changed. Soon he was being portrayed as a heroic figure in English ballads, 18th and 19th-century theater, and 20th-century film and television.
This couldn’t have been further from the truth.
One well-known fictional story about Turpin was his famous 200-mile overnight ride from London to York. It is said that he made this harrowing ride on his trusty horse, Black Bess. However, Turpin never made this heroic journey. The story was made up 100 years after his execution.
