Hanging with Highwaymen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Claude Duval

Born in France in 1643, Claude Duval emigrated to England during the Civil War. After committing many crimes including the robbery of a carriage on Hampstead Heath, he fled back to France. However, upon his return to England, he was arrested and sentenced to death. He was hanged on January 21st, 1670.

Answer: Jack Sheppard

Born on March 4th, 1702, by the age of twenty, Jack Sheppard had turned to being a highwayman to support his bad habits. In 1723, he was arrested for pickpocketing and sent to New Prison, Clerkenwell. With the help of a prostitute, he escaped by climbing a six-metre-high wall.

A year later, the same girl helped him escape from Newgate Prison twice. He was finally captured and hanged on November 16th, 1724.

Answer: Isaac Darkin

Born on April 2nd, 1740, Issac Darkin committed his first robbery at the age of eighteen. He escaped the death penalty by agreeing to join the British army. However, he soon returned to a life of crime. He was arrested in London after stealing a gold watch and was hanged on March 23rd, 1761, aged 21.

Answer: John Rann

Born in 1752, John Rann became known as "Sixteen-String Jack" for the sixteen colourful strings on the knees of his various costumes. He began as a pick-pocket, stealing watches and other valuables before moving on to highway robbery. He was eventually arrested when one of his many mistresses attempted to sell stolen property. He was hanged on November 30th, 1774.

Answer: George Lyon

Born in 1761, for thirty years George Lyon terrorized his home town of Upholland, Lancashire, committing countless robberies. He was finally caught and hanged, along with two accomplices, in April 1815.

Answer: pretended to be dead

Born in 1639, John Nevison served in the British army for a short while before returning to England to care for his sick father. It was here that he turned to being a highwayman. He was arrested many times, but always managed to escape. Once, a friend, posing as a doctor, fooled prison guards into thinking Nevison was dead, and carried him out of prison, still alive, inside a coffin. Nevison was eventually arrested for the murder of a policeman and hanged in May 1685.

Answer: True

Born in 1724, James MacLaine became known as the "Gentleman Highwayman" due to his courteous behaviour during his robberies. Together with accomplice William Plunkett, he committed twenty highway robberies in less than six months, but was arrested after trying to sell stolen property. He was hanged on October 3rd, 1750. Plunkett, however, was released.

Answer: Jerry Abershawe

Born in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, England, in 1773, by the age of seventeen, Jerry Abershawe was leading a small gang of highwaymen who, for many years, terrorized the roads between Wimbledon, London and Kingston. He was eventually arrested for the murder of a policeman and hanged on August 3rd, 1795.

After his execution, his body was left on display at the top of a hill in a type of metal cage called a gibbet. The hill then became known as "Jerry's Hill".

Answer: John Austin

With these words, John Austin became the last man to be hanged at Tyburn Tree, at Tyburn near the corner of Hyde Park in London close to Marble Arch. The site of the former gallows at the junction of Oxford Street and Edgware Road is marked by a small brass plaque in the road. John Austin's execution took place on November 7th, 1783.

Answer: Dick Turpin

Turpin was born in Hempstead, Essex, in 1705. In 1730, he became involved with a notorious gang of deer thieves, the Gang of Gregory, but by 1734, most of the gang had been captured. Turpin went on to rob travellers alongside two other highwaymen, Matt King and Stephen Potter. In May 1737, he fatally shot Thomas Morris in Epping Forest.

In June 1737, Turpin began working in Yorkshire under the alias "John Palmer". A few months later he was arrested and sent to prison for stealing livestock. Whilst in prison, he wrote a letter to his family, but his brother-in-law refused to pay the postage fee and sent the letter back to the Post Office. It was here that postman and former schoolteacher, James Smith, who had taught Turpin to write, saw the envelope and recognised the handwriting. Turpin was put on trial for murder and horse theft. On March 1st, 1739, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged on Tuesday, April 7th, 1739.