The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when the opulence of king Charles II replaced the austerity of Cromwell's Commonwealth, led to the emergence of a middle-class who were quite content to display their wealth and position in 'society'. None more so than those who had the need or the desire to travel upon the king's highways. For the criminal fraternity such travellers in their showy but slow coaches, and dressed in the latest 'style' were easy targets. Consequently a new breed of criminal came to be encountered by many luckless travellers other than the traditional footpads. Some acquired a reputation for being 'Dandy Highwaymen' while others were nothing more than violent thieves, prepared to murder their victims if necessary. All it seemed were seen, even in their own time as characters, criminals of charisma, who, upon the gallows, (for most ended their days swinging on the gibbet) were well worthy of a day's outing to watch them have their necks stretched. Of the many such robbers of the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries, two stand out as having Yorkshire connections. One was a trueborn Yorkshireman, the other has been adopted, both ended their days dangling on the Tyburn at York's Knavesmire. And, while they were not contemporaries, the exploits of one have been accredited to the other by way of Victorian fiction writers who, it has to be said, never let the facts of history (rather like Hollywood), get in the way of a good story. One was little more than a housebreaker with violent tendencies - the other perhaps more deserved his reputation as a 'gentleman of the road.' Paradoxically perhaps, it is the former, the one credited with the exploits of the other who has become synonymous with highwaymen, while the other, the actual perpetrator of some astonishing feats of derring-do has it seems, been almost forgotten by history. However, nothing can detract from the fact that both were armed robbers, and as such their fates cannot be said to have been unjustly deserved by the standards of their time.

Taken chronologically, John (sometimes William) Nevison, given the romantic title of 'Swift Nick' by king Charles, was active between the 1670's and 1680's, and it is claimed, never used violence against his victims. Richard 'Dick' Turpin on the other hand used violence from the very beginning of his criminal career in the 1720's until he was taken and executed in 1739.

I have to confess that I have been unable to conduct any primary research due to a lack of mobility; it has therefore been necessary to rely on as many secondary sources readily available. Primary sources are available to those interested, especially for Turpin. I hope that any lack of such primary research on my part does not detract too much from the stories of Nevison and Turpin, who, while in reality were nothing more than modern day armed robbers and muggers, with or without violence, retain in the collective imagination of the nation, a reputation they ill deserved. I therefore have to give my thanks to the assorted online sources from which most of this article is derived. They include:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/766781.stm

http://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/2004%20archive/190204/r190204_3.htm

http://www.castleford.org/history/cas018.html

http://www.cliffordstower.org.uk/pages/04_people.htm

http://www.burtonuk.co.uk/research/dick_turpin.htm#top

http://www.exclassics.com/newgate/ngintro.htm

http://www.contemplator.com/history/histrysit.html

http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/york/history/index.html

http://www.cartoons.karoo.net/brough/Home.htm

http://www.overtown.sgt.btinternet.co.uk/Highwaymen/nevison-main.htm#summary

http://www.stand-and-deliver.org.uk/history.htm

http://www.york-united-kingdom.co.uk/dickturpin/