On 21 October 1772, highwayman Henry Duffill stood trial for robbing travellers on a London road with pistol and politeness. He was tried at the Old Bailey and was sentenced to death for highway robbery. His story captures the fading glamour of England’s “gentlemen of the road.”
Tag Archives: highway robbery
This Day in History: 20 October — The Highwayman and the Flintlock (1779)
On 20 October 1779, highwayman John Staples robbed a traveller at pistol-point on a London road. Captured soon after and tried at the Old Bailey, he was sentenced to death for highway robbery. His case captures the fading days of England’s flintlock outlaws and the end of the highwayman era.
This Day in History – 21 July 1751
Horse-Turnpike Highway Robbery – This Day in History (21 July 1751)
On this day in 1751, William Elkins stood trial at the Old Bailey for highway robbery after allegedly holding up travellers at a turnpike while on horseback.
The Sage Page 