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.
Tag Archives: London criminals
This Day in History: 7 October — The Silk Handkerchief Job (1806)
On 7 October 1806, pickpocket William King stole a silk handkerchief from George Pritchard in London. Convicted at the Old Bailey, King was sentenced to seven years’ transportation. This retelling explores how a single handkerchief theft reveals the harsh justice and fragile fortunes of Georgian London’s street life.
This Day in History: 6 October — The Night of the Stolen Fowls (1793)
On 6 October 1793, eleven hens and two cocks vanished from a London yard. William Peters, aged sixty, was later tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced to twelve months in the House of Correction and fined one shilling. This vivid retelling captures London’s petty thefts and everyday justice.
The Sage Page 