*Ø* Blogmanac September 24, 1652 | Highwayman James Hide
1652 English highwayman, Captain James Hind, known by every man and woman in England for his daring crimes, was executed at Newgate Prison. Hind grew up in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, the son of a saddler, served an apprenticeship and worked as a butcher for two years until running away from his disagreeable master.
He went up to London, where he met and teamed up with Thomas Allen, a prominent highwayman. On one occasion they bailed up none other than Oliver Cromwell and his seven bodyguards, but were overpowered by the latter. Tom Allen died on the gallows for this crime, but James Hind somehow managed to make his escape.
A battle of the Bible
Another time on the road, Captain Hind met Hugh Peters, who was one of the Puritan republicans responsible for the death of King Charles I, and commanded him to hand over his purse. Peters, a religious man, regaled Hind with verses from the Bible. “It is written in the Law”’ he chastised the highwayman, “that thou shalt not steal. And furthermore, Solomon, who was surely a very wise man, speaketh in this manner: ‘Rob not the poor, because he is poor’.”
Hind decided to debate his victim in kind, and challenge Peters for his crime of regicide. “Verily,” said Hind, “if thou hadst regarded the divine precepts as thou oughtest to have done, thou wouldst not have wrested them to such an abominable and wicked sense as thou didst the words of the prophet, when he saith, ‘Bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron’. Didst thou not, thou detestable hypocrite, endeavour from these words to aggravate the misfortunes of thy Royal master, whom thy accursed republican party unjustly murdered before the door of his own palace?”
Here Hugh Peters began to make excuses for the king’s assassination, and brought forward other parts of Scripture in his defence, and also to preserve his money. “Pray, sir,” replied Hind, “make no reflections on my profession; for Solomon plainly says, ‘Do not despise a thief’; but it is to little purpose for us to dispute. The substance of what I have to say is this: deliver thy money presently, or else I shall send thee out of the world to thy master in an instant.”
These words of the captain so frightened the old Presbyterian that he gave him thirty broad-pieces of gold, and then the highwayman and regicide parted. However, Hind was not thoroughly satisfied with letting such a notorious enemy to the Crown get off so lightly. He rode after Peters at full speed, caught up with him and cheekily said to him: “Sir, now I think of it, I am convinced that this misfortune has happened to you because you did not obey the words of the Scripture, which say expressly, ‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses for your journey’; whereas it is evident that you had provided a pretty deal of gold. However, as it is now in my power to make you fulfil another command, I would by no means slip the opportunity. Therefore pray give me your cloak.”
Understandably, Peters was dumbfounded. Hind explained himself, quoting from the New Testament: “You know, sir, our Saviour has commanded, that if any man take away thy cloak, thou must not refuse thy coat also; therefore I cannot suppose you will act in direct contradiction to such an express direction, especially now you can't pretend you have forgot it, because I have reminded you of your duty.” The old Puritan hesitated, then delivered his coat, which Hind was delighted to receive, and no doubt the highwayman went on his way laughing heartily.
A 17th-century Robin Hood?
As might be expected, perhaps, an aura of the Robin Hood kind grew up around the highwayman, and many stories were told of his kindness, sympathy and generosity to the poor. Once, he came upon a poor man riding on an ass. He rode up to meet him, and asked him very courteously where he was going. The old man replied, “To the market at Wantage, to buy me a cow, that I may have some milk for my children.” “How many children,” asked Hind, “may you have?” The old man answered ten. “And how much do you think to give for a cow?” Hind asked the peasant. “I have but forty shillings, master, and that I have been saving together these two years,” came the answer.
Hind felt compassion for the man, but he needed money, so what could he do? He quickly thought of an plan that would serve both him and the old man too. “Father,” he said, “the money you have got about you I must have at this time; but I will not wrong your children of their milk. My name is Hind, and if you will give me your forty shillings quietly, and meet me again this day sevennight at this place, I promise to make the sum double. Only be cautious that you never mention a word of the matter to anybody between this and that.” Sure enough, a fortnight later the old man came, and Hind was as good as his word, suggesting that he buy two cows, instead of one, and adding twenty shillings to the sum promised, so that the peasant could purchase the best cow in the market.
On Friday, December 12, 1651, Captain James Hind was brought to the bar of the sessions house in the Old Bailey Courts, London, and indicted for several crimes; but nothing being proved against him that could reach his life, he was con veyed in a coach from Newgate to Reading in Berkshire, where on the 1st of March, 1651, he was arraigned before Judge Warberton for killing one George Sympson at Knole, a small village in that county. The evidence here was undeniable, and he was found guilty of wilful murder.
In early September, 1652, he was condemned for high treason, and on the 24th he was drawn, hanged and quartered, aged only 34. At the place of execution he declared that most of the robberies that he had ever committed were upon the republican party, of whose principles he professed he always had an utter abhorrence.
After he was executed his head was set upon the Bridge Gate, over the River Severn, whence it was privately taken down and buried within the week. His quarters were put upon the other gates of the city, where they remained till they were destroyed by wind and weather.
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1652 English highwayman, Captain James Hind, known by every man and woman in England for his daring crimes, was executed at Newgate Prison. Hind grew up in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, the son of a saddler, served an apprenticeship and worked as a butcher for two years until running away from his disagreeable master.
He went up to London, where he met and teamed up with Thomas Allen, a prominent highwayman. On one occasion they bailed up none other than Oliver Cromwell and his seven bodyguards, but were overpowered by the latter. Tom Allen died on the gallows for this crime, but James Hind somehow managed to make his escape.
A battle of the Bible
Another time on the road, Captain Hind met Hugh Peters, who was one of the Puritan republicans responsible for the death of King Charles I, and commanded him to hand over his purse. Peters, a religious man, regaled Hind with verses from the Bible. “It is written in the Law”’ he chastised the highwayman, “that thou shalt not steal. And furthermore, Solomon, who was surely a very wise man, speaketh in this manner: ‘Rob not the poor, because he is poor’.”
Hind decided to debate his victim in kind, and challenge Peters for his crime of regicide. “Verily,” said Hind, “if thou hadst regarded the divine precepts as thou oughtest to have done, thou wouldst not have wrested them to such an abominable and wicked sense as thou didst the words of the prophet, when he saith, ‘Bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron’. Didst thou not, thou detestable hypocrite, endeavour from these words to aggravate the misfortunes of thy Royal master, whom thy accursed republican party unjustly murdered before the door of his own palace?”
Here Hugh Peters began to make excuses for the king’s assassination, and brought forward other parts of Scripture in his defence, and also to preserve his money. “Pray, sir,” replied Hind, “make no reflections on my profession; for Solomon plainly says, ‘Do not despise a thief’; but it is to little purpose for us to dispute. The substance of what I have to say is this: deliver thy money presently, or else I shall send thee out of the world to thy master in an instant.”
These words of the captain so frightened the old Presbyterian that he gave him thirty broad-pieces of gold, and then the highwayman and regicide parted. However, Hind was not thoroughly satisfied with letting such a notorious enemy to the Crown get off so lightly. He rode after Peters at full speed, caught up with him and cheekily said to him: “Sir, now I think of it, I am convinced that this misfortune has happened to you because you did not obey the words of the Scripture, which say expressly, ‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses for your journey’; whereas it is evident that you had provided a pretty deal of gold. However, as it is now in my power to make you fulfil another command, I would by no means slip the opportunity. Therefore pray give me your cloak.”
Understandably, Peters was dumbfounded. Hind explained himself, quoting from the New Testament: “You know, sir, our Saviour has commanded, that if any man take away thy cloak, thou must not refuse thy coat also; therefore I cannot suppose you will act in direct contradiction to such an express direction, especially now you can't pretend you have forgot it, because I have reminded you of your duty.” The old Puritan hesitated, then delivered his coat, which Hind was delighted to receive, and no doubt the highwayman went on his way laughing heartily.
A 17th-century Robin Hood?
As might be expected, perhaps, an aura of the Robin Hood kind grew up around the highwayman, and many stories were told of his kindness, sympathy and generosity to the poor. Once, he came upon a poor man riding on an ass. He rode up to meet him, and asked him very courteously where he was going. The old man replied, “To the market at Wantage, to buy me a cow, that I may have some milk for my children.” “How many children,” asked Hind, “may you have?” The old man answered ten. “And how much do you think to give for a cow?” Hind asked the peasant. “I have but forty shillings, master, and that I have been saving together these two years,” came the answer.
Hind felt compassion for the man, but he needed money, so what could he do? He quickly thought of an plan that would serve both him and the old man too. “Father,” he said, “the money you have got about you I must have at this time; but I will not wrong your children of their milk. My name is Hind, and if you will give me your forty shillings quietly, and meet me again this day sevennight at this place, I promise to make the sum double. Only be cautious that you never mention a word of the matter to anybody between this and that.” Sure enough, a fortnight later the old man came, and Hind was as good as his word, suggesting that he buy two cows, instead of one, and adding twenty shillings to the sum promised, so that the peasant could purchase the best cow in the market.
On Friday, December 12, 1651, Captain James Hind was brought to the bar of the sessions house in the Old Bailey Courts, London, and indicted for several crimes; but nothing being proved against him that could reach his life, he was con veyed in a coach from Newgate to Reading in Berkshire, where on the 1st of March, 1651, he was arraigned before Judge Warberton for killing one George Sympson at Knole, a small village in that county. The evidence here was undeniable, and he was found guilty of wilful murder.
In early September, 1652, he was condemned for high treason, and on the 24th he was drawn, hanged and quartered, aged only 34. At the place of execution he declared that most of the robberies that he had ever committed were upon the republican party, of whose principles he professed he always had an utter abhorrence.
After he was executed his head was set upon the Bridge Gate, over the River Severn, whence it was privately taken down and buried within the week. His quarters were put upon the other gates of the city, where they remained till they were destroyed by wind and weather.
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