The highwayman who fled to Long Sutton

Researcher Stuart Henderson has spent a number of months collating stories of the historic people, geography and tales related to the area and is in the process of publishing his series of articles called ‘South Holland Miscellany.’ He also runs a Facebook page of the same name.

“It’s a labour of love and nearly a full-time job,” he explained. A retired civil servant and originally from Northumberland, Mr Henderson (65), now lives near Spalding.

The story of Dick Turpin is among those that grabbed his attention. “I had not realised that he had spent around nine months in Long Sutton,” Mr Henderson said. “He was a bit of a rogue. He seems to have come to Long Sutton not long after having committed a murder in Epping Forest.”

According to Mr Henderson’s research, Dick Turpin was born Richard Turpin in 1705 in Hempstead, Essex. His father, John, was a butcher and innkeeper. He apparently married an Essex girl, Elizabeth Millington, in around 1725 and they opened a butcher’s shop near Epping Forest in Essex.

In the early 1730s, Turpin got himself in with a gang, now known as the Essex or Gregory Gang, who were involved in deer poaching and armed household robbery. The gang broke up and Turpin turned his hand to highway robbery.

On May 4, 1737, Turpin was said to have killed a servant of one of the keepers of Epping Forest, called Thomas Morris, who had been attempting to capture the highwayman.

After the murder of Thomas Morris, Turpin is reported to have fled northward and, with a price on his head, changed his name to John Palmer to evade capture.

Mr Henderson said in his research: “There is no definite proof as to where ‘Palmer’ lived during his time in Long Sutton – all we have is hearsay.

“There are no contemporary records or accounts as to where he lived. The only clues we have come from newspaper articles, written many years after his death. An article written in 1867 suggests that ‘no remains exist’ of his dwelling house by that time. However, this is contradicted by an article published in 1900 which reported his house had been sold at auction and was to be demolished by the new owner.”

But, Mr Henderson added: “The Robinsons, in their 1981 book ‘The History of Long Sutton and District’ put forward a proposition based on information provided by locals.”

That reads: ‘There is strong tradition and circumstantial evidence pointing to the fact the Turpin’s cottage and butcher’s shop were part of the buildings attached to and belonging to the Crosby household (The White House) now owned and occupied by Mr Northam. It is still a White House and was so known at least at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time the adjoining property to the west belonged to John Oliver and to the east by a Mr Sanby.’

The White House is the property at 15 High Street, Mr Henderson points out, but adds that according to the Robinsons, it was not necessarily where he lived but that it could have been in one or more of the outbuildings attached to it.

When Turpin arrived in Long Sutton he passed himself off as John Palmer, a horse dealer and a butcher. He had the reputation under his alias as a man of ‘good standing, personality and charm’.

But suspicion grew that he was ‘no more than a common sheep and horse stealer,’ Mr Henderson said.

A local constable attempted to arrest him but Palmer (Turpin) knocked him over and fled the scene, never to be seen again in Long Sutton.

Palmer’s true identity was later found out. He was tried in March 1739 and found guilty of two horse thefts and sentenced to death.

Mr Henderson writes that newspaper reports explain that in the period after his sentencing, until his execution, he was in jovial spirits, copiously drinking and receiving many visitors to his cell. He seemed to be ‘enjoying his fame and notoriety.’

On the day of his execution on April 7, 1739, writes Mr Henderson, Turpin, ‘along with another felon named John Stead,’ was led to the gallows ‘tipping his hat and bowing to the ladies. After giving a speech at the gallows, he then threw himself off to his death.’

The people of Long Sutton were left shocked that they had harboured such a notorious criminal.