The legendary Highwayman was born in 1706 in rural Essex and met his end in York after a career of theft, smuggling, highway robbery, terror and murder.

An apprentice butcher he fell into a life of crime and joined the Essex Gang which raided isolated farmhouses across the Home Counties, terrorising, robbing and torturing the occupants.

King George offered a reward of £50 for the capture of Turpin and his gang, which was eventually doubled after a vicious attack on the family of a rich farmer.

Turpin who had now joined forces with 'Captain' John King a well known highwayman, shot and killed a gamekeeper who tracked him to their hideaway in Epping forest and he then fled north to escape arrest.

He lodged at the Green Dragon in Welton and financed a fancy life-style under the name of John Palmer, by stealing horses and cattle.

The end came unexpectedly when Turpin, returning from a hunt meeting with some local toffs, shot the landlords rooster at the Ferry Inn in Brough East Yorkshire.

Subsequent enquiries into his bizarre behavior, unearthed his source of wealth and he was held in custody in Beverley before being transferred to York Castle.

He wrote to his brother begging for help, but the brother (too mean to pay the postage) had the letter returned. Somehow Turpin's former schoolmaster saw the letter and identified the handwriting. He was then asked to travel to York and identified John Palmer as the notorious Richard Turpin.

On 19th April 1739 Turpin was hanged at Tyburn on York's Knavesmire.