The Merry Dance of the Highwayman

Along with Robin Hood, the romantic highwayman is one of the great myths of English outlawry. But the model for this most gallant of rogues was a Frenchman name Claude Duval, who carried out audacious robberies with a touch of Parisian flair.

David dances on the moonlit heath, William Powell Frith, late 19th century.

The myth of the romantic highwayman was not wholly imagined. Like many myths, it had roots in actual events. The few historians who have searched for those roots have rightly turned to the 17th century, the golden age of the English highwayman.The Civil Wars and their aftermath left a legacy of religious and political discord. Communities had been torn apart, fortunes broken and made and lives disrupted. Repeated mobilisations had created a surfeit of men trained in arms and inured to violence and during the second half of the century large robber bands, more formidable than their Georgian successors, threatened the well-being of the realm. It was from this stormy context that the myth of the gentleman highwayman stirred. 

To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.

Buy Online Access  Buy Print & Archive Subscription

If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.

Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.