Mike Loades goes behind the mask to uncover the brutal truth about the myth of the highwayman. Unlike many other criminals, they've been glamorised and idolised, their names enduring as legends. They are considered by many as dashing romantic heroes, courageous adventurers and champions of the underdog in an unjust society.
The reality was very different. Between the end of the English Civil Wars and the first decades of the 19th century, there was an epidemic of highway robbery in Britain. It was a crime wave that lasted over 100 years.
To carry out his investigation, Mike gets his hands on the tools of the Highwayman's trade, the horse and the pistol, and explores the huge part popular fiction has played in glorifying these so-called "gentlemen of the road".
And finally, Mike discovers how society finally got the scourge of highway robbery under control.
Sit back and enjoy an exciting canter through the fascinating real story of highwaymen!
Up Next in Everyday Life
-
The Wall: Rome's Great Northern Frontier
Hadrian’s Wall is celebrating its 1900th birthday… the perfect time for History Hit to investigate this potent embodiment of Roman dominance.
Dan Snow explores the physical remains of Hadrian’s vast project of 122AD - over 80 Roman miles of wall, turrets and forts, stretching from coast to coast...
-
Surviving Under Rule: The Story of Oc...
After their country was invaded in 1939 on two fronts, by both German and Soviet forces, those who lived in occupied Poland throughout the Second World War endured some of the most appalling living conditions and became the victims of the most horrific war crimes of the Holocaust. From the ghetto...
-
The Whitechapel Murders: Into the Str...
Today, the East End of London is a thriving centre of commerce. In the 19th century however, it was a maze of dark alleys, gas lit courts and foggy wharfs. It was a particularly dangerous place for women, a number of whom were murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Dr Julia Laite takes Dan Sno...
42 Comments