was there. Tottenham Court Fair, when it came, I rejoiced at, for
there I lived riotously, and there too I became a proficient in the
dexterous art of picking pockets, by which I gained for some time
pretty handsomely. But at length that business grew dead, and, as I
lived at a large rate, money was wanting. Accordingly, having mustered
up a sufficient quantity of cash, I purchased a pair of pistols and a
horse, and set out; and in Epping Forest, near Woodford, I stopped two
gentlemen in a chaise and pair, from whom I took only a little silver,
and proceeded on to Newmarket, where I arrived that night, and early
next morning set out again, stopped the Norwich coach, and took from
the passengers thirty guineas, a gold watch, and a diamond ring, and
then rode away; and about three hours after, near Littlebury, met the
Cambridge coach, from the passengers of which I took about five pounds,
and came on for London. I now began to frequent a noted gaming-house
in Covent Garden, where, for several nights, I had a prodigious run
of luck, and won a considerable sum of money. I bought myself a silver
hilted sword, had several new suits of clothes made, particularly
one suit of black velvet, and appeared at all my usual haunts with
surprising eclat. It was at this time I gained the name of ‘Gentleman
Harry,’ for though I was before only called plain Harry, yet, on this
my sudden grand appearance, I was christened ‘Gentleman Harry,’ which
name I retained forever. But fortune not continuing her favors to me
at the gaming-table, I was once more reduced, and obliged to take up
again my old trade. Hitherto, what business I had done was by myself;
but being out one day with a companion of mine, we agreed to attack the
first person we met with powder and shot. We saw nothing for some days
that we either cared or dared to attack, till we came to a place called
Eversley Bank, where we met a collector of Shrewsbury: we ordered him
to stand and deliver, and took from him near three hundred pounds.
For this robbery two men were taken up a short time after, tried at
the assizes, capitally convicted, and executed: and I cannot but own,
that, notwithstanding my hardened villany, so often as I remembered it,
I felt a good deal of sorrow at being the cause of shedding innocent
blood, which I always avoided and abhorred.
“About a month after this, I robbed a lady on Blackheath, in her coach.
After this robbery, riding down the hill that leads to Lewisham Wash,
I was overtaken by six or seven butchers, one of whom seizing the cape
of my coat, pulled me off my horse, and the cape giving way, he tore
it quite off. I then pulled out my pistols, swearing I would shoot
the first man who dared to advance; which none of them caring to do,
I retreated into the fields and got off with the loss of my horse,
which cost me seventeen pounds. But I was not long without a horse,
for, going towards Bromley, I met a gentleman on horseback, to whom I
presented my pistols, ordering him to dismount or I would shoot him
through the head; which he did, and I took from him eight guineas
and seventeen shillings in silver, and, mounting the horse, left him
to pursue his journey on foot. I sold the horse the next day at the
George, in Farnham, and bought another, which cost me thirteen guineas.
From thence I proceeded to Tunbridge, at which place I stayed a day or
two, and then came to London, where I found an old companion, a sailor,
who agreed to turn out with me. At the bottom of Shooters hill we
robbed a gentleman of his gold watch, and about seventeen pounds: the
watch I afterwards sold for nine pounds at the gaming-table in Covent
Garden, and lost the money when I had done.
“Being by this time pretty well known, I ran great hazards; it was but
a very few days after I lost the money as above, I was attacked by
several soldiers in Drury Lane, and should have been carried to the
Savoy, had I not been rescued by some of my friends from Covent Garden;
and in about a week after that, I was taken out of a tavern for the
robbery of a gold watch which I had about me, and was again rescued by
my companions. Some little time after this, I was attacked by about
nine gentlemen thief-takers, in Bridewell Walk, Clerkenwell, but having
my pistols about me, I soon dispersed the cowardly rascals, and walked
off. Another time, riding on horseback through Covent Garden, I was
pursued by a party of thief-takers, but got clear.
“Being in this manner continually beset on all sides, I was at length,
by the perfidy of some ladies with whom I was in company at Goodman’s
Fields’ Wells, taken by a parcel of thief-takers, and conducted to
Clerkenwell Bridewell, where several prosecutions were commenced
against me, and I was obliged to come to a composition with divers of
them, which drained me very low. One gentleman in particular, whom I
had robbed of only eleven shillings and a small medal, made me pay
him forty-seven guineas. By these means, having got rid of my several
prosecutors, I was, by order of the court of justice, confined in
Clerkenwell Bridewell two months for an assault, at the end of which
time I was set at liberty, giving sureties for my good behavior for two
years. It was not long after I was discharged, before I was pressed and
sent on board his majesty’s ship the Rye, where I continued for about
three months, though much against my inclination; being continually
forming some scheme for an escape, not one of which schemes took effect
till the following was hit upon. Whilst we were at Leith, we had
pressed several hands out of some colliers, who, I found by talking
to, were as little desirous of staying on board as myself; I therefore
proposed to eight of them this scheme:--that when the cutter, which had
been on shore pressing, came alongside at night, one of them should
fall out of the main-chains into the river, and the rest of us should
immediately jump into the boat and take the man up, and row away,
which we put in practice with success, only, just as we had got up our
man, the boatswain jumped on board and threatened us. My companions
were for throwing him overboard, but on his promising to be quiet they
were overruled, and he was suffered to sit still; and, notwithstanding
several guns were fired after us, we rowed safe to shore, and left the
boat to the care of the boatswain to carry back if he thought proper.
Being safe on shore, we took leave of each other: they set out for
Scarborough, and I for Edinburgh, in which city I stayed about a week,
and during that time became acquainted with a Scotch lassie, who not
only furnished me with money to purchase my former implements, but lent
me seven guineas to bear my expenses to London, which lasted me no
farther than Grantham; and between Grantham and Stamford I was obliged
to _speak_ with the York stage, from the passengers of which I took
eight guineas, about seventeen shillings in silver, a silver watch and
three plain gold rings, with which I came to London.
“In a short space of time after this, I committed many robberies by
myself, which I did not exactly minute down. My general rendezvous was
about Epping Forest, where I robbed the Harwich coach, the Cambridge
coach, the Norwich coach, &c., to a pretty large amount, which I spent
as fast as I got. About this time, I kept company with another man’s
wife, who was so fond of me, that I could persuade her either out of
cash or any valuables she had, to supply my present necessities; as was
the case when I persuaded her out of her gold watch, and some other
things, which her husband took me up upon, and I was committed to
Newgate, tried at the Old Bailey, and acquitted by the court, who very
justly saw through the prosecution. After my being discharged on this
affair, I unluckily, in a quarrel, ran a crab-stick into a woman’s eye
in Goodman’s-fields, for which I was sent to New Prison. In the mean
time, I was informed that the wife was arrested on an action, and sent
to a sponging-house. Being determined to relieve her, if possible, I
contrived in what manner I could make my escape, and, accordingly, by
the help of sheets I let myself down out of my window and got off: I
immediately went to a friend of mine in Leather-lane, who furnished
me with two pistols, with which I went to the sponging-house in
Gray’s-inn-lane, expecting to find my lady; but when I came there I
found she had been removed to Newgate. Being thus disappointed, and
having no hopes of getting her out of Newgate, I determined to go to
work at my old trade.
“In Broad-street, St. Giles’, about nine at night, I stopped a coach
which contained a single gentleman, from whom I took about seventeen
shillings, and from thence went to my old haunts in Covent Garden, and
after drinking pretty freely, I had a quarrel with a gentleman, who
calling the watch to his assistance, I was taken and carried to the
Covent Garden round-house. Being very much fuddled, I soon went to
sleep; but when I waked next morning, and found myself in a prison,
after having escaped from one but the night before, I was almost
distracted, and began to contrive an escape, but to no purpose; for
after calling for the keeper of the round-house, under pretence of
being hungry, I got some toast and ale, and therewith a knife, with
which I hoped once more to make a breach whereby to escape. But I
was doomed to be disappointed; for notwithstanding my cutting down
the plaster and laths of the ceiling, the joists were so firm that I
could not make an opening. I then grew desperate, broke all the things
I could find in the room, cut the sheets to pieces, pulled off some
tiles from the roof, and did every offensive act in my power, till
at length the constable with a large posse of myrmidons arrived, who
carried me before Sir Thomas De Veil, where, after a long examination,
I laid my information of the robbery of Mr. Smith in Southwark, which
robbery I was actually concerned in, though not with the persons I
swore against at Croydon assizes, but with three others. We committed
the robbery in December 1745, getting in at the two-pair-of-stairs
window by a _Jacob_, that is, a ladder of ropes, which was fixed to the
sign-post first, drawn afterwards into the balcony, and then attached
to the two-pair-of-stairs window. We took from Mr. Smith’s house, after
frightening Mrs. Smith almost to death, two bags of money containing
514_l._ and a 20_l._ bank note, and carried off in bags goods to the
value of 800_l._ The cash we divided equally amongst us at a house in
the Mint; the plate we sold; and we carried the goods to a house near
the Pinder of Wakefield, near Pancras; but for my share of the goods
I never received one penny; they were carried to Ireland by my three
accomplices, who promised to remit me my part, but were never so good
as their words. After my examination I was removed to the New Gaol,
Southwark, to give evidence at the assizes at Croydon.
“After this affair at Croydon, I was removed by habeas to Newgate, on
the oath of a barber at Westminster, whom I had robbed, which barber
was found out by some of my enemies to prosecute me; and upon his
indictment I was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to transportation;
and, about two months after, was with several other convicts put on
board the Italian Merchant, which carried us to Maryland. On our
passage I had formed several plans for an escape, one of which had
nearly been successful, and was agreed upon between me and the rest
of the transports. We were at a certain time to have secured the
captain and sailors, as well as the fire-arms, and to have run away
with the ship, but one of them discovered it to the captain, who put
us in irons, and kept a watchful eye on us during the remainder of the
voyage. When we arrived at Maryland, I was disposed of to the master of
the Two Sisters, who was in want of sailors, and with whom I went to
sea. We had not been out many days before we were taken by a privateer
of Bayonne, and carried into Spain. We were all sent on shore, and had
papers given to us to go to Portugal. When I arrived at Oporto, I was
pressed on board his majesty’s ship the King Fisher, where I remained
about four months, in which time we took several prizes. But not liking
my station, I left her at Oporto, travelled to Lisbon, and got in the
Hanover packet to Falmouth, where I stayed about a month. My companions
endeavored to persuade me to go a privateering with them in the Warner
galley; but I refused, and leaving Falmouth travelled to St. Ives,
where I found a vessel ready to sail for Bristol, on board of which I
went, and arrived at Bristol in two days. I was not long there before
I determined to set up my old trade, and procured a pair of pistols,
though I still wanted a horse; but having observed several horses in a
field near Lawford’s-gate, I soon marked out one for myself, and that
night got into a stable, from whence I stole a saddle and bridle, and
without much difficulty caught my horse and set out for London.
“When I reached London, I was soon informed the thief-takers were after
me. The night I came to town, I put my horse up at the White Swan in
Whitechapel, but went no more near him, fearful, as I had stolen him,
he might be advertised. But I was not long without a horse, for one
Saturday night, about eight o’clock, coming from St. James’, where I
had been regaling with some friends, I perceived a boy in Rider street
walking a horse about, apparently waiting for somebody. I called and
persuaded him to step on an errand into Duke street while I held the
horse, and, as soon as the boy was gone, I mounted and rode away, and
crossing the country reached Harrow-on-the-Hill, where I passed the
night, and the next day set out towards London, in hopes of meeting
some of the farmers returning from the hay-markets after having sold
their hay. I had drank pretty freely at dinner and was somewhat
elevated. I had not ridden far before I met three gentlemen, whom I
commanded to ‘stand and deliver their money,’ which they did very
quietly. From the first I got about three pounds, from the second I had
about five pounds, and from the third thirteen or fourteen shillings.
“The next person I robbed was Mr. Sleep, my prosecutor, and though
neither he nor I recognised each other at that time, yet he, it seems,
has known me from a child. I took from him his watch and six shillings,
and made off.
“After robbing Mr. Sleep, I still kept travelling towards London, in
hopes of meeting the farmers; at length, five of them appeared, whom I
commanded ‘to stop,’ and took from them about 15_l._ in silver. I felt
in their pockets for watches, but they had none. Next I met three men,
whom I ordered ‘to stop;’ but they, not regarding my orders, refused,
and rode full speed, and I alongside of them for at least five or six
minutes, presenting my pistol, swearing I would shoot if they did not
stop: but they still rode on; and I turned from them, giving them a
hearty d--n, not caring to let off my pistol; for I had determined
to shoot no man, unless he attempted to take me. But after this, on
the same road, I robbed two more men; from one I took about fifteen
shillings, from another about seven shillings. Turning from them I let
off one of my pistols into the air, and went on for London.
“That night I made a sort of perambulation among the thief-takers,
determining to do mischief to some of them, if possible, especially to
those who, I heard, had been after me. The first I went to was one W.
H. in Chancery-lane. Being on horseback, I knocked at the door, which
his wife opened, demanding my business. I told her, ‘to speak with her
husband.’ She replied, ‘he was gone to bed,’ at the same time desiring
to know my name and business. ‘I am a gentleman of his acquaintance,’
said I; ‘he will know me when he sees me.’ My blunderbuss, which I then
carried, being mounted with brass, and having a brass barrel, by the
light of her candle she perceived it, and directly slapped to the door,
called to her husband and told him (mentioning my name) that I was at
the door. I could hear him ask for his piece, on which I cried out,
‘You rascal, come to the door, and I’ll piece you;’ and if he had come
I should certainly have killed him, but he thought better of it, and I
rode away.
“From my friend H. I went to another of the same sort of gentry
in Holborn, one I. S. I got off my horse and went into his house
threatening destruction; but the moment he saw me enter at one door,
he went out at another, and after venting a few oaths, I remounted my
horse, and went to the Greyhound inn, in Drury-lane, where I lay that
night.
“Next morning I set out for Epping Forest, and dined at the
Bird-in-Hand, at Stratford: after dinner, about two o’clock, I set
out on the Romford road. I met in the forest a chaise, and from a man
therein took about fourteen shillings. This robbery was done within
sight of the Spread Eagle, at the door of which several people were
drinking on horseback. From thence I rode through Ilford, then came
on the forest again, and stayed till it was almost dark, and rode
towards Laytonstone, within half a mile of which I robbed a captain of
his gold watch, ten guineas, and some silver. After speaking with the
captain, I came off the forest for London. Perceiving a hurly-burly,
and a great mob at Snaresbrook turnpike, I rode up to see what was the
matter, and on inquiry amongst the mob, found that they had stopped
a gentleman whom they mistook for me. As it was dark and they could
not distinguish me, I thought it most prudent to ride through the
turnpike, and go directly for London, which I did, and putting up my
horse at the Saracen’s Head, Aldgate, and calling a coach, I went to a
tavern, where I lay all night.
“In the morning I began to reflect that, it being well known I was in
England returned from transportation, and as well known too that I had
committed a great many robberies, there were many thief-takers after
me, and I was surrounded with danger; and I therefore determined to
set out for Chester immediately, and from thence to Dublin, resolving,
as I had now a handsome sum, as well as a parcel of diamond rings and
watches, to live entirely on my stock, and rob no more, at least while
that lasted. I dined that day at St. Alban’s, and as I generally drank
both at and after my meals pretty freely, I soon grew warm, and after
dinner, setting out for Dunstable, I found my resolution to rob no more
would not hold, for within a quarter of a mile of Redbourne, I ordered
three gentlemen to stand and deliver. Presenting my pistol at the
first, he replied, that he would not be robbed, and rode on; the second
hit me on the head with his whip, and at the same time the other rode
by me. Having a good beast under me, I was quickly up with them, and
putting on one of my terrible countenances, with bitter imprecations I
avowed that I would instantly shoot the first man dead who refused to
deliver; when the first of them quietly gave me about nine shillings;
from the second I took an old-fashioned watch and seventeen shillings;
and from the third, two guineas and about five shillings; and taking my
leave immediately, attacked two more gentlemen, who likewise rode for
it; but their horses being as good as mine, I ran them into Redbourne,
and then gave it up. About an hour after, I stopped a single man on
horseback, who telling me he had but eighteen-pence, I bade him keep
that; but he seeming to have a very good horse and mine beginning to
fail, I made him dismount and change with me. He had a portmanteau
on his horse, which he was very industriously going to take off,
but I told him he might as well let it remain where it was, which he
did, though I had no opportunity to see what was in it; for being now
become, perhaps, one of the most industrious of my profession, I could
no more let a coach, chaise, or man go by without speaking with them
in my way, than I could fly; and perceiving a coach coming along,
which proved to be the Warrington stage, I directly made up to it, and
got from the passengers therein about three pounds. The ladies seemed
terribly frightened, and begged I would take my pistol away, which I
did, and after taking their money I went on for Dunstable, and calling
at several houses before I got there, I became pretty fatigued, not
only with my business, but with liquor too. Being very much fuddled, I
was so cunning as to think of putting up at the Bull inn, at Dunstable,
the very house where the Warrington coach went to. After dismounting
my horse, and calling for a quartern of brandy, I saw some of the
passengers in the kitchen, belonging to the coach I had just then
robbed, on which, I never stayed for my brandy, but went out of the
house, mounted my horse, and rode as fast as I could make him go, till
I came to Hockliffe, and as it rained very hard, I resolved to put up,
and accordingly went into the Star inn. After I had been there about
an hour, and had drank very freely, I became intoxicated, and fell
asleep by the kitchen fire; but was soon awakened by three troopers
and some others with pistols at my head, swearing they would shoot me
if I offered to put my hand to my pockets. Being half asleep as well
as drunk, they soon disarmed me, and took from me one gold watch, two
silver ones, four diamond rings, forty-seven guineas in gold, and four
pounds in silver: three of the best diamond rings I had secreted in my
neckcloth. I desired them to give me my money again, and to let me go
to bed; they gave me about nine pounds in gold and silver back, and
then conducted me to a chamber, where I went to bed, after putting my
money under my pillow, and fell asleep, guarded by the troopers, who
took my money from under my head, which, when I awoke and missed, I
charged them with, telling them it was using me exceedingly ill indeed,
as they had gotten so much from me already, to take that from me too;
whereupon, they returned it to me. Presently, I got up and sat by the
fire-side, a good deal chagrined at my unfortunate fate. I resolved
in my mind a thousand different methods of escape, but none appeared
feasible even to myself. At length, a thought came into my head,
of which I was resolved to make a trial. As I knew these troopers,
from their behavior, to be hungry hounds, and having two seals, the
one gold, and the other silver, about me; as I sat over the fire, I
determined to throw them in, naturally supposing, from their eagerness
after plunder, they would endeavor to get them out, and I might thus,
by some means or other, become master of their fire-arms. It happened
as I had imagined; eager for their prey they soused down to rake them
from the ashes, when I, at the same time, snatched a pistol from one
of their hands, and snapped it at his head: it missed fire, and I was
immediately overpowered by the rest of the troopers, the landlord and
others coming to their assistance; and I was the next day carried
before the justice at Dunstable, where I insisted upon the troopers
returning me my money and watches again, before I would answer any
questions, and, accordingly, I _undressed_ their pockets both of money
and watches, asking them if they thought I had nothing else to do than
to venture my life to dress the pockets of such fellows as they, who
knew not how to wind up a watch; for in endeavoring to wind up one of
the watches they had broken it.
“I was eventually committed to Bedford gaol for robbing the Warrington
stage-coach, where I remained about four months, till I was removed by
habeas corpus to Newgate, and in February last was tried at the Old
Bailey for robbing Mr. Francis Sleep of his watch and six shillings, of
which I was found guilty, and received sentence of death.”
The above is an abstract containing all the most interesting or
prominent transactions in the life of Henry Simms, who appears to have
labored in his vocation with a zeal worthy of a better calling, and
with a wantonness deserving of the gallows to which, at length, he was
compelled to ascend. Young Gentleman Harry was executed at Tyburn in
June, 1747; and after hanging till he was dead, his body was cut down
by a mob appointed for that purpose, and carried to a surgeon’s in
Covent Garden.
JAMES MACLAINE.
James Maclaine, called in his own time by the distinguished title of
“the gentleman highwayman,” seemed at his birth to be far removed from
the common temptations which too frequently lead to an infamous death.
Until the decease of his father, which took place when he was about
eighteen years of age, a fair prospect of prosperity was presented to
him; but, unhappily, being conscious of his birth, which entitled him,
by a slight straining of courtesy, to the designation of a gentleman,
he imbibed, together with an inordinate vanity, an aversion from
business, and an immoderate desire to appear a gay young fellow.