Swift Nick Nevison
In my post yesterday, I wrote of the story where Dick Turpin the Essex Highwayman was alleged to have made a famous ride
on his horse Black Bess from London to York. That story like many others told about Dick by Essex folklore is false. In
fact, it had been made many years earlier by another highwayman named John (also known as William) Nevison.
Whilst Turpin was a nasty housebreaker, a robber, a torturer and a murderer in real life, Nevison was a true gentleman and in fact a glamorous figure of his time.
He was born in 1639 in Wortley, near Sheffield in Yorkshire and well away from London. He came from a respected, fairly well-to-do family, his father being described as a wool merchant or a steward in a local manor hall.
From a young age John was a bit of a rascal at school and prone to steal anything that was not screwed down. At a young age, having stolen from his father, he left home and made his way to London. There he worked in a brewery and was forever on the lookout for something to steal.
After a few years, he noticed that the company clerk regularly got drunk in the evenings so one night he waited until he had passed out from drinking too much, took the keys from his pocket and stole the cash takings. Others say he stole the cash when he was sent to collect a company debt. It is most likely that in fact he did both. With cash in his pocket he disappeared to Holland.
He joined an English Regiment under the command of the Duke of York and fought with distinction, especially at the siege of Dunkirk.
Upon his return to England, he tended to his ailing father throughout a long illness until he died. He was left destitute so like many others of the time, he took to the road and the criminal life of a highwayman.
Although ‘Highway Robbery’ was known earlier, it became fairly widespread in the 17th century after the English Civil War. When Charles First was beheaded many of his Royalist soldiers became penniless and destitute.
A great number of them, some in gangs, others alone took to robbing people on the highway. Nevison was no exception.
With his colourful clothing of the Royalist fraternity, his charming manner and tall gentlemanly appearance and bearing, he cut a dashing and romantic figure. That coupled with the fact that he soon became renowned for his impeccable manners and lack of violence, he became a folk hero in the making.
Whilst Turpin was a nasty housebreaker, a robber, a torturer and a murderer in real life, Nevison was a true gentleman and in fact a glamorous figure of his time.
He was born in 1639 in Wortley, near Sheffield in Yorkshire and well away from London. He came from a respected, fairly well-to-do family, his father being described as a wool merchant or a steward in a local manor hall.
From a young age John was a bit of a rascal at school and prone to steal anything that was not screwed down. At a young age, having stolen from his father, he left home and made his way to London. There he worked in a brewery and was forever on the lookout for something to steal.
After a few years, he noticed that the company clerk regularly got drunk in the evenings so one night he waited until he had passed out from drinking too much, took the keys from his pocket and stole the cash takings. Others say he stole the cash when he was sent to collect a company debt. It is most likely that in fact he did both. With cash in his pocket he disappeared to Holland.
He joined an English Regiment under the command of the Duke of York and fought with distinction, especially at the siege of Dunkirk.
Upon his return to England, he tended to his ailing father throughout a long illness until he died. He was left destitute so like many others of the time, he took to the road and the criminal life of a highwayman.
Although ‘Highway Robbery’ was known earlier, it became fairly widespread in the 17th century after the English Civil War. When Charles First was beheaded many of his Royalist soldiers became penniless and destitute.
A great number of them, some in gangs, others alone took to robbing people on the highway. Nevison was no exception.
With his colourful clothing of the Royalist fraternity, his charming manner and tall gentlemanly appearance and bearing, he cut a dashing and romantic figure. That coupled with the fact that he soon became renowned for his impeccable manners and lack of violence, he became a folk hero in the making.
Early one summer’s morning in 1676, he robbed a traveller in Kent.
He escaped on a ferry and crossed the River Thames into Essex. He
rode his horse through the county, stopping regularly to rest, more so his
horse than himself. He made his way to
the Great North Road and continued
his ride.
He arrived in York at about 8pm having covered a distance of about 200 miles. He stabled his horse, changed his dirty clothing and made his way to where he learned that the Lord Mayor was playing bowls.
He engaged him in conversation.....
He actually placed a bet with the Mayor on the outcome of the game making sure that the Mayor remembered the time and date. Later, when he was arrested for the robbery in Kent, he called the Lord Mayor as witness to the fact that he was in York 200 miles away from the scene within fourteen hours of the robbery.
The jury did not believe that such a ride was possible and dismissed the charge. That is precisely what Nick had anticipated and in fact planned.
King Charles the Second, on hearing the story later gave Nevison the nickname ‘Swift Nick’. Soon he was one of England’s greatest folk heroes. He continued his criminal activities and although arrested several times he managed to escape on every occasion.
In 1681, he was again arrested and committed to Leicester Gaol. This was shortly after the Great Plague was ravishing the country. Nick formulated a play of escape.
A friend of his, a physician, on a visit to his cell diagnosed the plague and insisted that Nick be removed to a solitary place to prevent the spread of the disease throughout the prison. The gaoler agreed and through fear would not go near him.
Another friend, a painter, visited Nick and blatantly painted his face, hands and body with the symptoms of the disease. The physician gave him a concoction which further added to the symptoms. It reduced Nick’s colour and other signs of life.
He arrived in York at about 8pm having covered a distance of about 200 miles. He stabled his horse, changed his dirty clothing and made his way to where he learned that the Lord Mayor was playing bowls.
He engaged him in conversation.....
He actually placed a bet with the Mayor on the outcome of the game making sure that the Mayor remembered the time and date. Later, when he was arrested for the robbery in Kent, he called the Lord Mayor as witness to the fact that he was in York 200 miles away from the scene within fourteen hours of the robbery.
The jury did not believe that such a ride was possible and dismissed the charge. That is precisely what Nick had anticipated and in fact planned.
King Charles the Second, on hearing the story later gave Nevison the nickname ‘Swift Nick’. Soon he was one of England’s greatest folk heroes. He continued his criminal activities and although arrested several times he managed to escape on every occasion.
In 1681, he was again arrested and committed to Leicester Gaol. This was shortly after the Great Plague was ravishing the country. Nick formulated a play of escape.
A friend of his, a physician, on a visit to his cell diagnosed the plague and insisted that Nick be removed to a solitary place to prevent the spread of the disease throughout the prison. The gaoler agreed and through fear would not go near him.
Another friend, a painter, visited Nick and blatantly painted his face, hands and body with the symptoms of the disease. The physician gave him a concoction which further added to the symptoms. It reduced Nick’s colour and other signs of life.
The gaoler and gaol nurse, upon hearing of the ‘death’ from the physician merely gave the ‘corpse’ a cursory examination and confirmed that he had died from
the plague. His friends took his body in a coffin for burial and to all intents and
purposes, Swift Nick Nevison no longer existed.
However, many of the victims of his next robberies swore that it was his ghost who was not travelling the highways. It was quickly discovered what had happened at the gaol and the hunt was on once again to arrest him.
In 1684, at Sandal Magna, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, during his arrest, Nick shot and killed a Constable Darcy Fletcher. It was Nevison’s one and only known act of violence.
However, many of the victims of his next robberies swore that it was his ghost who was not travelling the highways. It was quickly discovered what had happened at the gaol and the hunt was on once again to arrest him.
In 1684, at Sandal Magna, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, during his arrest, Nick shot and killed a Constable Darcy Fletcher. It was Nevison’s one and only known act of violence.
He was charged with the murder and when convicted on 4th May
1684 he was hanged at York Castle.
-----Mike----
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