17th century… The Newgate Calendar 24 Mar 201624 Mar 2016 People in the eighteenth century believed that they were living in a crime-ridden society. In addition to Capt. Alexander Smith’s and Capt. Charles Johnson’s criminal biographies, the Proceedings of the…
17th century… Charles Johnson’s ‘Lives of the Highwaymen’ (1734) 14 Feb 20164 Sep 2016 There is no reference in any historical archives to a Captain named Charles Johnson. The name is most likely a pseudonym for a writer whose identity is now lost to…
15th Century… Rogues in Early Modern England 25 Jan 20164 Sep 2016 Information for this post was taken principally from Steve Mentz’ and Craig Dionne’s introduction to an edited collection of essays in the book Rogues and Early Modern English Culture (Michigan:…
16th Century… Sir John Falstaff, the Notorious Highwayman 8 Jan 2016 So committed to historical accuracy were Alexander Smith and Charles Johnson that in their respective History of the Lives and Robberies of the Most Noted Highwaymen (1714) and Lives and…
17th century… “The Noble Birth of Robin Hood” (1662) 4 Jan 2016 Introduction In the sixteenth century a peculiar genre of romance emerged known as picaresque fiction. It originated in Spain and portrayed the lives of rogues and criminals. The first such…
15th Century… Christmas in Newgate Gaol 23 Dec 2015 Newgate gaol was London’s most infamous gaol. It was built in the twelfth century as a place to hold prisoners until judges were available to debate their innocence. The original…
