Page:Life of Richard Turpin (1).pdf/4

4 But this business like the former; not to their expectations, they determined to be house-breakers; and in this they were much encouraged by joining with Gregor's gang, as it was then called a company of desperadoes that made the Essex and adjacent roads very dangerous to travel. In these maurauding expeditions they made many desperate and successful attempts; one in particular at the house of Mr. Strype, an old man who kept a chandler shop at Watford, where they got a good booty; for they robbed the house of all the valuables in it, but did not give its possessors any personal violence, and this moderation was entirely owing to Turpin, who did not permit his comrades to proceed to abuse, that his own character might not be charged with unnecessary cruelty.

In one night’s time, this gang robbed Chinkford and Barking churches of all the moveables left in the vestries, but the plate at both places, being placed in the respective churchwarden’s possession, they got but an indifferent booty. Turpin eluded, with some of his companions, the search that was made after them; but three of them wcrewere [sic] taken, one evidence, and the other two were transported.

Notwithstanding his character was pretty well blazoned about, two months after, he had the audacity to present himself at Suson in Essex, where his wife lived, and here he also lived unnoticed for six months, but when his concealment was discovered, he made a quiet retreat by night, and nothing was heard of him until the robbery of Farmer Lawrence, when he joined with others called the Essex gang the principal of whom were Ned Rust, Geo-Gregory, Fielder, Rose, and Wheeler. This Gregory was an old offender, and had robbed in conjunction with Dick Swift, both scholars of Jonathon Wild, who had but lately been hanged.