A Civil, Obliging Robber

• Highwayman John Nevison (1639–94) allegedly earned the moniker "Swift Nick" from King Charles II after the truth about his most illustrious deed came to light.

  • Nevison, who had robbed a traveler close to Rochester, Kent, needed an alibi badly, so he came up with a cunning plan. He went 320 kilometers (200 miles) across the River Thames to York in a single day, where he spoke with the Lord Mayor and placed a bet on a bowling match.

  • Nevison made sure the Lord Mayor was aware of the time (8 o'clock). The ruse worked, and the Lord Mayor later provided Nevison with an alibi during his trial.

  • Nevison was found not guilty because the jury was unable to imagine a man being physically capable of riding the distance he did in a single day.

• Nevison was a skilled horseman and soldier who had participated in the Battle of Dunkirk in 1658.

  • He felt that his manners and elegance elevated him beyond the status of a regular criminal.

  • He was described as "extremely beneficial to the female sex" by The Newgate Calendar, a book that chronicles the exploits of legendary criminals, because of his demeanor and manner.

  • It had the strange effect of making it somewhat of an honor to have been robbed by him as a result of elevating his status.

Deported to Tangiers

• It is known that Nevison and his gang of six routinely gathered at the Talbot Inn in Newark to plot their upcoming burglaries.

  • Travelers on the Great North Road between York and Huntingdon were their major target.

  • He was imprisoned at Wakefield Goal after his capture in 1674, but he was able to escape before any charges could be filed.

  • Nevison was detained once more in 1676 on suspicion of highway robbery and horse theft.

  • After allegedly turning informer, he was tried at York Assizes and given a transportation sentence to Tangiers.

• Nevison reportedly made a hasty return to England, although it's possible that he managed to escape at Tilbury before the ship had left port.

  • He carried on with his illegal activities but was apprehended once more in 1681.

  • However, he was able to escape prosecution once more, this time by having a companion pretend to be a doctor and declare him dead from the plague.

  • Nevison pretended to be dead and was taken out of jail in a coffin thanks to the help of another friend who is also an artist.

• Then, Nevison committed a grave error when he killed Constable Darcy Fletcher, who had attempted to apprehend him at Howley Hall, close to Batley. £20 was given as a reward for his capture.

  • The landlady of a bar in Sandal, close to Wakefield, gave the police a tip concerning his whereabouts.

  • He was once more convicted at York Assizes, found guilty, and executed by hanging on May 4, 1684, at Knavesmire.

  • At St. Mary Church in Castlegate, York, he was laid to rest in an unmarked grave.

The Legend of John Nevison

• Although fellow highwayman Dick Turpin has continued to receive more attention than John Nevison, his legacy is still very much present.

  • The ballad "Bold Nevison" was written in the 17th century, a time when he gained national recognition for his outrageous exploits, including his 230-mile horseback run and prison break by pretending to be dead.

  • A cylinder recording of the ballad, performed by Joseph Taylor, was made in 1908 for a collection of folk songs compiled by Percy Grainger.

• The "magic well" near Giggleswick is one of the legends connected to the colorful highwayman.

  • According to legend, Nevison received a magical bridle from a female well spirit, which allowed his horse to perform extraordinary feats of agility and speed including the enormous leap at Nevison's Leap.

  • Also, there are still a lot of accounts of the spectral Swift Nick, particularly in and around Yorkshire, where he is rumored to frequently manifest as a phantom hitchhiker.

  • The country's pubs and structures that have ties to the infamous highwayman might still profit greatly from using the Nevison brand.

Related Crime

• In 1491–1518, Humphrey Kynaston, an English highwayman of noble birth, is said to have robbed travelers in Shropshire and donated the proceeds to the poor.

• In 1710s, Louis-Dominique Garthausen, known as "Cartouche", conducts highway robberies in and all over Paris.

• In 1735–37, Highwayman Dick Turpin pulls off a series of robberies in Greater London. He was captured at York in 1739 and executed for stealing a horse.