Historical Fun

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY - April 7th On this day in history in 1739, the notorious highwayman, Dick Turpin , who has a funny first name, was executed today in York for the theft of a horse. When he began his career as a highwayman, he would ride alongside the carriages of the rich on his horse, Black Bess, and tell the driver to stop. He would then open the carriage door, point his pistols inside and shout, "Your money or your wife." What he didn't realise, was that most people in the old days valued their money more than their wife. This meant Turpin ended up with a lot of wives back in his secret Dick Turpin Hideout -- or Dick Cave, for short. Because of the overcrowding, he changed his demand to, "Your money or your life." Which was a much better business plan. He retired to Yorkshire in luxury with loads of money, and plenty of wives, under the alias Penis Gherkin. However, that really was a silly name, because who would want to be called Gherkin? ...

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY - 23rd of FEBRUARY   On This Day in 1739, at York Castle, a man going by the name of John Palmer, was identified by his former schoolteacher as the infamous highwayman, DICK TURPIN.   Dick Turpin, a highwayman who has a funny first name, was later executed in York for the theft of a horse.   When he began his career as a highwayman, he would ride alongside the carriages of the rich on his horse, Black Bess, and tell the driver to stop. He would then open the carriage door, point his pistols inside and shout, "Your money or your wife."   What he didn't realise, was that most people valued their money more than their wife. This meant Turpin ended up with a lot of wives back in his secret Dick Turpin Hideout Cave, or Dick Cave, for short.   Because of the overcrowding, he changed his demand to, "Your money or your life." Which was a much better business plan.   He retired to Yorkshire in l...