James Hind

James Hind (sometimes referred to as John Hind) (baptised 1616, died 1652) was a 17th-century highwayman and Royalist rabble rouser during the English Civil War. He came from the town of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. He fought in the English Civil War for the Royalist cause, some reports tell of him assisting the escape of King Charles II after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester. After the war, he took up highway robbery against the Commonwealth forces with his exploits both real and embellished printed in numerous pamphlets that made him into a Royalist folk hero of the Robin Hood mould.[1] His partner Thomas Allen was captured when they attempted but failed to rob Oliver Cromwell. Hind also robbed John Bradshaw, President of the High Court of Justice for the trial of King Charles I.[2] He refused to rob cavaliers and even gave money to poor royalists.

James Hind
Bornc. 1616
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England
Died1652
Worcester, Worcestershire, England
Cause of deathhanged, drawn and quartered
Other namesJohn Hind
Occupationhighwayman
Parent(s)Roger Kynaston and Elizabeth Grey
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal chargetreason, rather than highway robbery
Penaltyhanged, drawn and quartered

When finally caught during the Protectorate, Hind was charged with treason rather than highway robbery because of his expressed Royalist loyalty and was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1652 at Worcester.[3] He was the subject of a biography The English Gusman by George Fidge (London 1652), and 16 pamphlets detailing his exploits.[4]

References
  1. Smith, Jane (Summer 2017). "The Commonwealth Cavalier". Studies in Philology. 114 (3): 609–640. doi:10.1353/sip.2017.0022. S2CID 159648196.
  2. "Archive for September 24th, 2008 1652: Captain James Hind, royalist highwayman". Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  3. "Worcester People and Places - The City Walls and Gates". Archived from the original on 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  4. Liapi, Lena (2019). Roguery in Print: Crime and Culture in Early Modern London. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 9781783274406.


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