Henry Simms
Encyclopedia
Henry Simms known as Young Gentlemen Harry, was a thief
and highwayman
in 18th-century England
who was transported
to Maryland
for theft, but escaped and returned to England, where he was eventually executed
for highway robbery.
, London
, and was orphan
ed at a young age. He was sent to live with his grandmother who had him educated at an academy in St James's parish. He was a good scholar, and as well as learning to read and write he picked up some measure of French
and Latin
.
He showed some criminal tendencies from as young as ten, stealing money from the till of a shop he was visiting with his grandmother. Later, having fallen in with bad company in the slum area of St Giles
, he robbed his grandmother of 17 pounds
, and spent the evening getting drunk. His new acquaintances then robbed him of his money and his clothes. Through the efforts of a kindly landlord who took pity on the boy, who he found wandering in the streets dressed in rags, his grandmother was persuaded to take Simms back into her house, but for a month he was kept shackled to the kitchen grate during the day and guarded at night.
At the end of the month, he was set free and immediately returned to St. Giles where he was again made drunk and robbed of his clothes. Despite this, his grandmother allowed him to return to the house, and arranged an apprenticeship
for him with a breeches
-maker. Simms did not last long in the position: after he was reprimanded, he ran away, and stole clothes from grandmother's house which he sold. His grandmother went to live at the house of Lady Stanhope
, but Simms followed her there and having gained admittance stole several items. These he sold for nine pounds and spent the proceeds with his criminal friends.
After this his grandmother would have nothing further to do with him, and he supported himself with petty crime. He was arrested as a pickpocket
and was fortunate to escape transportation for extortion
. Fearing arrest he pleaded with his grandmother to help him, and while she would not accept him back into her house, she arranged for him to stay with friends. However he soon slipped back into a life of crime and robbed a man of his watch in Marylebone
.
driver for an inn-keeper and soon moved on to driving the carriage
of a nobleman. With a little money to his name from the wages he had earned in this position he once again took to crime, this time as a highwayman
. Because of his education, dress and supposed skill as a thief he became known in the underworld as "Gentleman Harry". He committed several robberies at Blackheath
, and was pursued to Lewisham
, where he threatened his pursuers with pistol
s, scaring them off. He stopped a coach on the way to London and robbed the occupant of 102 guineas
(more than most people earned in a year at the time) which he immediately spent on the gaming tables in London (even tipping the driver of the coach who saw him in London five shilling
s to pretend not to have recognized him).
A reward was put up for his capture and to avoid arrest he signed on first as a privateer
and then as a soldier
. He was involved in the assault
on a prostitute
in a brothel
and was arrested, but for giving evidence against his accomplices he was set free (they were transported). His freedom did not last long: he was soon arrested for robbing a baker
's shop and sentenced to be transported. He planned to escape when the ship transporting him rounded the Isle of Wight
, but he was under close guard and could not put his plan into action.
Arriving in Maryland
, he was sold as an indentured servant
for 12 guineas, but almost immediately escaped, stealing his master's horse and riding for the coast. There he was taken on as a seaman and offered six guineas to work the ship back to England. The ship was captured by the French
, but the crew were ransom
ed and Simms got work on a man o' war rising to the rank of midshipman
. However as soon as the ship put into port in England he left it and used his wages to live the high life for a while in Bristol
.
Running out of money he signed aboard another ship but fell out with the captain and was put ashore with no pay. He stole a horse and rode to London, robbing the London to Bristol coach on the way. Notices were put out regarding the stolen horse, so he abandoned it and stole another, but unfortunately when he tried to pass the turnpike
at Tyburn
the keeper recognised the horse and knocked him off. Simms threatened him with his pistols and managed to escape.
, but wasted his money on prostitutes and worried for his safety decided to leave for Ireland
. Robbing several people and the St. Albans stage on the way, he was pursued to Hockliffe
where he was captured after falling asleep in an inn. He was sent to Bedford Gaol to await trial, but having somehow retained one of his pistols he attempted to escape on the way. His pistol misfired and the attempt was unsuccessful.
He was transferred to London by a writ of habeas corpus
, and having been sentenced to death for highway robbery was committed to Newgate
to await execution. Although initially shocked by his sentence, he regained his composure and continued life as best he could within the confines of the prison. He wrote a thirty page autobiography
entitled The Life of Henry Simms, from his Birth to his Exit; all wrote with his own Hand while under Condemnation in Newgate and had many women visitors. He and a fellow prisoner, Mary Allen, became attached to one another, even though Simms would occasionally beat her. In an attempt to win his freedom he began to write to the King
and various Secretaries of State
claiming that there was a plot to assassinate
the King and that he could reveal the details in return for a pardon
. Little came of the ruse, some people were arrested, but on examination it became clear that Simms had concocted the story. Realising he was not going to be freed he made a statement claiming that he had been responsible for another crime absolving the man suspected of committing it, Black Sam, even though the stolen goods had been found at Black Sam's house.
The night before his execution, he obtained a knife and hid it in his clothing, but it was found and taken from him. On the day of his execution, 17 June 1747, he dressed smartly in clean clothes and, as he mounted the cart which took the prisoners to the gallows
at Tyburn, he tossed his shoes into the crowd. Going up to the gallows he saw a man who had been arrested as a result of Simms' fictitious assassination plot, and asked his forgiveness. As they were about to be hanged, he joined hands with Mary Allen.
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
and highwayman
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
in 18th-century England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who was transported
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
for theft, but escaped and returned to England, where he was eventually executed
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for highway robbery.
Early life
Simms was born around 1717, in St Martin-in-the-FieldsSt Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and was orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed at a young age. He was sent to live with his grandmother who had him educated at an academy in St James's parish. He was a good scholar, and as well as learning to read and write he picked up some measure of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
He showed some criminal tendencies from as young as ten, stealing money from the till of a shop he was visiting with his grandmother. Later, having fallen in with bad company in the slum area of St Giles
St Giles, London
St Giles is a district of London, England. It is the location of the church of St Giles in the Fields, the Phoenix Garden and St Giles Circus. It is located at the southern tip of the London Borough of Camden and is part of the Midtown business improvement district.The combined parishes of St...
, he robbed his grandmother of 17 pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
, and spent the evening getting drunk. His new acquaintances then robbed him of his money and his clothes. Through the efforts of a kindly landlord who took pity on the boy, who he found wandering in the streets dressed in rags, his grandmother was persuaded to take Simms back into her house, but for a month he was kept shackled to the kitchen grate during the day and guarded at night.
At the end of the month, he was set free and immediately returned to St. Giles where he was again made drunk and robbed of his clothes. Despite this, his grandmother allowed him to return to the house, and arranged an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
for him with a breeches
Breeches
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
-maker. Simms did not last long in the position: after he was reprimanded, he ran away, and stole clothes from grandmother's house which he sold. His grandmother went to live at the house of Lady Stanhope
Lady Stanhope
Lady Stanhope may refer to:*The wives of the Earls Stanhope.*The wives of the eldest sons of the Earls of Chesterfield.**Katherine Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield ....
, but Simms followed her there and having gained admittance stole several items. These he sold for nine pounds and spent the proceeds with his criminal friends.
After this his grandmother would have nothing further to do with him, and he supported himself with petty crime. He was arrested as a pickpocket
Pickpocketing
Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person of a victim without their noticing the theft at the time. It requires considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection...
and was fortunate to escape transportation for extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
. Fearing arrest he pleaded with his grandmother to help him, and while she would not accept him back into her house, she arranged for him to stay with friends. However he soon slipped back into a life of crime and robbed a man of his watch in Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
.
Highway robbery and transportation
More of his acquaintances were transported and, again worried that he might meet the same fate, Simms managed to secure himself a position as a coachStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
driver for an inn-keeper and soon moved on to driving the carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
of a nobleman. With a little money to his name from the wages he had earned in this position he once again took to crime, this time as a highwayman
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
. Because of his education, dress and supposed skill as a thief he became known in the underworld as "Gentleman Harry". He committed several robberies at Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, and was pursued to Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, where he threatened his pursuers with pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s, scaring them off. He stopped a coach on the way to London and robbed the occupant of 102 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
(more than most people earned in a year at the time) which he immediately spent on the gaming tables in London (even tipping the driver of the coach who saw him in London five shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s to pretend not to have recognized him).
A reward was put up for his capture and to avoid arrest he signed on first as a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
and then as a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. He was involved in the assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
on a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
and was arrested, but for giving evidence against his accomplices he was set free (they were transported). His freedom did not last long: he was soon arrested for robbing a baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
's shop and sentenced to be transported. He planned to escape when the ship transporting him rounded the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, but he was under close guard and could not put his plan into action.
Arriving in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, he was sold as an indentured servant
Indentured servant
Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...
for 12 guineas, but almost immediately escaped, stealing his master's horse and riding for the coast. There he was taken on as a seaman and offered six guineas to work the ship back to England. The ship was captured by the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, but the crew were ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
ed and Simms got work on a man o' war rising to the rank of midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
. However as soon as the ship put into port in England he left it and used his wages to live the high life for a while in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
Running out of money he signed aboard another ship but fell out with the captain and was put ashore with no pay. He stole a horse and rode to London, robbing the London to Bristol coach on the way. Notices were put out regarding the stolen horse, so he abandoned it and stole another, but unfortunately when he tried to pass the turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
at Tyburn
Tyburn, London
Tyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
the keeper recognised the horse and knocked him off. Simms threatened him with his pistols and managed to escape.
Capture and execution
Simms carried out a series of robberies in London and Epping ForestEpping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
, but wasted his money on prostitutes and worried for his safety decided to leave for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Robbing several people and the St. Albans stage on the way, he was pursued to Hockliffe
Hockliffe
Hockliffe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire on the crossroads of the A5 road which lies upon the course of the roman road known as Watling Street and the A4012 road.It is about four miles east of Leighton Buzzard...
where he was captured after falling asleep in an inn. He was sent to Bedford Gaol to await trial, but having somehow retained one of his pistols he attempted to escape on the way. His pistol misfired and the attempt was unsuccessful.
He was transferred to London by a writ of habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
, and having been sentenced to death for highway robbery was committed to Newgate
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
to await execution. Although initially shocked by his sentence, he regained his composure and continued life as best he could within the confines of the prison. He wrote a thirty page autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
entitled The Life of Henry Simms, from his Birth to his Exit; all wrote with his own Hand while under Condemnation in Newgate and had many women visitors. He and a fellow prisoner, Mary Allen, became attached to one another, even though Simms would occasionally beat her. In an attempt to win his freedom he began to write to the King
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and various Secretaries of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
claiming that there was a plot to assassinate
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
the King and that he could reveal the details in return for a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
. Little came of the ruse, some people were arrested, but on examination it became clear that Simms had concocted the story. Realising he was not going to be freed he made a statement claiming that he had been responsible for another crime absolving the man suspected of committing it, Black Sam, even though the stolen goods had been found at Black Sam's house.
The night before his execution, he obtained a knife and hid it in his clothing, but it was found and taken from him. On the day of his execution, 17 June 1747, he dressed smartly in clean clothes and, as he mounted the cart which took the prisoners to the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
at Tyburn, he tossed his shoes into the crowd. Going up to the gallows he saw a man who had been arrested as a result of Simms' fictitious assassination plot, and asked his forgiveness. As they were about to be hanged, he joined hands with Mary Allen.