12. Jocelin Harwood: The Highwayman who was so wicked, his fellow thieves betrayed him to the law.
Jocelin Harwood nearly lost his life on his very first highway robbery when his victims shot the horse from under him. However, the setback left Harwood undeterred, and for the next few years, he enjoyed an unremarkable highway career. In 1692, when he was just twenty-three, Harwood learned of a Shropshire gentleman, Sir Nehemiah Burroughs, who had a fortune worth of plate in his house. So, with two accomplices, Harwood decided to try his hand at burglary. The gang tied up the servants and Sir Nehemiah and his wife. Then, Harwood made his way to the room of the Burroughs’s daughters.
As Harwood was tying the young ladies up, one of them was foolish enough to ask Harwood to be gentle. In return, she promised not to identify Harwood if he was arrested. “Shall you so? “said Harwood, “I’ll take care then to prevent your doing any mischief. “He then proceeded to murder both girls, “cut[ing] them both in pieces.” Then, he returned to the bedroom of Sir Nehemiah and his wife and killed them too. According to the Newgate Calendar, Harwood’s accomplices were horrified and quickly hatched a plot to expose Harwood ” to justice.” So they overcame Harwood, tied him up and left him with a piece of incriminating evidence. Harwood hung while his accomplices made it to safety with the loot.