Richard "Galloping Dick" Ferguson (died 26 March 1800) was an English highwayman who, with partner

Jerry Abershawe Louis Jeremiah Abershawe (1773 – 3 August 1795), better known as Jerry Abershawe, or Abershaw, was a notorious English highwayman who terrorised travellers, mostly along the road between Kingston upon Thames and London, in the late eighteent ...

, raided the area around London during the late 18th century.

Early life

Born the son of a gentleman servant in Herefordshire, England, Ferguson became involved in juvenile crime as the ringleader of local teenage pranksters while his father was often away from home traveling with his master to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

and other cities. At the age of 15, his father was able to obtain a position for him as a stable boy. As his skill in managing horses improved, he was sent to London to serve as a temporary

postilion A postilion or postillion is a person who guides a horse-drawn coach or post chaise while mounted on the horse or one of a pair of horses. By contrast, a coachman controls the horses from the vehicle itself. Originally the English name for a g ...

until his predecessor's recovery. Shortly after returning to his former position in Herefordshire as a stable boy, he began to have ambitions of gaining employment as a

. He found a vacancy with a lady, possibly due to his father's influence, and stayed on for a time before he was discharged by his mistress upon finding him in "an improper situation" with one of the female servants. Now in his early 20s, he was soon able to find employment elsewhere. However, he would frequently be dismissed for drunkenness, gambling, idleness and negligence, often drifting from job to job until being hired by a livery-stable in

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Cou ...

. After the death of his father, who left his son his life savings of £57, he lived as a gentleman with his newfound wealth, often attending the theatre. A local

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other ...

, a favourite of many local highwaymen and other prominent criminals, apparently mistook Ferguson as a wealthy landowner. Spending much of his time with her, he quickly spent his savings on her and was soon forced to borrow money and other means to keep seeing her. He was soon forced to take a job in

as a

at a local inn. However, he would almost always be in debt as he continued seeing the courtesan.

Galloping Dick & Jerry Abershawe

It was while driving a gentleman through the backroads of the city, when his carriage was stopped by two masked highwaymen. During the robbery, he recognized

as an acquaintance of his courtesan during the robbery however the two highwaymen were forced to flee as travelers approached. Meeting with Ferguson at an inn soon after the incident, he and his partner were able bribe him to keep silent regarding Abershawe's identity. However, he was refused by the

who learned of his actual status and never returned to her house. He was soon approached by Abershawe who was able to persuade him to join Abershawe and his accomplice. It was later arranged by the three for Ferguson, who was able to observe wealthy guests at his inn as well as information from other drivers in the area, to relay this information to Abershawe. In time, Ferguson was once again found himself enjoying a frivolous lifestyle often using his wealth on alcohol and gambling. However, eventually finding himself unemployed due to his activities, he was obliged to become a highwayman with Abershawe. Although admittedly inexperienced, he showed great potential as an expert horseman earning him the moniker "Galloping Dick".

Later years

Following Abershawe's execution in 1795, Ferguson continued on his own with a successful career as a highwayman himself for five more years until his eventual capture by the

Bow Street Runners The Bow Street Runners were the law enforcement officers of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in the City of Westminster. They have been called London's first professional police force. The force originally numbered six men and was founded in 1 ...

in 1800. He was publicly executed soon after his trial at the

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamsh ...

Lent Assizes.

External links

Stand and Deliver! - "Galloping Dick" Ferguson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Richard English criminals English highwaymen Executed people from Herefordshire Year of birth missing 1800 deaths People executed by the Kingdom of Great Britain People executed for robbery People executed by England and Wales by hanging