LegendHidden
Swift Nick's Ride
Two hundred miles, and home by sunset.
Stand where it happened
- What's there
- A suburban village street near Wakefield
- Legend from
- Nevison legend (1676)
- Best time
- Any
- Tone
- Playful
He rode two hundred miles in a day for an alibi, and was taken at last in Sandal.
John Nevison was a highwayman who, legend says, was nicknamed Swift Nick by King Charles II. After robbing a traveller at Gad's Hill in Kent in 1676, he rode about 200 miles to York in a day, met the Lord Mayor at sunset over a bowls wager, and used him as his alibi. The story was later given to Dick Turpin in a novel. Nevison was polite to his victims and robbed only the rich, by his reputation. On 6 March 1684 he was arrested at the Three Houses Inn at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, accused of murdering a constable near Batley, and hanged at York in May.
One sourceOnly one written account of this legend has been found so far.