Jack Sheppard

Jack Sheppard (4 March 1702 – 16 November 1724) was a notorious English thief and gaol-breaker of early 18th-century London. Born into a poor family, he was apprenticed as a carpenter but took to theft and burglary in 1723, with little more than a year of his training to complete. He was arrested and imprisoned five times in 1724 but escaped four times, making him a notorious public figure, and wildly popular with the poorer classes. Ultimately, he was caught, convicted, and hanged at Tyburn, ending his brief criminal career after less than two years. The inability of the notorious "Thief-Taker General" Jonathan Wild to control Sheppard, and injuries suffered by Wild at the hands of Sheppard's colleague, Joseph "Blueskin" Blake, led to Wild's downfall.

Early life

Sheppard was born in White's Row, Spitalfields, London. His father, a carpenter, died early in Sheppard's life. He was sent to a workhouse and later apprenticed to a carpenter, Owen Wood, in Wych Street. Despite his training, he was drawn into the criminal underworld of the city.

Criminal career

Sheppard's criminal career began in earnest in 1723. He was arrested and imprisoned five times in 1724 but managed to escape four times, which increased his fame and popularity among London's poorer inhabitants. His exploits included a daring escape from the notorious Newgate Prison by breaking through the ceiling of his cell and climbing down a rope made of bedclothes.

Capture and execution

Sheppard's criminal career ended in 1724 when he was finally captured and sentenced to death. He was hanged at Tyburn on 16 November 1724. His body was quickly taken away by friends, and it was rumored that he had been revived, although this was not the case.

Legacy

Sheppard's life and exploits have been dramatized in literature and plays. Most notably, he appears as a character in the play The Beggar's Opera by John Gay. His life story has also been the subject of several books and films.

See also

• List of prisoners who escaped from British prisons
• History of London

References

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  Jack Sheppard by Thornhill
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  1870 Wych Street Engraving
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  Book Illustration
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  Jack Sheppard
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  J. Sheppard by Thornhill
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  Jack Sheppard - Weir Collection
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  Sheppard by Cruikshank