The Hawkins Gang - when a butler goes to the bad
In September 1720 John Hawkins, smuggler and highwayman, rode to Oxford. The total of his criminality was to deface a picture in the Bodleian Library. This is an oddment in a tale on theft, violence and living proof there is no honour amongst thieves. It is the tale of the Butler gone to the bad. A pamphlet was issued soon after Hawkins' execution [1] While the 1710s is known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Increasing wealth and mobility, coupled with inadequate law enforcement at sea - coupled with the desire for some unethical redistribution of wealth was matched in the English Countryside and tempted some to take part in it. Our story begins in 1718. Sir Dennis Dutry was on the up. As a wealthy director of the East India Company, his cash had recently been consolidated with a baronetcy. [2] He employed, as butler, a certain John Hawkins [3], who was 24 and had two gambling problems. The first was he seemed to be addicted to it. The second was he wasn...