Isaac Darkin

Isaac Darkin (also rendered as Darking; 2 April 1740 – 23 March 1761), who also used the alias Dumas, was a notorious highwayman in the eighteenth century.

Early life and start of life of crime Darkin was born on 2 April 1740, the son of a cork-cutter. He was born in the Eastcheap district of London, and according to the London Chronicle, attended a boarding school in Kent. After the death of his father in 1754, Darkin, along with his sister, took over the running of the family business. Within a few years they had closed down the business and this is when Darkin was drawn to a life of crime. Operating successfully as a highwayman in the Essex area, his robberies over a nine-month period helped support an extravagant lifestyle, reputedly with many mistresses. He sailed to Antigua in January 1759. Service life did not suit Darkin and he was court-martialled three times within seven weeks before being appointed to the undemanding role of servant to an officer.

Darkin was not in the army long before he persuaded a captain of a merchant navy ship, with the promise of a reward, to smuggle him back to England, The Annual Register gave the following account of the encounter. On approaching Percival's post chaise, Darkin, wearing a crape to hide his face, produced a gun and Percival handed over a sum of money of about 13 guineas – he was unsure of the exact amount. Darkin believed that he carried more money and demanded that Percival's purse be produced with the threat of "blowing his brains out". Percival managed to disarm the highwayman, but in the ensuing pursuit, Darkin produced another pistol. Percival attempted to shoot at him, but his gun misfired. Darkin approached Percival again with demands for his purse, but on Percival's assurances that he had no more money to hand, the highwayman accepted the word of Percival and retreated from the scene, only asking that Percival would not appear as a witness against him in any subsequent court case.

In August 1760, he committed yet another robbery which was to be his last. He deprived a Smithfield apothecary by the name of Robert Gammon of a gold watch, one Guinea and five Shillings on a highway near the Oxfordshire village of Nettlebed. Later on the day of the crime, the highwayman made his way to a local inn, where he left two letters with the innkeeper, to be despatched to London in the next post. Unfortunately for him, his victim Gammon had visited the same inn two hours previously and had given an account of the crime to the innkeeper, who recognised Darking from the description given by Gammon. The letters were sent to Gammon in London, who forwarded them to Sir John Fielding and the Bow Street Runners. Darkin was captured a few days later, while in bed at his London lodgings in the company of "a woman of the town"; his attempt at escape failed and he was brought to Newgate Prison. Darkin made an attempt to put off the trial by producing an affidavit saying a witness that would prove his innocence was ill and unable to attend the trial, but this was dismissed by the court as it wasn't signed by a magistrate. Faced with overwhelming evidence, the jury took only a few minutes to reach a guilty verdict. An appeal for clemency was rejected by the judge and Darkin was sentenced to death by hanging. (Woodforde was among the many who visited Darkin in his gaol cell.)

While in prison awaiting his fate, he was reported to have drunk freely and entertained himself (and others) by reading from The Beggar's Opera, identifying with the character of Macheath. It was noted that he gave much attention to his attire and as the London Chronicle reported, had "his hair dressed in the most fashionable manner every morning". On the day of his execution, 23 March 1761, he placed the noose over his head and, without waiting for the assistance of the hangman, stepped off the ladder.

Before his death, Darkin had expressed a fear that his body would be taken for dissection by medical students. It was reported by Gentleman's Magazine that just after his execution, the gallows was surrounded by a group of local bargemen, who took the body to a nearby church where, according to the report, "while some rang the bell, others opened the belly, filled it with quicklime, and then buried the body."