Stand and deliver — Brian Maye on the ‘gentleman highwayman’ James Maclaine

He was known as “the gentleman highwayman” because of his courteous behaviour while carrying out his robberies. But it’s strange that he should have been engaging in such an activity given the respectable background from which he came (both his father and brother were Presbyterian ministers). His name was James Maclaine and he was born 300 years ago this year (day and month unknown).

From Co Monaghan, he was the younger son among two sons and one daughter of Rev Lauchlin (or Thomas) Maclaine, a Presbyterian minister originally from Scotland, and Elizabeth Milling. His older brother, Archibald, went on to follow their father’s profession, but James, who was educated locally, “was reckless, headstrong and dismissive of his parents’ attempts to make him respectable,” according to Patrick Geoghegan, who wrote the entry on him in the Dictionary of Irish Biography.

When his father died (James was 16 or 17 at the time), he wasted his inheritance by dissolute living and had to go to London to seek work.

He thought of joining the Irish Brigade of the French army, but not being Catholic or wishing to convert militated against this choice and instead he joined the horse troops of Lord Albemarle.

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But he had an affair with an officer’s wife, which resulted in him being given a beating and being dismissed.

After that, he pursued the sensible path of finding a wealthy wife, marrying a daughter of a publican of Oxford Road, London, around 1746, and using her dowry to set up as a grocer and chandler (a dealer in supplies and equipment for ships and boats) on Cavendish Square.

His wife died in 1748, leaving a daughter who was looked after by her mother’s family, and it was after that, and frustrated at his material circumstances (he hadn’t done well in his business), that he decided to take to a life of crime. William Plunkett, who was also Irish and an apothecary who had looked after Maclaine’s wife, became his comrade-in-crime. Their initial attempt to find Maclaine a rich heiress to marry (he pretended to be a gentleman and Plunkett to be his servant) involved squandering resources to little success.

They became highwaymen, wearing Venetian masks to cover their faces, and carrying out most of their robberies in Hyde Park, then relatively untamed. Doing very well from their activities, they acquired lodgings in St James’s Street, with Maclaine posing as an Irish squire and Plunkett as his servant. “A dashing, handsome man, Maclaine soon became a popular figure in London,” according to Patrick Geoghegan.

One of their more infamous robberies happened in November 1749, where their victim was the well-known diarist and politician, Horace Walpole. During the incident, Maclaine accidentally discharged a shot (for apparently the only time in his career); it scorched Walpole’s face but he was lucky the injury wasn’t much more serious.

Feeling so badly about it afterwards, Maclaine wrote to Walpole apologising for the injury and offering him a duel if he wished for satisfaction. As Patrick Geoghegan remarked, “Walpole wisely ignored the correspondence”.

Maclaine decided to visit his minister-brother in the Hague until things died down, making an impression there with his very generous gifts and extravagant lifestyle.

Following another abortive effort by him and Plunkett to find him a rich heiress, they returned to being highwaymen, carrying out some daring escapades, one of which proved to be Maclaine’s undoing.

Following a robbery of the Salisbury coach in June 1750, one passenger published a list of items stolen from him, and when Maclaine subsequently sold some of them, the crime could be laid at his door.

Arrested and imprisoned, he broke down and confessed to everything, blaming Plunkett for leading him astray (Plunkett remained at large and was never captured). There was huge public interest in his trial, “especially from women who were enamoured of his romantic image” (Geoghegan). Found guilty, he was sentenced to be executed at Tyburn on October 3rd, 1750.

Although some sources assert his minister-brother denounced him, others claim that he wrote a letter to intercede with the court for mercy for his brother. A great crowd attended the execution, at which he kept his composure, and his final words to the crowd are said to have been “Oh God, forgive my enemies, bless my friends and receive my soul”. Just before the cart on which he stood was pulled away, a witness claimed to have heard him say, “I must never more behold this beauteous sun. Do thou, oh son of righteousness, shine on my departing soul.”

“After his death, an enduring legend developed around the story of ‘the gentleman highwayman’ and ‘the ladies’ hero’,” according to Patrick Geoghegan. The 1999 film, Plunkett and Macleane, is loosely based on the duo’s adventures and starred Lee Miller as Maclaine and Robert Carlyle as Plunkett.