Dick Turpin's conduct before execution praised by judge in court ruling

The value of a cell in York Castle where Dick Turpin was held before being hanged in 1739 has come under scrutiny in a specialist court.

Judge Martin Rodger oversaw a dispute about the rateable values of a number of historic buildings, including the York Castle Museum, where the highwayman's cell is an attraction, managed by the York Museums and Gallery Trust and the Valuation Tribunal for England.

He has made a number of detailed findings on rateable values in a written ruling after a lands tribunal hearing in London

The judge began his 48-page ruling with a potted history of "English history's most celebrated highwayman".

"On 7 April 1739 Dick Turpin was taken from a cell in York Castle to the city gallows at Knavesmire where he was hanged for the theft of three horses," the judge wrote.

"He is said to have put on a good show, dressing in a new frock coat, bowing to spectators and paying three pounds 10 shillings for the services of five professional mourners."