After his property was seized by the roundheads, he took to the highways
Phillip Stafford was born around 1622 in a small village in Berkshire; his father was a gentleman farmer with a comfortable income. Phillip, an only child was sent at first to a school in the country and afterwards to a free school in Reading. He did reasonably well in his schoolwork and while he was pleasant in conversation and quick witted, his temper could be just as quick, making him a boy that other boys were wary of.
On completion of his education Phillip returned home, where after a period of time had passed he took over the running of the farm from his father. The younger Stafford was a reasonable farmer, but excelled at being a ringer, a wrestler and a back sword player, to the extent that he was considered to be the champion of the county.
When the civil war broke out between King Charles I and the revolutionary army belonging to the parliamentarians, Stafford was one of first to volunteer in the service of his king. He fought for the royalist cause throughout the war and must have been a good soldier, as he received honours and a Captaincy.
Unfortunately for the cavaliers the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists, the King was executed, and all those that supported his cause suffered badly. Most of them, like Stafford himself, had their lands and property sequestered by the new government.
With no source of income and no means of obtaining honest employment, Stafford nursed a bitter hatred of his king's enemies and vowed to make them pay, by subterfuge if necessary. So dressing soberly in the style of a Parliamentarian and making the pretence of the religious zeal of a true follower of Cromwell, he applied for the post of a servant in the household of a staunch republican. The old republican who had married a much young lady in order to obtain her fortune, soon warmed towards his new, engaging and modestly pious servant, so much so that he and his wife conversed often with Stafford on religious matters.
Having wormed his way into his master's affections, Stafford worked his way into the heart of his wife and she became his mistress. Oh what a wonderful life he must have led, secure in the employ of an unsuspecting master, with a lover close at hand to boot. But he wanted more and his opportunity came when his lover gave him a ring and showed him where her husband secreted his hoard of jewellery.
But to steal this treasure without himself being suspected Stafford needed an accomplice, so he approached an old school friend, Tom petty, the son of a French refugee. After explaining his plan to Petty, he arranged to let him into the house one night, gave him a key to the jewellery room and while Petty went about his business, Stafford broke a window making it look as if it had been done from outside and propped a ladder against the wall beneath. In the morning when the robbery was discovered it was so obvious that it was an outside job that no suspicion fell upon any of those within the household.
Tom Petty successfully sold the jewellery, was well paid for his work and Stafford, now four hundred pound richer stayed on in his present position so that no suspicion would fall on him.
Flush with his success as a thief and a paramour, Stafford turned his attention to another young wife, but to his surprise the lady set the price of her virtue at one hundred pounds. Averse to spending his own money on an amorous adventure Stafford devised a plan that would cost him nothing to gain what he desired. He approached the woman's husband with whom he had become friendly, for the short term loan of one hundred pounds to assist him with an investment. Having obtained the money from the husband Stafford made an appointment with the lady and arriving while she had guests for dinner, opened his purse and handed he one hundred pounds, in front of witnesses, said that it was repayment of a loan from her husband. The lady knowing nothing of a loan accepted the money believing it to be the money she request.
Later he returned and after having his way with her, returned once more a few days later, when her husband was present and informed him that he had repaid the loan to his wife in front of witnesses. The lady blushed with embarrassment but had no choice but to agree that she had indeed received the repayment and the unsuspecting husband was pleased with the prompt return of his money.
Up to now Stafford had become a jewellery thief and a seducer of married women but so far he hadn't become a highwayman. However, this was a lack that would soon be remedied.
While riding alone on the western road one day, on his way to visit some relatives, Stafford had just reached the Maidenhead thicket when he spotted a soberly dressed gentleman, wearing a black broad brimmed hat, in front of him. From his style of dress Stafford deducted that he was one of those pious parliamentarians that he so hated. Spurring on his horse he caught up to and engaged the man in conversation in his usual easy manner. The conversation, mainly in a puritan religious vein continued as they rode along the road. However, on reaching the middle of the thicket, Stafford pulled out a pistol and took a purse containing forty guineas from the puritan Not satisfied with just the money he proceeded to strip the man of any valuables on his person, shot his horse, forced him into the deepest part of the thicket, bound him hand and foot and left him there to be discovered the next morning.
Having launched into his new career as a highwayman Stafford decided that discretion was the better part of valour, so he left the highway and rode across country deep into the safety of Buckinghamshire. After having continued in his new trade for some time and accumulated a considerable amount of money Stafford decided to travel north and go to ground in some quiet village in Stafford.
Reaching his destination and knowing the curiosity of county folk he decided to dress and live modestly so as raise no suspicions in the locals. In fact he blended in so well that after a while the Elders offered him a stipend of forty-pounds a year to become their preacher. Stafford must have chuckled to himself when he stood in the pulpit and spouted sermons to his pious congregation of country folks. Eventually, however, the call of the road became too much for him and he went back to his old trade, taking the church silver with him.
Back on the road Stafford's downfall came when he robbed a farmer who was on his way home from selling his corn at Reading market. He took thirty-three pounds form the man and made off. Unfortunately for him two horsemen came upon the farmer only minutes after the theft, gave chase, captured Stafford and found the exact amount of stolen money on him. He was taken to a Justice of the Peace, who ordered him jailed until the next assizes took place.
While he was awaiting trial Stafford used to sit on the porch of the jail with a keeper at his side and carry out conversations with gentlemen of the town. He also wrote to several men of his profession, and when they came to visit him, they hatched a plot to save him from the gallows, should he be convicted.
When the day for the trial came around, the farmer refused to give evidence, but Stafford was convicted on the evidence of the two men who captured him with the loot and he was condemned to death for his crime.
Meanwhile the authorities had caught wind of the plot to free him and unbeknown to Stafford his friends were given the wrong date for his execution.
On the day he was due to be hanged; Stafford travelled to the gallows wearing a new suit that he'd had made especially for the occasion and wore a nosegay at his breast. So unperturbed was his manner that he ordered the cart stopped at an inn and after drinking a pint of wine told the innkeeper that he would return later to pay the bill. On reaching the gallows he mounted the steps and stood looking around seemingly unconcerned. Or he did, until the hangman bade him get ready, and then the colour drained from his face and then he stood trembling until the cart moved off beneath his feet.
In accordance with Stafford's request he was buried under the tower of St Mary's church at Reading and several people of fashion attended his funeral, the women amongst them shedding copious tears.
Back on the road Stafford's downfall came when he robbed a farmer who was on his way home from selling his corn at Reading market. He took thirty-three pounds form the man and made off. Unfortunately for him two horsemen came upon the farmer only minutes after the theft, gave chase, captured Stafford and found the exact amount of stolen money on him. He was taken to a Justice of the Peace, who ordered him jailed until the next assizes took place.