Thomas Dun
c.1068-1135 The mysterious Thomas Dun was a master of disguise
Thomas Dun was not a romantic hero. Operating around Bedfordshire, he wandered the roads disguised as a disabled beggar. When travellers stopped to offer assistance, he murdered them and stole whatever they were carrying, even going so far as to steal livestock and sell it on as his own.
As Dun’s criminal ambitions grew, he headed into the shelter of England’s forests. But Dun was certainly no Robin Hood and as he headed north to find new hunting grounds, he formed a gang with some of the other outlaws he met in the forest, becoming their self-appointed leader.
Dun’s luck ran out when he was recognised in a village and pursued by both the sheriff and locals. After a 20-year criminal career, he was captured and sentenced to death without trial. Though he even tried to fight off the executioners, he was eventually dismembered in front of a celebratory crowd.