Get to Know: 11 of History's Most Notorious Outlaws

Image by ArtTower on Pixabay

Wild West

Billy the Kidd

Contrary to what I believed, Billy the Kid was not named after a goat (I'm sure others think the same... right?). Billy, or William... or Henry, was born in 1859 in New York City to Irish Catholics, Catherine and Patrick McCarty. 

Billy's crimes came to life at the age of 14, just after his mother died of Tuberculosis. He had various little jobs at this time in his life, during which he would participate in petty thefts. The 'petty' part of that would shortly deteriorate as the value of his choices grew to firearms. He adopted the 'kid' nickname when he met John R. Mackie, with whom he would often steal horses. From there, things escalated, and Billy the Kid was soon believed to have killed around 9 people.

He died aged just 22 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico when he was shot by the Sheriff, Pat Garrett. You can find his grave and visit it at the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery. The site of his death is just 0.3 miles west.

Belle Starr

I don't know about you, but when I think 'outlaws', or any criminal from the 'wild western era', I never think of the ladies. However, when I heard of Belle Starr, I knew I had to include her.

Myra Maybelle Shirley was born February 5th of 1848. Her childhood was quite a timid one, even though she was referred to as a 'wild child' by her teacher. She was classically trained musically, and as a family travelled around a lot. Her introduction to the criminal world was in 1866, when she married James C. Reed, a known outlaw of the time. Shortly after their marriage the couple birthed a daughter, Rosie Lee; Pearl for short in 1868, and a son, James Edwin, or Eddie in 1871.

Belle met and married Sam Starr in 1880, 6 years after the death of her first husband. It was her married to Sam that truly sparked the criminal life within her. Belle would often plan and administer for various thieves. In 1882, Sam and Belle stole a horse. She was jailed for 9 months. Belle's life came to an end on February 3rd of 1889 when she was shot dead. 

Eddie followed in his parents footsteps and also became an outlaw. His older sister, Belle, on the other hand, turned to sex work in order to fund her little brother's bail.

Burial Locations:

Belle Starr: The Cabin where she lived and died.
James C. Reed: Rocky Point Cemetery, Crossroad Missouri
Pearl Starr (Reed): Calgary Cemetery, Douglas, Arizona
Eddie Reed: Cochran Cemetery, Olklahoma
Sam Starr: Starr Cemetery, Olklahoma

Jesse James

Butch Cassidy

Butch Cassidy, born Robert LeRoy Parker in 1866 in Beaver, Utah Territory, grew up in a large Mormon farming family. As a young man, he drifted into petty crime, adopted the alias “Butch Cassidy,” and began associating with outlaws. His nickname “Butch” came from a brief apprenticeship at a butcher shop in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and he later adopted the surname “Cassidy” in honour of his friend and mentor, Mike Cassidy.

By the 1890s, he led the Wild Bunch gang, committing bank and train robberies across the West with partners like the Sundance Kid. Known for his charm and strategic planning, he stayed ahead of lawmen and the Pinkerton detectives for years.

In 1901, Cassidy fled to South America with Sundance and Etta Place. Most accounts say he died in a 1908 shootout with Bolivian soldiers in San Vicente, where he was buried in an unmarked grave, although rumours began to persist that he returned to the U.S. under a new name.

British Outlaws

Dick Turpin

Born Richard Turpin in 1705 in Essex, England, grew up in a working-class family. He began his criminal career as a butcher’s apprentice and later turned to poaching and burglary. Early on, he became part of a gang of highwaymen and thieves, honing the skills that would later make him infamous.

By the 1730s, Turpin had gained notoriety as a highwayman, robbing travellers along the roads of southern England. Legends portray him as daring and romantic; riding long distances on his horse Black Bess. However, many of these stories were exaggerated in newspapers and later books. In reality, he was also involved in violent crimes, including burglary and murder.

Turpin was captured and hanged in 1739 at York for horse theft, a surprisingly minor crime compared to his other offenses. He was buried in the grounds of St George’s Church, and you can visit his grave today.

Mary Frith

Mary Frith, also known as Moll Cutpurse, was born around 1584 in the Barbican area of London. She grew up in a modest household and little is known about her early years, but she later became notorious for flouting societal norms, particularly for women, by dressing in men’s clothing and adopting unconventional behaviours.

Her criminal career began as a pickpocket and fence, and she eventually formed her own gang. She became a well-known figure in London’s underworld, involved in theft, fencing stolen goods, and other illicit activities. Frith’s defiance of gender norms, combined with her criminal exploits, brought her multiple arrests and public punishments, including standing in a white sheet at St. Paul’s Cross as penance.

Mary Frith died on July 26, 1659, in Fleet Street, London. Her life left a lasting legacy through literature and drama, most notably the play The Roaring Girl, which celebrated her as a rebellious and pioneering figure challenging societal and gender expectations.

Mary was buried under a marble tomb in the grounds of St Brides Churchyard. The tomb was destroyed during the Great Fire of London.

Claude Duval

Rob Roy

Outlaws Down Under

Ned Kelly

During my visit to Australia, I was lucky enough to not only visit the trail of Ned Kelly, but also visit the site of his resting place to.

Kelly became infamous as leader of the Kelly Gang, who robbed banks and fought police across rural Victoria. He saw himself as standing up for the poor against corruption, and even wrote a fiery manifesto titled, the “Jerilderie Letter” to explain his actions. His most famous moment came in 1880 at Glenrowan, where he faced police in a homemade suit of armour.

Captured after that final battle, Kelly was tried and sentenced to death. He was hanged in Melbourne in November 1880, said to have gone to the gallows with the last words: “Such is life.” To some he was a murderous outlaw, to others a folk hero who stood against injustice. His story, like that of Rob Roy or Claude Duval, lingers in legend as much as in history.

Moondyne Joe

My trip also saw a connection with Moondyne Joe. Although, it wasn't to his grave or anything like that. In fact, I'm not quite sure where the connection lies. My first encounter with Moondyne Joe was when I stayed at a hotel in Fremantle, and they simply had an obituary to him on the wall. I was instantly fascinated and wanted to find out who this guy was!

Moondyne Joe was born Joseph Bolitho Johns in Cornwall, England around 1826. He was transported to Western Australia for stealing food and iron. Life as a convict was harsh, and he soon became known for his stubborn independence and skill at slipping away from the authorities. His nickname came not from Whisky, like I thought, but from the Avon Valley’s “Moondyne Hills,” where he often hid after escaping.

Joe’s real claim to fame was his repeated breakouts. He slipped chains, broke locks, and once even escaped a specially built “escape-proof” cell in Fremantle Prison, leaving the governor humiliated. Each time he vanished into the bush, living off the land until he was caught again. These exploits won him a kind of rough admiration, especially from settlers who disliked the colony’s strict penal system.

Eventually, Joe’s health declined, and he was granted a conditional pardon. He lived quietly until his death in 1900. In Western Australia he’s remembered not as a villain but as a folk hero.

I'm still not entirely sure on the connection between Joe and The Wray Hotel, and when I asked the staff... they didn't know either!

Here is his grave. Although, I'm quite disappointed as I visited the site 3 times and didn't know he was buried there... and now I'm back in England!

Captain Thunderbolt

As we pulled up to the town of Uralla, I said "who's that?!", and pointed at a statue of a man on a horse. As I got closer, I soon found his name, Captain Thunderbolt. A swift bit of research told me that he was buried in the local graveyard. Of course, I had to go.

Born Frederick Ward in 1835 in New South Wales, Captain Thunderbolt was an Australian bushranger with a long run compared to most outlaws of his time. Originally a horse-breaker, he was sentenced to prison for horse theft in 1856, but escaped in 1863, turning to life on the roads. Horse theft at the time could land you a prison term from 7 to 14 years. His nickname came from the speed with which he struck and vanished from authorities.

Thunderbolt roamed across New South Wales, robbing inns, mail coaches, and travellers. Yet he was often described as polite and even generous, taking only what he needed and sparing poorer folk. This gentlemanly image, along with his partnership with Mary Ann Bugg (an Aboriginal woman who is sometimes credited with aiding his escapes), added to his legend.

His career ended in 1870 when police cornered and shot him in Kentucky near Uralla. We also paid a visit to this place and I was very excited by the town name! Thunderbolt’s six years on the run made him the longest-surviving bushranger in Australian history! He was buried near where he died, in the local Uralla Cemetery.