James MacLaine
James Maclaine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1724 |
| Died | 3 October 1750 (aged 25–26) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation(s) | grocer, merchant, chandler, highwayman |
"Captain" James Maclaine (occasionally "Maclean", "MacLean", or "Maclane") (1724 – 3 October 1750) was an Irish man of a respectable presbyterian family who had a brief but notorious career as a mounted highwayman in London with his accomplice William Plunkett. He was known as "The Gentleman Highwayman" as a result of his courteous behaviour during his robberies, and obtained a certain kind of celebrity. Notoriously, he held up and robbed Horace Walpole at gunpoint: eventually he was hanged at Tyburn.
The film Plunkett & Macleane was based loosely on his exploits.