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Richard "Galloping Dick" Ferguson (died 1800) was an English highwayman who, with partner Jerry Abershawe, raided the area around London during the late 18th century. ==Early life== Born the son of a gentleman servant in Herefordshire, England, Ferguson became involved in juvenile crime as the ringleader of local teenage pranksters while his father was often away from home traveling with his master to London, Bath and other cities. At the age of 15, his father was able to obtain a position for him as a stable boy. As his skill in managing horses improved, he was sent to London to serve as a temporary postilion until his predecessor's recovery. Shortly after returning to his former position in Herefordshire as a stable boy, he began to have ambitions of gaining employment as a postilion. He found a vacancy with a lady, possibly due to his father's influence, and stayed on for a time before he was discharged by his mistress upon finding him in "an improper situation" with one of the female servants. Now in his early 20s, he was soon able to find employment elsewhere. However, he would frequently be dismissed for drunkenness, gambling, idleness and negligence, often drifting from job to job until being hired by a livery-stable in Piccadilly. After the death of his father, who left his son his life savings of £57, he lived as a gentleman with his newfound wealth, often attending the theatre. A local courtesan, a favourite of many local highwaymen and other prominent criminals, apparently mistook Ferguson as a wealthy landowner. Spending much of his time with her, he quickly spent his savings on her and was soon forced to borrow money and other means to keep seeing her. He was soon forced to take a job in Piccadilly as a postilion at a local inn. However, he would almost always be in debt as he continued seeing the courtesan. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Richard Ferguson」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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