Adam the Leper was the leader of a fourteenth-century robber band, operating in

South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, first level of International Territorial Level, ITL for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of england, ...

in the 1330s and 1340s. Like the north

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

bandits

Eustace Folville Eustace Folville (died 1347 aged almost 60) is credited with killing/assassinating the unpopular Sir Roger de Beler, Baron of the Exchequer and henchman of the despised Hugh le Despencer and ineffective King Edward II. He was the most active memb ...

and James Cotterel, he and his gang specialised in

theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

, especially directed against the royal court and its agents. Unlike these contemporaries, he seems to have concentrated mainly on urban centres. The best documented of his crimes involved a night-time attack against a London merchant with ties to

Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted as regent in 1346,Strickla ...

, Queen consort of

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...

. According to

Luke Owen Pike Luke Owen Pike (12 August 1835 – 5 November 1915) was an English barrister-at-law, writer and historical researcher at the United Kingdom's Public Record Office. Pike was born 12 August 1835 the older son Luke Pike of St. George's, Hanover Squar ...

, while the trader was holding a number of the queen's jewels in safekeeping, Adam and his gang laid siege to his house, demanding Philippa's property be surrendered to them. When the man refused, his house was set alight, and the treasure seized by force. This was the most serious loss of royal property through criminal seizure since Richard of Pudlicott's attack on the

treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or in p ...

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

in 1303. Adam appeared to have died in the early 1360s.Donaldson, pp. 6-7.

Notes

Sources

* Donaldson, W. (2002), ''Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics'', Phoenix:London. . * Pike, L. O. (1873), ''A History of Crime in England: Illustrating the Changes of the Laws in the Progress of Civilisation'', Smith, Elder and Co.: London. {{DEFAULTSORT:Adam the Leper 14th-century criminals 1360 deaths Medieval English criminals English outlaws 14th-century English people Year of birth unknown Medieval thieves