Claude Duval, a French-born highwayman, was captured and executed in 1670 after a notorious career as a gentleman thief on English roads. Known for his chivalrous behavior towards women during robberies, Duval became a folk hero, embodying the romanticized image of the highwayman in popular culture. His execution at Tyburn marked the end of an era of highway robbery in England, highlighting the tensions between law enforcement and criminality during the period.

The capture and execution of Claude Duval, the gentleman highwayman, inspired a wave of poems and plays portraying highwaymen as romantic figures. This shaped the 'gentleman thief' archetype in English literary culture, influencing poets like John Gay and later romantic writers who romanticized rebellion and adventure.