Great North Road (Great Britain) not compete with the new railways. The last coach from London to Newcastle left in 1842 and the last from Newcastle to Edinburgh in July 1847. The highwayman Dick Turpin's flight from London to York in less than 15 hours on his mare Black Bess is the most famous legend of the Great North Road. Various inns along the route claim Turpin ate a meal or stopped for respite for his horse. Harrison Ainsworth, in his 1834 romance "Rookwood", immortalised the ride. Historians argue that Turpin never made the journey, claiming that the ride was by John Nevison, "Swift Nick",
Robbert Duval (1639–1732) Robbert Duval (1639–1732) Robbert Duval (21 September 1639, The Hague – 22 January 1732, The Hague), was a Dutch Golden Age painter who lived well into the 18th century. According to the RKD he learned to paint from Nicolaes Willingh and became his assistant in Berlin in 1667. He left Berlin to make a trip to Rome in 1668, where he joined the Bentvueghels with the nickname "Fortuyn". He is known for painting portrait and historical allegories, of which none survive today. According to Houbraken he left Rome for Padua in 1677 with Johannes Glauber and his brother. He probably