John Clavell was born into a good Dorset family and was undoubtedly an intelligent individual, but he left Oxford University in disgrace and opted for life as a highwayman. This book surveys Clavell's life and character, finding very few saving graces (he married a girl aged only nine), based on all available sources. It includes copies of Clavell's letters and poems, including his Recantation of an Ill Led Life .