The Terror of the Creek

The Terror of the Creek: "Dillsey" Brister and the Deptford Gang of 1745When we look through the records of London’s Central Criminal Court—the Old Bailey—in the mid-eighteenth century, we often find characters who seem too cinematic to be real. One such figure was William Brister, universally known to local constables and terrified residents along the Thames waterfront by his street moniker: "Dillsey". Born in Deptford to "honest poor parents," Brister was initially given a good start in life. His family put him to school to learn to "Read, Write, and Cast Accompts," and ensured he was carefully instructed in religious principles. When he came of age, he served out a completely honest apprenticeship to a local Thames Waterman. For a time, he lived handsomely by his trade on the river. However, his business required him to travel frequently upriver into London. It was during these trips that he fell into company with "some notorious Street-Robbers and Women of the Town, who soon…