Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.

History

Putney historically formed part of the county of Surrey.

River crossing

Putney appears in the ''Domesday Book'' of 1086 as ''Putelei''. It was noted that it was not a manor, but obtained 20 shillings from the ferry or market toll at Putney belonging to Mortlake.

The ferry was mentioned in the household accounts of Edward I (1272–1307): Robert the Ferryman of Putney and other sailors received 3/6d for carrying a great part of the royal family across the Thames and also for taking the king and his family to Westminster.

One famous crossing at Putney was that of Cardinal Wolsey in 1529 upon his 'disgrace' in falling out of favour with Henry VIII and on ceasing to be the holder of the Great Seal of England. As he was riding up Putney Hill he was overtaken by one of the royal chamberlains who presented him with a ring as a token of the continuance of his majesty's favour. When the Cardinal had heard these good words of the king, he quickly lighted from his mule and kneeled down in the dirt upon both knees, holding up his hands for joy, and said "When I consider the joyful news that you have brought to me, I could do no less than greatly rejoice. Every word pierces so my heart, that the sudden joy surmounted my memory, having no regard or respect to the place; but I thought it my duty, that in the same place where I received this comfort, to laud and praise God upon my knees, and most humbly to render unto my sovereign lord my most hearty thanks for the same."

The first bridge of any kind between the two parishes of Fulham and Putney was built during the Civil War: after the Battle of Brentford in 1642, the Parliamentary forces built a bridge of boats between Fulham and Putney. According to an account from the period:

''The Lord General hath caused a bridge to be built upon barges and lighters over the Thames between Fulham and Putney, to convey his army and artillery over into Surrey, to follow the king's forces; and he hath ordered that forts shall be erected at each end thereof to guard it; but for the present the seamen, with long boats and shallops full of ordnance and musketeers, lie there upon the river to secure it''.

The first permanent bridge between Fulham and Putney was completed in 1729, and was the second bridge to be built across the Thames in London (after London Bridge).

One story runs that "in 1720 Sir Robert Walpole was returning from seeing George I at Kingston and being in a hurry to get to the House of Commons rode together with his servant to Putney to take the ferry across to Fulham. The ferry boat was on the opposite side, however and the waterman, who was drinking in the Swan, ignored the calls of Sir Robert and his servant and they were obliged to take another route. Walpole vowed that a bridge would replace the ferry."

The Prince of Wales apparently "was often inconvenienced by the ferry when returning from hunting in Richmond park and asked Walpole to use his influence by supporting the bridge."

The bridge was a wooden structure and lasted for 150 years, when in 1886 it was replaced by the stone bridge that stands today.

St. Mary's Church

The parish church of St Mary The Virgin was the site of the 1647 Putney Debates. Towards the end of the English Civil War, with the Roundheads looking victorious, Oliver Cromwell soldiers' held a minor mutiny, amid fears that a monarchy would be replaced by a new dictatorship. A number, known as the Levellers complained "We were not a mere mercenary army hired to serve any arbitrary power of a state, but called forth … to the defence of the people's just right and liberties". A manifesto was proposed entitled the Agreement of the People and at an open meeting in Putney, the officers of the Army Council heard the argument from private soldiers for a transparent, democratic state, without corruption. This included sovereignty for English citizens, Parliamentary seats distributed according to population rather than property ownership, religion made a free choice, equality before the law, conscription abolished and parliamentary elections held every year. While greatly influential, including inspiring much of the language of the United States Declaration of Independence, Oliver Cromwell would later have the Leveller leaders executed.

The famous diarist Samuel Pepys visited St. Mary's Church on several occasions. During one visit on 28 April 1667, he recorded,

"and then back to Putney Church, where I saw the girls of the schools, few of which pretty; and there I come into a pew, and met with little James Pierce, which I was much pleased at, the little rogue being very glad to see me: his master, Reader to the Church. Here was a good sermon and much company, but I sleepy, and a little out of order, for my hat falling down through a hole underneath the pulpit, which, however, after sermon, by a stick, and the help of the clerke, I got up again, and then walked out of the church."

Open spaces and clean air

For centuries, Putney was a place where Londoners came for leisure, to enjoy the open spaces and clean air. Londoners came to Putney to play games. According to John Locke, who writes, in 1679: "The sports of England for a curious stranger to see are horse-racing, hawking, hunting, and bowling; at Putney he may see several persons of quality bowling two or three times a week."

One regular visitor was Queen Elizabeth I who frequently visited Putney from 1579–1603, often visiting Mr John Lacy. She was said to "honour Lacy with her company more frequently than any of her subjects", often staying for two to three days.

Putney Heath

Charles II is said to have reviewed his forces on Putney Heath; and in May, 1767, George III reviewed the Guards at the same place. On this occasion upwards of £63 was taken at the bridge, being the largest amount ever known in one day.

According to Samuel Pepys, Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York used to run horses here.

Putney Heath was for many years a noted rendezvous for highwaymen. The notorious highwayman Jerry Avershaw was caught in the Green Man pub on the Heath, and was hanged on Putney Heath with his body left to dangle in the wind.

From time to time, duels have been fought at the heath, both bloodless and otherwise, private, and also political. In 1652 an encounter took place here, between George, third Lord Chandos, and Colonel Henry Compton, which resulted in the latter being killed. It was also on the Heath that William Pitt, when Prime Minister exchanged shots on a Sunday in May 1798 with George Tierney MP, the exchange ending without bloodshed.

In 1809 the Cabinet ministers George Canning and Lord Castlereagh fought a duel on Putney Heath. Canning, who had never before fired a pistol, missed, but Castlereagh succeeded in wounding Canning in the thigh. The resulting scandal forced both men to resign from office, and formed a rivalry between them that lasted until Castlereagh's suicide in 1822.

Local character

In a 2005 New Economics Foundation survey of 27 London high streets, Putney's was deemed the fifth most "cloned", offering identikit shopping with little local character.

Politics

The Member of Parliament for Putney is Justine Greening.

Rowing and the Boat Race

Since the second half of the 19th century, Putney has been one of the most significant centres for rowing in the United Kingdom. There were two historic reasons for this.

First, increasing numbers of steam-powered boats (not to mention the growing levels of sewage being discharged into the river) made leisure rowing on the Thames in central London unpleasant if not impossible. There was much less commercial traffic on the river at Putney (partly because the many buttresses of the original Putney Bridge restricted the transit of large river boats) ensuring more suitable water for rowing. The river was also cleaner at Putney.

Secondly, the construction of the London and South Western Railway from Waterloo Station to Putney and the Metropolitan District Railway to Putney Bridge allowed easy commuting. More than twenty rowing clubs are based on the Thames at Putney Embankment; among the largest are London Rowing Club, Thames Rowing Club, Imperial College Boat Club and Vesta Rowing Club. Leander Club owned a boathouse in Putney from 1867 to 1961. The Putney clubs have produced a plethora of Olympic medallists and Henley winners. Putney Town Rowing Club, although retaining Putney's name, has now moved to Kew.

The University Boat Race, first contested in 1829 in Henley-on-Thames, has had Putney as its starting point since 1845. Since 1856, it has been an annual event, beginning at the University Stone, just upstream from Putney Bridge.

Several other important rowing races over the Championship Course also either start or finish at the stone, notably the Head of the River Race.

Notable residents

J. R. Ackerley, author and literary editor of ''The Listener'' lived at Star and Garter Mansions from 1941 until his death in 1967

Gerry Anderson and Jim Henson, television puppeteers, at different times leased the same workshop (now demolished) in Rotherwood Road, Putney

Clement Attlee, who served as Labour Party leader from 1935 to 1955 (from 1945 to 1951 as prime minister) was born at Putney in 1883.

Edvard Beneš, second President of Czechoslovakia, lived in Gwendolen Avenue during his exile in London from October 1938 to the end of World War II.

Marc Bolan, singer and leader of the band T.Rex lived at 6 Schubert Road, Putney and died in a car crash in Queens Ride, Barnes on the border of Putney

Peter Bonetti, Chelsea and Dundee United footballer, was born in Putney

Sir Richard Branson, British entrepreneur

Anna Calvi, singer and songwriter

Rosa Nouchette Carey, writer of children's novels, died at her home in Keswick Road, Putney in 1909.

Christopher Chope, Member of Parliament for Christchurch, was born in Putney

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Liberal Democrats

Thomas Cromwell, chief minister for Henry VIII and architect of the English Reformation, was born in Putney around 1485

John Deacon, former bass guitarist of Queen, lives in west Putney.

Jason Flemyng, actor, born in Putney

E. M. Forster, author, lived at 22 Werter Road, Putney

Constance Garnett, translator of ''War and Peace'', ''Anna Karenina'', ''Crime and Punishment'', and other Russian literature

Edward Gibbon, historian, born in Putney, and gave his name to the local telephone exchange

Kenelm Lee Guinness, racing driver, started the KLG spark plug factory in Putney and lived in Kingston Hill

Leon Jackson, Scottish singer and winner of The X Factor in 2007

Simon Le Bon, lead singer of pop group Duran Duran, lives on Upper Richmond Road in West Putney with his wife, Yasmin

Laurie Lee, author, lived and worked as a building labourer in Putney during the 1930s

David McKee, creator of Mr Benn the popular UK television programme for children, first broadcast on BBC1 in the early 1970s. Mr Benn lives in London at 52 Festive Road; David McKee used to live "next door" at 54 Festing Road, where current residents have come together to install an engraved paving slab in his honor. ("I think it was because in the first book I drew myself looking out of the window, and I thought it would be quite nice to have him next door," said McKee.).

Robin Knox-Johnston, yachtsman, born in Putney

Bobby Moore, England football world cup winning hero, lived in Putney in his later years

Lawrence Oates, who uttered the most famous of famous last words ("I'm going out now. I may be some time") on the 1910-13 British Antarctic Expedition, born and grew up in Putney

William Pitt the Younger, former Prime Minister, is alleged to have lived on the Lower Richmond Road, Putney

Justin Rose, golfer, has a flat in Putney.

Sinitta, singer and actress

Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet

Daley Thompson, former decathlete

Alan Thornhill, sculptor whose nine large works form the permanent Putney Sculpture Trail along the Thames

Theodore Watts-Dunton, who looked after Swinburne

Nigel Williams, author

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author of Frankenstein, lived in Putney at Layton House in 1839, and White House in 1843

Leonard Woolf, husband of Virginia Woolf, grew up in Putney

Peter Brett, American writer

Sir Tom Courtenay, actor, films include Flood and The Golden Compass

Jack Whitehall, presenter and comedian

Lazee, A Swedish rapper, lived in Putney when he was a teenager

Jamie Archer, an X-Factor (series 6) finalist

Taio Cruz, UK RnB singer

Putney Sculpture Trail

Alan Thornhill lived and worked in Putney for many years and his studio still remains. The sculpture Load was presented to Putney on Fools Day and occupies a permanent position near the south west end of Putney Bridge on Lower Richmond Road. A film, launched at Appledore and Chichester Film Festivals in 2008 documents these celebrations. The acquisition of 8 further large works formed a permanent new riverside Putney Sculpture Trail in London's Borough of Wandsworth, officially unveiled in September 2008.

Historic links to sculpture and sculptors

Sir Jacob Epstein was buried in Putney Vale Cemetery on 24 August 1959.

Henri Gaudier-Brzeska had a studio in Putney in the last year of his life after moving from 454a Fulham Road. Sydney Schiff went to visit Gaudier there in 1914 to purchase the 'Dancer' which was later presented to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Gaudier-Brzeska was killed in France in June 1915.

Nearest places

Fulham

Wandsworth

Roehampton

Barnes

East Sheen

Southfields

Wimbledon

Putney Vale

Transport

Putney is serviced by mainline trains to Waterloo Station from Putney Station and by London Underground from East Putney. Putney Bridge station is across the river in Fulham. Services to Waterloo are every 5 to 10 minutes making it a popular location for young professionals commuting into central London.

Train journey times are between 14 and 19 minutes depending on the number of stops and time of day. Trains are especially crowded at peak times (especially in the morning rush hour between 7.45am and 9am, where in some cases the train is full before all passengers can board). The last train from Waterloo to Putney is at 00.18 hrs.

Putney is served by bus routes 14, 22, 37, 39, 74, 85, 93, 220, 265, 270, 337, 424 mon-sat, 430 and 485 mon-sat and night buses 14, N22, 37, N74, 85, 93. The 14 transports revellers from the West End every 5–10 minutes, with a journey time of approximately 45 minutes.

Nearest tube stations

East Putney tube station

Putney Bridge tube station

Nearest railway station

Putney railway station

Nearest places

References

External links

Putney Pier

Putney SW15 website

The Putney Society

The Labour Party's Putney pages

The Conservative Party's Putney pages

The Liberal Democrat Party's Putney pages

Rotary Club of Putney

Rotaract Club of Putney

Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney, by Geraldine Edith Mitton and John Cunningham Geikie, 1903, from Project Gutenberg

Putney BSAC Scuba Diving Club

Category:Districts of London Category:Districts of Wandsworth Category:Districts of London on the River Thames Category:Rowing venues Category:Districts of London listed in the Domesday Book Category:Major centres of London

cy:Putney fr:Putney hi:पटनी nl:Putney no:Putney pt:Putney sv:Putney

name	Robert Downey, Sr.
birth name	Robert John Elias
birth date
birth place	United States
occupation	Director, actor, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer
spouse	Elsie Ford (div. 1975)Laura Ernst (1991–1994)Rosemary Rogers (1998–present)
children	Allyson DowneyRobert Downey, Jr.
years active	1961–present
website	}}

Robert John Downey, Sr. (born Robert John Elias,June 24, 1935) is an American actor, writer, film director, and is the father of actor Robert Downey, Jr. He is best known as an underground filmmaker, serving as director and/or writer of such cult classics as ''Putney Swope'', a biting satire on the New York Madison Avenue advertising world.

Personal life

Downey's father, Robert Elias, was the son of Russian Jewish parents, and his mother, cover girl Betty McLoughlin, was of Irish Catholic descent. He was born Robert Elias, but changed his last name to "Downey" (after his stepfather, James Downey) when he was a minor and wanted to enlist in the Army.

Downey, Sr. has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Elsie Downey (née Ford), with whom he had two children: actress/writer Allyson Downey and actor Robert Downey, Jr. The marriage ended in divorce in 1975. Downey, Sr.'s second marriage, to actress-writer Laura Ernst, ended with her 1994 death from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He currently lives in New York City with his third wife, Rosemary Rogers, whom he married in 1998.

Downey has admitted that he and his first wife gave their children drugs at a prepubescent age, which may have figured in both children's narcotic abuse.

Career

By the age of 22, Downey had served in the Army, played semi-pro baseball, become a Golden Gloves boxing champion, and an Off-Off-Broadway playwright. In 1961, working with the film editor Fred von Bernewitz, he began writing and directing low-budget 16mm films which gained an underground following, beginning with ''Ball's Bluff'' (1961), a fantasy short about a Civil War soldier who awakens in Central Park in 1961. He moved into big-budget filmmaking with the surrealistic ''Greaser's Palace'' (1972). His most recent film was ''Rittenhouse Square'' (2005), a documentary capturing life in a Philadelphia park.

Downey, Sr.'s movies were often family affairs. His first wife, Elsie, appears in four of his movies (''Chafed Elbows'', ''Pound'', ''Greaser's Palace'', ''Moment to Moment'') as well as co-writing one (''Moment to Moment''). Daughter Allyson and son Robert, Jr. each made their film debuts in the 1970 absurdist comedy ''Pound'' at the ages of 7 and 5, respectively; Allyson would appear in one more film by her father, ''Up the Academy''. Robert Downey, Jr.'s lengthy acting resume includes appearances in eight films directed by his father (''Pound'', ''Greaser's Palace'', ''Moment to Moment'', ''Up the Academy'', ''America'', ''Rented Lips'', ''Too Much Sun'', ''Hugo Pool'') as well as two acting appearances in movies where his father was also an actor (''Johnny Be Good'', ''Hail Caesar'')..

Filmography

''Balls Bluff'' (1961) (short film)

''A Touch of Greatness'' (1964)

''Babo 73'' (1964)

''Sweet Smell of Sex'' (1965)

''Chafed Elbows'' (1966)

''No More Excuses'' (1968)

''Putney Swope'' (1969)

''Pound'' (1970)

''Greaser's Palace'' (1972)

''Sticks and Bones'' (1973)

''Moment to Moment'' (1975)

''Up the Academy'' (1980)

''To Live and Die in L.A.'' (1985) (actor, credited as Robert Downey)

''America'' (1986)

''Rented Lips'' (1988)

''Johnny Be Good'' (1988) (actor)

''Too Much Sun'' (1991)

''Hail Caesar'' (1994) (actor)

''Hugo Pool'' (1997)

''Rittenhouse Square'' (2005)

References

External links

http://www.lucywho.com/tpx_26280/robert-downey-sr/

Category:1937 births Category:Actors from New York Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:Living people

de:Robert Downey senior fr:Robert Downey Sr. it:Robert Downey Sr. pl:Robert Downey Sr. pt:Robert Downey, Sr

Name	Saint Joseph
Feast day	March 19 - Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary (Western Christianity), May 1 - St Joseph the Worker (Roman Catholic Church), The Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord (Eastern Christianity)
Birth date	Bethlehem, c.90 BC
Death date	Nazareth, July 20, 18 AD (traditional)
Venerated by	Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy
Attributes	Carpenter's square or tools, the infant Jesus, staff with lily blossoms.
Patronage	The Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, immigrants, workers, against doubt and hesitation, and of a happy death, Vietnam, Philippines. Many others; see .
Suppressed date	}}

Saint Joseph (Hebrew יוֹסֵף, "Yosef"; ) is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ (in distinction to God the Father, his "heavenly father").

The earliest Christian records, the Pauline epistles make no reference to Jesus' father, and nor does the Gospel of Mark, the first of the Gospels. The first appearance of Joseph is therefore in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, both of which trace Joseph's lineage back to King David. The two lists give differing genealogies: Matthew says that Joseph's father was called Jacob, but Luke says he was the son of Heli.

Matthew and Luke are also the only Gospels to include the infancy narratives, and again they differ. In Luke, Joseph lives in Nazareth and travels to Bethlehem in compliance with the requirements of a Roman census. Subsequently, Jesus was born there. In Matthew, Joseph was in Bethlehem, the city of David, where Jesus is born, and then moves to Nazareth with his family after the death of Herod. Matthew is the only Gospel to include the narrative of the Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight into Egypt: following the nativity, Joseph stays in Bethlehem for an unspecified period (perhaps two years) until forced by Herod to take refuge in Egypt; on the death of Herod he brings his family back to Israel, and settles in Nazareth. After this point there is no further mention of Joseph by name, although the story of Jesus in the Temple, in Jesus' 12th year, includes a reference to "both his parents". Christian tradition represents Mary as a widow during the adult ministry of her son. The gospels describe Joseph as a "tekton" (τέκτων); traditionally the word has been taken to mean "carpenter", though the Greek term evokes an artisan with wood in general, or an artisan in iron or stone. Very little other information on Joseph is given in the Gospels, in which he never speaks.

Joseph is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran faiths. In Catholic and other traditions, Joseph is the patron saint of workers and has several feast days. He was also declared to be the patron saint and protector of the Catholic Church by Pope Pius IX in 1870, and is the patron of several countries and regions. With the growth of Mariology, the theological field of ''Josephology'' has also grown and since the 1950s centres for studying it have been formed.

Paul and the canonical Gospels

Joseph in the New Testament

The epistles of Paul, from roughly 51-58 AD, are the oldest Christian writings. These mention Jesus' mother (without naming her), but never refer to his father. The oldest gospel, that of Mark, also does not name Joseph. He first appears in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, both from the decade or so following 70 CE. Luke names Joseph's father as Eli, but Matthew names him as Jacob, in keeping with that gospel's depiction of Jesus as a second Moses. This theme is developed further in the infancy narratives, which, like the genealogies, have the function of establishing Jesus as the promised Messiah, the descendant of David, born in Bethlehem. Like the genealogies the infancy narratives appear only in Matthew and Luke, and take different approaches to reconciling the requirement that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem with the tradition that Jesus came from Nazareth. In Matthew, Joseph, already living in Bethlehem, obeys the direction of an angel to marry Mary and then to flee to Egypt to escape the massacre of the children of Bethlehem planned by Herod the Great, the tyrant who rules Judea. Once Herod has died, the angel tells him to return to the land of Israel, but to Galilee instead of to Bethlehem, and so Joseph takes his wife and the child to Nazareth and settles there. Thus in Matthew, the infant Jesus, like Moses, is in peril from a cruel king, like Moses he has a (fore)father named Joseph who goes down to Egypt, like the Old Testament Joseph this Joseph has a father named Jacob, and both Josephs receive important dreams foretelling their future. In Luke, Joseph already lives in Nazareth, and Jesus is born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary have to travel there to be counted in a census. Luke's account makes no mention of angels and dreams, the Massacre of the Innocents, or of a visit to Egypt.

The last time Joseph appears in person in any Gospel is the story of the Passover visit to the Temple in Jerusalem when Jesus is 12 years old, found only in Luke. Like the infancy narratives the story is didactic, emphasising Jesus' awareness of his coming mission: here Jesus speaks to his parents (both of them) of "my father," meaning God, but they fail to understand.

None of the Gospels mentions Joseph as present at any event during Jesus' adult ministry. The synoptic Gospels, however, share a scene in which the people of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, doubt Jesus' status as a prophet because they know his family. In Mark, the first Gospel to be written (about 70 AD), they call Jesus "Mary's son" instead of naming his father. In the next Gospel, Matthew, the townspeople call Jesus "the carpenter's son," again without naming his father, and again he has a brother named Joseph; only in Luke does he is named "the son of Joseph," and Luke makes no mention of any brothers. In Luke the tone is positive, whereas in Mark and Matthew it is disparaging. This incident does not appear at all in John, but in a parallel story the disbelieving Jews refer to "Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know".

Joseph is not mentioned as being present at the Wedding at Cana at the beginning of Jesus' mission, nor at the Passion at the end. If he had been present at the Crucifixion, he would under Jewish custom have been expected to take charge of Jesus' body, but this role is instead performed by Joseph of Arimathea. Nor would Jesus have entrusted his mother to John's care had her husband been alive.

Gospel harmony

A sample Gospel harmony of the episodes of the life of Saint Joseph in the canonical Gospels, in summary form of harmonies for the four gospels. See the gallery below for artistic depictions of some of these events.

|> Joseph lived in Nazareth Genealogy of Joseph Joseph Betrothed to MarySt. Joseph's dream Joseph and Mary travel to BethlehemVirgin birth of JesusInfant Jesus at the TempleSt. Joseph's dreamFlight into EgyptSt. Joseph's dreamReturn of young Jesus to NazarethFinding Jesus in the TempleHoly Family

Number	Event	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
	1	|
	2	|		|||
	3	|
	4	Angel visits Joseph (1st dream)||
	5	|
	6	Birth of Jesus||		|||
	7	Temple presentation||
	8	Angel tells Joseph to flee (2nd dream) ||
	9	|
	10	Angel tells Joseph to return to Nazareth (3rd dream)||
	11	Joseph and family settle in Nazareth||		|||
	12	|
	13	|

Professional life

Jesus is identified in the Gospel of Matthew as the son of a τέκτων (''tekton'') and the Gospel of Mark states that Jesus was a ''tekton'' himself. ''Tekton'' has been traditionally translated into English as "carpenter", but is a rather general word (from the same root that gives us "technical" and "technology") that could cover makers of objects in various materials, even builders. But the specific association with woodworking is a constant in Early Christian tradition; Justin Martyr (d. ca. 165) wrote that Jesus made yokes and ploughs, and there are similar early references.

John Dominic Crossan puts ''tekton'' into a historical context more resembling an itinerant worker than an established artisan, emphasizing his marginality in a population in which a peasant who owns land could become quite prosperous. Other scholars have argued that ''tekton'' could equally mean a highly-skilled craftsman in wood or the more prestigious metal, perhaps running a workshop with several employees, and noted sources recording the shortage of skilled artisans at the time. Geza Vermes has stated that the terms 'carpenter' and 'son of a carpenter' are used in the Jewish Talmud to signify a very learned man, and he suggests that a description of Joseph as 'naggar' (a carpenter) could indicate that he was considered wise and highly literate in the Torah.

At the time of Joseph, Nazareth was an obscure village in Galilee, about 65 km from the Holy City of Jerusalem, which is barely mentioned in surviving non-Christian texts and documents. Archaeology over most of the site is made impossible by subsequent building, but from what has been excavated and tombs in the area around the village, it is estimated that the population was at most about 400. It was, however, only about 6 kilometres from the city of Tzippori (ancient "Sepphoris"), which was destroyed by the Romans in 4BC, and thereafter was expensively rebuilt. Analysis of the landscape and other evidence suggest that in Joseph's lifetime Nazareth was "oriented towards" the nearby city, which had an overwhelmingly Jewish population although with many signs of Hellenization, and historians have speculated that Joseph and later Jesus too might have traveled daily to work on the rebuilding. Specifically the large theatre in the city has been suggested, although this has aroused much controversy over dating and other issues. Other scholars see Joseph and Jesus as the general village craftsmen, working in wood, stone and metal on a wide variety of jobs.

Modern appraisal

The name of Joseph is found almost exclusively in the genealogies and the infancy narratives. Both are regarded with scepticism by modern scholars, as the genealogies are artificial, (Matthew divides Joseph's ancestors into three sets of fourteen, the number symbolising the name of David and Jesus' Messiahship, while Luke counts 77 ancestors back to Adam, symbolising the forgiveness of sins), and the infancy narratives are legendary ("it is impossible that both birth narratives are accurate and improbable that either one is"). The group of scholars making up the Jesus Seminar viewed them as late additions to the Jesus tradition with little historical value).

Modern positions on the question of the relationship between Joseph and the ever-Virgin Mary vary. The Eastern Orthodox Church, which names Joseph's first wife as Salome, holds that Joseph was a widower and merely betrothed, but never married, to Mary, and that references to Jesus' "brothers" are to children of Joseph and Salome. The position of the Catholic Church, derived from the writings of Saint Jerome, is that Joseph was the husband of Mary, but that references to Jesus' "brothers" should be understood to mean "cousins". In both cases, the church doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity means that Joseph and Mary never had sexual relations. The Protestant churches, following the tenet of Virgin Birth but not that of Perpetual Virginity, hold no strong views on the subject.

Later apocryphal writings

The canonical gospels created a problem: they stated clearly that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, and that Joseph was not his father; yet Joseph's paternity was essential to establish Jesus' Davidic descent, and he and Mary were so much husband and wife that only divorce could dissolve their union (Matthew 1:19). The theological situation was complicated by the gospel references to Jesus' "brothers and sisters" (repeated in Paul, where James is called the "brother of Christ"), and by the fact that he was described unambiguously by John and Mark as "Joseph's son" and "the carpenter's son." From the 2nd century to the 5th writers tried to explain how Jesus could be simultaneously the "son of God" as well as the "son of Joseph".

The first to offer a solution was the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, written about 150 AD. The original gospels never refer to Joseph's age, but James presents him as an old man chosen by lot (i.e., by God) to watch over the Virgin. Jesus' brothers are presented as Joseph's children by an earlier marriage, and his years and righteousness explain why he has not yet had sex with his wife: "I received her by lot as my wife, and she is not yet my wife, but she has conceived by the Holy Spirit."

The Protoevangelium was extremely popular, but it leaves open the possibility that Joseph might have had relations with Mary after the birth of Jesus ("she is not yet my wife..."). A few centuries later the developing doctrine that Mary was a virgin not only at the time of the conception and birth of Christ, but throughout her life, meant that this possibility had to be excluded. The apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, written in the 5th century and framed as a biography of Joseph dictated by Jesus, describes how Joseph, aged 90 (the Protoevangelium had not given Joseph a specific age), a widower with four sons and two daughters, is given charge of the twelve year old Mary, who then lives in his household raising his youngest son James the Less (the supposed author of the Protoevengelium) until she is ready to be married at age 14½. Joseph's death at the age of 111, attended by angels and asserting the perpetual virginity of Mary, takes up approximately half the story.

Sainthood

Together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus Joseph is one of the three members of the Holy Family; since he only appears in the birth narratives of the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as a child when with him. The formal veneration of the Holy Family began in the 17th century by Mgr François de Laval.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph the patron of the Universal Church in 1870, the unofficial patron against doubt and hesitation, as well as the patron saint of fighting communism, and of a happy death. Having died in the "arms of Jesus and Mary" according to Catholic tradition, he is considered the model of the pious believer who receives grace at the moment of death, and prays especially for families, fathers, expectant mothers (pregnant women), travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and working people in general.

The earliest records of a formal devotional following for Saint Joseph date to the year 800 and references to him as ''nutritor Domini'' (educator/guardian of the Lord) began to appear in the 9th century, and continued growing to the 14th century. Saint Thomas Aquinas discussed the necessity of the presence of Saint Joseph in the plan of the Incarnation for if Mary had not been married, the Jews would have stoned her and that in his youth Jesus needed the care and protection of a human father.

In the 15th century major steps were taken by Saint Bernardine of Siena, Pierre d'Ailly and Jean Gerson. Gerson wrote ''Consideration sur Saint Joseph'' and preached sermons on Saint Joseph at the Council of Constance. In 1889 Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical ''Quamquam Pluries'' in which he urged Catholics to pray to Saint Joseph, as the patron of the Church in view of the challenges facing the Church.

Josephology, the study of the ''theology of Saint Joseph'', is one of the most recent theological disciplines. In 1989, on the occasion of the centenary of Quamquam Pluries Pope John Paul II issued ''Redemptoris Custos'', i.e. ''Guardian of the Redeemer'' which presented Saint Joseph's role in the plan of redemption, as part of the "redemption documents" issued by John Paul II such as Redemptoris Mater to which it refers.

Feast days

March 19, Saint Joseph's Day, has been the principal feast day of Saint Joseph in Western Christianity, since the tenth century, and is celebrated by Catholics, Anglicans, many Lutherans and other denominations. In Eastern Orthodoxy, the feast day of Saint Joseph is celebrated on the First Sunday after the Nativity of Christ.

In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Joseph patron of the universal Church and instituted another feast, with an octave, to be held in his honour on Wednesday in the second week after Easter. This was abolished by Pope Pius XII, when in 1955 he established the Feast of "St. Joseph the Worker", to be celebrated on 1 May. This date counteracts May Day, a union, workers and socialists holiday and reflects Joseph's status as what many Catholics and other Christians consider the "patron of workers" and "model of workers." Catholic and other Christian teachings and stories about or relating to Joseph and the Holy Family frequently stress his patience, persistence, and hard work as admirable qualities which believers should adopt.

Pope John XXIII added the name of Joseph to the Canon of the Mass. The 19 March feast is a solemnity and is transferred to another date if impeded (for instance, if it falls on a Sunday within Lent). The 1 May celebration is an optional memorial, and so is omitted if impeded. (However, the 1 May celebration is 1st class in the Tridentine calendar, so in it St. Joseph the Worker was celebrated on 2 May in 2008 because 1 May was Ascension Thursday.)

Places, churches and Institutions

Many cities, towns, and locations are named after Saint Joseph. According to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Spanish form, ''San Jose'', is the most common place name in the world. Probably the most-recognized San Joses are San José, Costa Rica, and San Jose, California, United States, given their name by Spanish colonists. Joseph is the patron saint of the New World; of the countries China, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Peru, Vietnam; of the regions Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, Sicily; and of several main cities and dioceses.

Many churches, monasteries and other institutions are dedicated to Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph's Oratory is the largest church in Canada, with the largest dome of its kind in the world after that of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Elsewhere in the world churches named after the saint may be known as those of ''San Giuseppe'', e.g. San Giuseppe dei Teatini, ''San José'', e.g. Metropolitan Cathedral of San José or ''São José'', e.g. in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The Sisters of St. Joseph were founded as an order in 1650 and have about 14,000 members worldwide. In 1871, the Josephite Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church were created under the patronage of Joseph, intending to work with the poor. The first Josephites in America re-devoted their part of the Order to ministry within the newly-emancipated African American community. The Oblates of St. Joseph were founded in 1878 by St. Joseph Marello. In 1999 their Shrine of Saint Joseph the Guardian of the Redeemer was named after the Apostolic exhortation ''Redemptoris Custos''.

Prayers and devotions

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, during the feast day of Saint Joseph the following hymn is chanted:

:Verily, Joseph the betrothed, saw clearly in his old age that the foresayings of the Prophets had :been fulfilled openly; for he was given an odd earnest, :receiving inspiration from the angels, :who cried, Glory to God; for he hath bestowed peace on earth.

In the Catholic tradition, just as there are prayers for the Seven Joys of Mary and Seven Sorrows of Mary, so there are also prayers for the seven joys and seven sorrows of Saint Joseph; these include prayers for daily protection, vocation, happy marriage, happy death, and hopeless cases; specific prayers, novenas and devotions include the Prayer to Saint Joseph and the Novena to Saint Joseph. St. Francis de Sales included Saint Joseph along with Virgin Mary as saints to be invoked during prayers in his ''Introduction to the Devout Life'', Saint Teresa of Avila attributed her recovery of health to Saint Joseph and recommended him as an advocate, and Saint Therese of Lisieux stated that for a period of time, every day she prayed to "Saint Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins..." and felt safe and protected from danger as a result, and Pius X composed a prayer to Saint Joseph which begins:

:Glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all who are devoted to toil, :obtain for me the grace to toil, in the spirit of penance, :in order to thereby atone for my many sins...

There is a belief that planting a statue of St. Joseph on a house will help sell the house. This belief is held by some theists as well as atheists, but traditional Christian teachings view it as superstition and not a devotion.

In art

Up to about the 17th century Joseph tends to be depicted as a man advanced in years, with grey hair, often balding, occasionally frail and with arthritic fingers and a sharp nose, a comparatively marginal figure alongside Mary and Jesus if not entirely in the background, passive other than when leading them on their flight to Egypt. Joseph is shown mostly with a beard, not only in keeping with Jewish custom, but also because – although the Gospel accounts do not give his age – later literature tends to present him as an old man at the time of his wedding to Mary. This depiction arose to allay concerns about both the celibacy of the newly wedded couple, the mention of brothers and sisters of Jesus in the canonical Gospels, and Joseph's other children spoken of in apocryphal literature – concerns discussed very frankly by Jean Gerson for example, who nonetheless favoured showing him as a younger man. In recent centuries – in step with a growing interest in Joseph's role in Gospel exegesis – he himself has become a focal figure in representations of the Holy Family. He is now often portrayed as a younger or even youthful man (perhaps especially in Protestant depictions), whether going about his work as a carpenter, or participating actively in the daily life of Mary and Jesus as an equal and openly affectionate member. Full cycles of his life are rare in the Middle Ages, though the scenes from the ''Life of the Virgin'' or ''Life of Christ'' where he is present are far more often seen. The Mérode Altarpiece of about 1425, where he has a panel to himself, working as a carpenter, is an early example of what remained relatively rare depictions of him pursuing his métier. Some statues of Joseph depict his staff as topped with flowers, recalling the non-canonical Protoevangelion's account of how Mary's spouse was chosen by collecting walking sticks of widowers in Israel, and Joseph's alone bursting into flower, thus identifying him as divinely chosen. Several Eastern Orthodox Nativity icons show Joseph tempted by the Devil (depicted as an old man with furled wings) to break off his betrothal, and how he resists that temptation. There are some paintings with him wearing a Jewish hat. Joseph is normally associated with the colours black, or, as in more modern depictions, green; this is similar to his wife's association with blue. Accordingly, ''Sacrenoire'' is the analogue to the old French curse Sacrebleu.

Gallery of life in art

Individual depictions

In music

Nicolas Chadeville (1696 - 176?): Joseph est bien Marié, a choral composition (1755)

See also

Joseph, the name

Solemnity of Saint Joseph

History of Joseph the Carpenter

Prayer to Saint Joseph

Genealogy of Jesus

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ

Notes

References

verett Ferguson, Michael P. McHugh, Frederick W. Norris, "Encyclopedia of early Christianity, Volume 1", article ''Joseph'', p.629

Crossan, John Dominic. ''Jesus : A Revolutionary Biography''. Harpercollins: 1994. ISBN 0-06-061661-X.

Dickson, John. ''Jesus: A Short Life'', Lion Hudson plc, 2008, ISBN 0825478022, 9780825478024, Google Books

Fiensy, David A.; ''Jesus the Galilean: soundings in a first century life'', Gorgias Press LLC, 2007, ISBN 1593333137, 9781593333133, Google books

Catholic Encyclopedia article

Further reading

''Guardian of the Redeemer'' (Redemptoris Custos) by Pope John Paul II, St. Paul Books and Media (January 1, 1989) ASIN: B002AQ5E08

External links

Joseph. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 7, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online

The Life of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Saint Joseph at Patron Saints Index

Catholic Online Saints: St. Joseph* Eastern Orthodox Tradition: The Righteous Elder Joseph The Betrothed, And His Repose

Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed Orthodox icon and synaxarion for the Sunday after Nativity

a Translation of Grimm's Legend No. 1 Saint Joseph in the Forest

Category:1st-century BC births Category:1st-century deaths Category:New Testament people Category:Roman Catholic devotions Category:Saints from the Holy Land Category:Palestinian Roman Catholic saints Category:Angelic visionaries Category:Mary (mother of Jesus) Category:1st-century Christian saints Category:People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar Category:Anglican saints *

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name	Butch Cassidy
image name	butchcassidy.jpg
nationality	American
birth name	Robert LeRoy Parker
birth date	April 13, 1866
birth place	Beaver, Utah, United States
death date	November 06, 1908
cause	Uncertain, one theory: gunshot by Bolivian militia
alias	Butch Cassidy, Mike Cassidy, George Cassidy, Jim Lowe, Santiago Maxwell,
charge	Horse thief, cattle rustling, train and bank robbery
conviction	Imprisoned in the state prison in Laramie, Wyoming for horse theft
conviction penalty	Served 18 months of 2-year sentence; released January 1896
occupation	Thief (train robber)
spouse	None
partner	Harry Longabaugh, AKA Sundance Kid, Elzy Lay, Matt Warner
parents	Maximillian Parker and Ann Campbell Gillies
children	None }}

Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – c. November 6, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was a notorious American train robber, bank robber, and leader of the Wild Bunch Gang in the American Old West. After pursuing a career in crime for several years in the United States, the pressures of being pursued, notably by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, forced him to flee with an accomplice, Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, known as the Sundance Kid and Longabaugh's girlfriend, Etta Place, first to Argentina and then to Bolivia, where he and Longabaugh were allegedly killed in a shootout in November 1908.

Early life

Parker was born in Beaver, Utah, to Maximillian Parker and Ann Campbell Gillies, English and Scottish immigrants, respectively, who came to the Utah Territory in the late 1850's. Parker's parents had lived in Victoria Road in Preston, Lancashire, England and emigrated to escape religious persecution of their Mormon faith.

He was the first of their 13 children. He grew up on their ranch near Circleville, Utah, 346 km (215 miles) south of Salt Lake City, Utah. He left home during his early teens, and while working at a dairy farm, fell in with Mike Cassidy, a horse thief and cattle rustler. He subsequently worked at several ranches, in addition to a brief stint as a butcher in Rock Springs, Wyoming, when he acquired the nickname "Butch", to which he soon appended the surname Cassidy in honor of his old friend and mentor.

Life as a criminal

1880-1887 — first incidents, becoming a robber

Parker's first offense was minor. About 1880, he journeyed to a clothier's shop in another town only to find the shop closed. He entered the shop and took a pair of jeans and some pie, leaving an IOU promising to pay on his next visit. However, the clothier pressed charges. Parker was acquitted at a jury trial.

He continued to work on ranches until 1884, when he moved to Telluride, Colorado, ostensibly to seek work but perhaps to deliver stolen horses to buyers. He led a cowboy's life in Wyoming and in Montana, before returning to Telluride in 1887. There he met Matthew Warner, the owner of a race horse. The men raced the horse at various events, dividing the winnings between them .

1889-1895 — Early robberies, going to prison

Parker, Warner and two others were responsible for the robbery, on June 24, 1889, of the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride in which they stole approximately $21,000, after which they fled to the Robbers Roost, a remote hideout in southeastern Utah.

In 1890, Parker purchased a ranch near Dubois, Wyoming. This location is across the state from the notorious Hole-in-the-Wall, a natural geological formation which afforded outlaws much welcomed protection and cover, so it is possible that Parker's ranching, at which he was never economically successful, was in fact a façade for clandestine activities, perhaps with Hole-in-the-Wall outlaws.

In early 1894, Parker became involved romantically with Old West outlaw and rancher Ann Bassett. Bassett's father, rancher Herb Bassett, did business with Parker, supplying him with fresh horses and beef. That same year, Parker was arrested at Lander, Wyoming, for stealing horses and possibly for running a protection racket among the local ranchers there. Imprisoned in the state prison in Laramie, Wyoming, he served 18 months of a two-year sentence and was released in January 1896, having promised Governor William Alford Richards that he would not again offend in that state in return for a partial remission of his sentence. Upon his release, he became involved briefly with Ann Bassett's older sister, Josie, then returned to his involvement with Ann.

1896-1897 — Leaving prison and forming the Wild Bunch

Upon his release he associated himself with a circle of criminals, most notably his closest friend Elzy Lay, Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan, Ben Kilpatrick, Harry Tracy, Will "News" Carver, Laura Bullion, and George Curry, who, together with others, formed a gang known as the Wild Bunch, and with this his criminal activity increased considerably. Despite the Wild Bunch often being portrayed as mostly non-violent, in reality the gang was responsible for numerous killings during their robbery activities.

On August 13, 1896, Parker, Lay, Harvey Logan and Bob Meeks robbed the bank at Montpelier, Idaho, escaping with approximately $7,000. Shortly thereafter he recruited Harry Longabaugh, alias "The Sundance Kid", a native of Pennsylvania, into the Wild Bunch.

In early 1897, Parker was joined at Robbers Roost by his off and on girlfriend Ann Bassett, Elzy Lay, and Lay's girlfriend Maude Davis. The four hid out there until early April, when Lay and Parker sent the women home so that they could plan their next robbery. On April 21, 1897, in the mining town of Castle Gate, Utah, Parker and Lay ambushed a small group of men carrying the payroll of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company from the railroad station to their office, stealing a sack containing $7,000 in gold, with which they again fled to the Robbers Roost.

On June 2, 1899, the gang robbed a Union Pacific overland flyer near Wilcox, Wyoming, a robbery that became famous and which resulted in a massive man hunt. Many notable lawmen of the day took part in the hunt for the robbers, but they were not found.

During one shootout with lawmen following that robbery, both Kid Curry and George Curry shot and killed Sheriff Joe Hazen. Noted killer for hire and contract employee of the Pinkerton Agency, Tom Horn, obtained information from explosives expert Bill Speck that revealed that they had shot Hazen, which Horn passed on to Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo. The gang escaped into the Hole-In-The-Wall. Siringo was assigned the task of capturing the outlaw gang. He became friends with Elfie Landusky, who was by then going by the last name Curry alleging that Lonny Curry, Kid Curry's brother, had gotten her pregnant. Through her, Siringo intended to locate the gang.

On July 11, 1899, Lay and others were involved in a train robbery near Folsom, New Mexico, which Parker may have planned and may have been directly involved in, which led to a shootout with local law enforcers in which Lay, arguably Parker's best friend and closest confidante, killed Sheriff Edward Farr and posseman Henry Love, leading to his imprisonment for life in the New Mexico State Penitentiary.

The Wild Bunch would usually split up following a robbery, heading in different directions, and later reunite at a set location, such as the Hole-in-the-Wall hideout, "Robbers Roost", or Madame Fannie Porter's brothel, in San Antonio, Texas. The Hole-in-the-Wall hideout has been assembled at Old Trail Town in Cody, Wyoming. It was built in 1883 by Alexander Ghent.

Failed attempt at amnesty

Perhaps as a consequence of the loss of Lay, Parker appears to have approached Governor Heber Wells of Utah, which had joined the Union in 1896, to negotiate an amnesty, but Wells appears to have recoiled from this, advising Parker to instead approach the Union Pacific Railroad to persuade them to drop their criminal complaints against him. This meeting never took place, however, possibly because of bad weather. The Union Pacific Railroad, under chairman E. H. Harriman, subsequently attempt to meet with Parker, through Parker's old ally Matthew Warner, who had been released from prison. On August 29, 1900, however, Parker, Longabaugh and others robbed a Union Pacific train near Tipton, Wyoming, violating Parker's earlier promise to the governor of Wyoming not to offend again in that state, and effectively ending the prospects for amnesty.

Meanwhile, on February 28, 1900, lawmen attempted to arrest Kid Curry's brother, Lonny Curry, at his aunt's home. Lonny was killed in the shootout that followed, and his cousin Bob Lee was arrested for rustling and sent to prison in Wyoming. On March 28, Kid Curry and Bill Carver were pursued by a posse out of St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona, after being identified as passing notes possibly from the Wilcox, Wyoming, robbery. The posse caught up with them and engaged them in a shootout, during which Deputy Andrew Gibbons and Deputy Frank LeSueur were killed. Carver and Curry escaped. On April 17, George Curry was killed in a shootout with Grand County, Utah, Sheriff John Tyler and Deputy Sam Jenkins. On May 26, Kid Curry rode into Moab, Utah, and killed both Tyler and Jenkins in a brazen shootout, in retaliation for their killing of George Curry, and for the death of his brother Lonny.

Parker, Longabaugh, and Bill Carver traveled to Winnemucca, Nevada, where on September 19, 1900, they robbed the First National Bank of $32,640. In December, Parker posed in Fort Worth, Texas for the now-famous Fort Worth Five Photograph, which depicts Parker, Longabaugh, Harvey Logan (alias Kid Curry), Ben Kilpatrick and William Carver. The Pinkerton Detective Agency obtained a copy of the photograph and began to use it for its latest wanted posters.

Kid Curry rejoined the gang, and together with Parker and Longabaugh they robbed another Union Pacific train near Wagner, Montana. This time, they took over $60,000 in cash. Again the gang split up, and gang member Will Carver was killed by one pursuing posse led by Sheriff Elijah Briant. On December 12, 1901, gang member Ben Kilpatrick was captured in Knoxville, Tennessee, along with Laura Bullion. On December 13, during a shootout with lawmen, Kid Curry killed Knoxville policemen William Dinwiddle and Robert Saylor, and escaped. Curry, despite being pursued by Pinkerton agents and other law enforcement officials, returned to Montana, where he shot and killed rancher James Winters, responsible for the killing of his brother Johnny years before.

1901 — travel to South America

Parker and Longabaugh then fled east to New York City, and on February 20, 1901, with Ethel "Etta" Place, Longabaugh's female companion, they departed to Buenos Aires, Argentina, aboard the British steamer ''Herminius'', Parker posing as James Ryan, Place's fictional brother. There he settled with Longabaugh and Place in a four-room log cabin on a 15,000-acre (61 km²) ranch that they purchased on the east bank of the Rio Blanco near Cholila, Chubut province in west-central Argentina, near the Andes.

1905 and his last years — his biggest robbery, evading the law

On February 14, 1905, two English-speaking bandits, who may have been Parker and Longabaugh, held up the Banco de Tarapacá y Argentino in Río Gallegos, 700 miles (1,130 km) south of Cholila, near the Strait of Magellan. Escaping with a sum that would be worth at least US $100,000 today, the pair vanished north across the bleak Patagonian steppes.

On May 1, the trio sold the Cholila ranch because the law was beginning to catch up with them. The Pinkerton Agency had known their location for some time, but the rainy season had prevented their assigned agent, Frank Dimaio, from traveling there and making an arrest. Governor Julio Lezana had then issued an arrest warrant, but before it could be executed Sheriff Edward Humphreys, a Welsh Argentine who was friendly with Parker and enamored of Etta Place, tipped them off.

The trio fled north to San Carlos de Bariloche where they embarked on the steamer ''Condor'' across Nahuel Huapi Lake and into Chile. However by the end of that year they were again back in Argentina; on December 19, Parker, Longabaugh, Place and an unknown male took part in the robbery of the Banco de la Nacion in Villa Mercedes, 400 miles (650 km) west of Buenos Aires, taking 12,000 pesos. Pursued by armed lawmen, they crossed the Pampas and the Andes and again reached the safety of Chile.

On June 30, 1906, Etta Place decided that she had had enough of life on the run and was escorted back to San Francisco by Longabaugh. Parker, under the alias James "Santiago" Maxwell, obtained work at the Concordia Tin Mine in the Santa Vera Cruz range of the central Bolivian Andes, where he was joined by Longabaugh upon his return. Ironically, their main duties included guarding the company payroll. Still wanting to settle down as a respectable rancher, Parker, late in 1907, made an excursion with Longabaugh to Santa Cruz, a frontier town in Bolivia's eastern savannah.

Death

The facts surrounding Parker's death are uncertain. On November 3, 1908, near San Vicente in southern Bolivia, a courier for the Aramayo Franke and Cia Silver Mine was conveying his company's payroll, worth about 15,000 Bolivian pesos, by mule when he was attacked and robbed by two masked American bandits who were believed to be Parker and Longabaugh. The bandits then proceeded to the small mining town of San Vicente where they lodged in a small boarding house owned by a local resident miner named Bonifacio Casasola. When Casasola became suspicious of his two foreign lodgers, as well as a mule they had in their possession which was from the Aramayo Mine, identifiable from the mine company logo on the mule's left flank, Casasola left his house and notified a nearby telegraph officer who notified a small Bolivian Army cavalry unit stationed nearby, which was the Abaroa Regiment. The unit dispatched three soldiers, under the command of Captain Justa Concha, to San Vicente where they notified the local authorities. On the evening of November 6, the lodging house was surrounded by three soldiers, the police chief, the local mayor and some of his officials, who intended to arrest the Aramayo robbers.

When the three soldiers approached the house the bandits opened fire, killing one of the soldiers and wounding another. A gunfight then ensued. At around 2 a.m., during a lull in the firing, the police and soldiers heard a man screaming from inside the house. Soon, a single shot was heard from inside the house, whereupon the screaming stopped. Minutes later, another shot was heard.

The standoff continued as locals kept the place surrounded until the next morning when, cautiously entering, they found two dead bodies, both with numerous bullet wounds to the arms and legs. One of the men had a bullet wound in the forehead and the other had a bullet hole in the temple. The local police report speculated that, judging from the positions of the bodies, that one bandit had probably shot his fatally wounded partner-in-crime to put him out of his misery, just before killing himself with his final bullet.

In the following investigation by the Tupiza police, the bandits were identified as the men who robbed the Aramayo payroll transport, but the Bolivian authorties didn't know their real names, nor could they positively identify them. The bodies were buried at the small San Vicente cemetery, where they were buried close to the grave of a German miner named Gustav Zimmer. Although attempts have been made to find their unmarked graves, notably by the American forensic anthropologist Clyde Snow and his researchers in 1991, no remains with DNA matching the living relatives of Parker and Longabaugh have yet been discovered.

Claims of post-1908 survival

However, there were claims, such as by Parker's sister Lula Parker Betenson, that he returned alive to the United States and lived in anonymity for years. In her biography ''Butch Cassidy, My Brother'', Betenson cites several instances of people familiar with Parker who encountered him long after 1908, and she relates a detailed impromptu "family reunion" of Butch, their brother Mark, their father Maxi, and Lula, in 1925.

In 1974 or 1975, Red Fenwick, a columnist at ''The Denver Post'', told writer Ivan Goldman, then a reporter at the ''Post'', that he was acquainted with Parker's physician, a woman. Fenwick said she was a person of absolute integrity. She told Fenwick that she had continued to treat Parker for many years after he supposedly was killed in Bolivia.

There is anecdotal and circumstantial evidence that Longabaugh also returned to the United States and died in 1936.

In his ''Annals of the Former World'', John McPhee repeats a story told to geologist David Love (1913–2002) in the 1930s by Love's family doctor, Francis Smith, M.D., when Love was a doctoral student. Smith stated that he had just seen Parker, that Parker told Smith that his face had been altered by a surgeon in Paris, and that he showed Smith a repaired bullet wound that Smith recognized as work he had previously done on Parker.

In an interview with Josie Bassett, sister to Ann Bassett, in 1960, she claims that Butch came to visit her in the 1920s "after returning from South America" and that "Butch died in Johnnie, Nevada, about 15 years ago." Another interview with locals of Parker's hometown of Circleville, Utah also finds claims of Parker working in Nevada until his death.

Western historian Charles Kelly closed the chapter "Is Butch Cassidy Dead?" in his 1938 book, ''Outlaw Trail'', by observing that if Parker "is still alive, as these rumors claim, it seems exceedingly strange that he has not returned to Circleville, Utah, to visit his old father, Maximillian Parker, who died on July 28, 1938, at the age of 94 years." Kelly is thought to have interviewed Parker's father, but no known transcript of such an interview exists.

A Masonic Lodge, in Spokane, Washington, claims to be Butch Cassidy's lodge. They claim he entered the lodge and was active until he died. He owned and operated The Phillips manufacturing company. In conversations with historians, this account is disputed, as he was never trained in machine work. Further, the claim cannot be backed up as the lodge had indicated the records were missing. This account was however, used by his sister claiming him to be William Phillips.

While Kelly said that all correspondence from both Parker and Longabaugh ceased after the San Vicente incident, some correspondence has been published that is dated 1930, 1937 and 1938 and said to have been written by Parker.

In popular culture

''The Three Outlaws'', starring Neville Brand as Butch Cassidy and Alan Hale Jr as the Sundance Kid, is a 1956 western film of the famed outlaws lives with Wild Bunch member William "News" Carver as the third outlaw in the title.

''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'', starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, is a 1969 fictional film of the duo's exploits.

In the 1951 film, ''The Texas Rangers'', Cassidy is played by John Doucette and the Sundance Kid is played by Ian MacDonald. In a gang composed of real-life outlaws John Wesley Hardin and Dave Rudabaugh, led by Sam Bass, they square off against two convicts recruited by John B. Jones to bring them to justice.

In the 1965 comedy Western Cat Ballou, Cassidy is played by Arthur Hunnicutt as a washed-up old outlaw tending a bar at Hole-in-the Wall.

A 2006 film, ''Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy'' is an action-adventure with a twist of romance. Ryan Kelley, Arielle Kebbel, Dan Byrd, Brent Weber, with James Gammon and Bruce Mcgill star in the movie. Roy Parker (Ryan Kelley) is determined to find the treasure of his great uncle Leroy (Butch Cassidy) and prove that Cassidy lived on and went right and stopped robbing. With his best friend, arch complaining rival, and a girl who has stolen his heart, they make the trip through Utah to find the lost treasure and stop a villain from getting it first.

In the 4kids version of the Pokémon anime there are two Team Rocket members named Butch and Cassidy who work in one of the numerous field teams.

''Butch and Sundance: The Early Days'', starring Tom Berenger and William Katt, is a 1979 prequel to the 1969 Newman-Redford film

Mr. American, a novel by George MacDonald Fraser, is the story of a mysterious wealthy American who comes to England in the first decade of the Twentieth Century. It is revealed that Mr Franklin had ridden with Cassidy, though his money was made honestly. Kid Curry also appears as a character.

a TV movie called ''The Legend of Butch & Sundance'' was released in 2006. David Clayton Rogers plays as Butch, Ryan Browning plays as Sundance, and Rachelle Lefevre plays as Etta Place .

"Blackthorn", starring Sam Shepard will be released on Oct 7. The film, (http://www.blackthornmovie.com/) tells the story through as if Cassidy had survived living out his years under the name James Blackthorn in a secluded Bolivian village. Tired of his long exile from the US and hoping to see his family again before he dies, Cassidy sets out on the long journey home. But when an unexpected encounter with an ambitious young criminal (Eduardo Noriega) derails his plans, he is thrust into one last adventure, the likes of which he hasn’t experienced since his glory days with the Sundance Kid.

Aliases

Butch Cassidy

George Parker George Cassidy Lowe Maxwell James "Santiago" Maxwell James Ryan Butch Casady

Santiago Lowe

Alleged friends

William T. Phillips claimed to have known Butch Cassidy since childhood. Some have speculated that Phillips was Butch Cassidy, but no evidence supports the claims.

See also

''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid''

Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch

Sundance Kid

''Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy''

References

External links

History of Butch Cassidy, LeRoy Parker

Wanted Notice for Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Camilla Hanks, hosted by the Portal to Texas History

Butch Cassidy's Surrender Offer article by Richard Patterson

Category:1866 births Category:1908 deaths Category:American bank robbers Category:American outlaws Category:American expatriates in Argentina Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:Beaver County, Utah Category:Deaths by firearm in Bolivia Category:Outlaws of the American Old West Category:People from Beaver County, Utah Category:People of the American Old West

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