Claude Deval | |
|---|---|
.png) William Powell Frith's 1860 painting, Claude Duval | |
| Born | c. 1643 |
| Died | 21 January 1670 (aged 26–27) |
| Resting place | St Paul's, Covent Garden, London, England |
| Nationality | French |
| Other names | Claude Duvall |
| Occupation(s) | servant, highwayman |
| Known for | French-born highwayman in post-Restoration Britain |
Claude Du Vall (or Duval) (c. 1643 – 21 January 1670) was a French highwayman in Restoration England. He worked in the service of exiled royalists who returned to England under King Charles II. Little else is known of his history. According to popular legend, he abhorred violence, showing courtesy to his victims and chivalry to their womenfolk, thus spawning the myth of the romantic highwayman, as taken up by many novelists and playwrights.