A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the Gypsies Part 5

James' subjects are commanded to aid in apprehending them, and in a.s.sisting Faw and his adherents to return home.

From all these circ.u.mstances, it appears that this John Faw, or two persons of the same name and distinction, succeeding each other, staid a long time in Scotland; and from him this kind of strolling people might receive the name of Faw Gang, which they still retain, as appears by Burn's Justice.

But the Scottish laws, after this time, were not less severe than those of Queen Elizabeth. By an Act pa.s.sed in 1609; "Sorners, common thieves, commonly called Egyptians, were directed to pa.s.s forth of the kingdom, under pain of death, as common, notorious, and condemned thieves."

Scottish Acts, I. 850.

SECTION VI.

The present State of the Gypsies in Scotland.

The energy and perseverance by which North Britons are distinguished, will be evinced throughout the pages of this section. A friend of the author, having been requested to make application at the Advocates' and the University Libraries, in the city of Edinburgh, for extracts from some foreign publications, was also desired to transmit with them what information could be obtained respecting the Gypsies in Scotland.

With a prompt.i.tude and zeal which characterises genuine philanthropy, a circular, containing four queries, was dispatched to the Sheriff of every county in that nation; soliciting through the medium of an official organ, all the intelligence which could be obtained on the subject. In consequence, returns have been made from nearly the whole of the s.h.i.+res, either by the Sheriff, or his subst.i.tute; generally addressed to George Miller, jun. Edinburgh; who has been a most effective coadjutor on this occasion.

From thirteen counties, the reports are, "No Gypsies resident in them;"

some others give account of their only pa.s.sing through at times.

William Frazer Tytler, Sheriff of Invernesss.h.i.+re, writes as follows: "The undertaking in which you are engaged, for the civilization of so lost a portion of mankind, merits every support. Its effects may be more generally and extensively useful in England, where those unfortunate people are extremely numerous. In Scotland, their number is comparatively small, and particularly in the county of Inverness."

Alexander Moor, Sheriff Depute, of Aberdeens.h.i.+re, states: "There are not any Gypsies who have a permanent residence in that Sheriffalty.

Occasionally vagrants, both single and in bands, appear in this part of the country; resorting to fairs, where they commit depredations on the unwary. Some of them are supposed to be connected with Gypsies in the southern part of the island."

John Blair, Sheriff Subst.i.tute for the County of Bute, writes: "I have to inform that the people generally known by the description of Gypsies, are not in use to come hither, unless abject, itinerant tinkers and braziers, generally from Ireland, may be accounted such. A few of them often visit us, and take up their abode for a time in different parts of the country, where people can be prevailed upon to give them the accommodation of an out-house or hut."

They are understood to be illiterate, neither they, nor their children, who are often numerous, being able to read.

The distinguished northern Poet, Walter Scott, who is Sheriff of Selkirks.h.i.+re, has in a very obliging manner communicated the following statement:

"A set of people possessing the same erratic habits, and practising the trade of tinkers, are well known in the Borders; and have often fallen under the cognisance of the law. They are often called Gypsies, and pa.s.s through the county annually in small bands, with their carts and a.s.ses.

The men are tinkers, poachers, and thieves upon a small scale. They also sell crockery, deal in old rags, in eggs, in salt, in tobacco and such trifles; and manufacture horn into spoons, I believe most of those who come through Selkirks.h.i.+re, reside, during winter, in the villages of Sterncliff and Spittal, in Northumberland, and in that of Kirk Yetholm, Roxburghs.h.i.+re.

"Mr. Smith, the respectable Baillie {94} of Kelso, can give the most complete information concerning those who reside at Kirk Yetholm.

Formerly, I believe, they were much more desperate in their conduct than at present. But some of the most atrocious families have been extirpated, I allude particularly to the _Winters_, a Northumberland clan, who I fancy are all buried by this time.

"Mr. Reddell, Justice of Peace for Roxburghs.h.i.+re, with my a.s.sistance and concurrence, cleared this country of the last of them, about eight or nine years ago. They were thorough desperadoes, of the worst cla.s.s of vagabonds. Those who now travel through this country, give offence chiefly by poaching, and small thefts. They are divided into clans, the princ.i.p.al names being Faa, Baillie, Young, Ruthven, and Gordon.

"All of them are perfectly ignorant of religion, nor do their children receive any education. They marry and cohabit amongst each other, and are held in a sort of horror by the common people.

"I do not conceive them to be the proper Oriental Egyptian race, at least they are much intermingled with our own national out-laws and vagabonds.

They are said to keep up a communication with each other through Scotland, and to have some internal government and regulation as to the districts which each family travels.

"I cannot help again referring to Mr. Smith of Kelso, a gentleman who can give the most accurate information respecting the habits of those itinerants, as their winter-quarters of Yetholm, are upon an estate of which he has long had the management."

It is very satisfactory to have received from an authority so respectably as that of William Smith, the Baillie of Kelso, above referred to, answers to the four queries of the circular; accompanied by his own interesting and appropriate ill.u.s.trations, from which extracts are made as follow, dated November, 1815.

"A considerable time having elapsed, since I had an opportunity, or occasion to attend to the situation of the colony of Gypsies in our neighbourhood, I was obliged to delay my answer to your inquiries, until I could obtain more information respecting their present numbers.

"The great bar to the benevolent intentions of improving their situation will be, the impossibility to convince them that there either is, or can be, a mode of life preferable, or even equal to their own.

"A strong spirit of independence, or what they would distinguish by the name of liberty, runs through the whole tribe. It is no doubt a very licentious liberty, but entirely to their taste. Some kind of honour, peculiar to themselves, seems to prevail in their community. They reckon it a disgrace to steal near their homes, or even at a distance, if detected. I must always except that petty theft of feeding their shelties and a.s.ses on the farmer's gra.s.s and corn, which they will do, whether at home or abroad.

"When avowedly trusted, even in money transactions, they never deceived me, nor forfeited their promise. I am sorry to say, however, that when checked in their licentious appropriations, &c. they are very much addicted both to threaten and to execute revenge.

"Having so far premised with respect to their general conduct and character, I shall proceed to answer, as far as I am able, the four queries subjoined to the circular which you sent me, and then subjoin, in notes, some instances of their conduct in particular cases, which may perhaps elucidate their general disposition and character."

"Query 1st. _What number of Gypsies in the County_?

"A. I know of none except the colony of Yetholm, and one family who lately removed from that place to Kelso. Yetholm consists of two towns, or large villages, called _Town_ Yetholm, and _Kirk_ Yetholm. The first is in the estate of Mr. Wauchope, of Niddry; the latter in that of the Marquis of Tweedale. The number of the Gypsey colony at present in Kirk Yetholm, amounts to at least 109 men, women, and children; and perhaps two or three may have escaped notice. They marry early in life, in general have many children, and their number seems to be increasing.

"Query 2d. _In what do the men and women mostly employ themselves_?

"B. I have know the colony between forty and fifty years. At my first remembrance of them, they were called the _Tinklers_, (Tinkers) of Yetholm, from the males being chiefly then employed in mending pots, and other culinary utensils, especially in their peregrinations through the hilly and less populous parts of the country.

"Sometimes they were called _Horners_, from their occupation in making and selling horn spoons, called Cutties. Now their common appellation is that of _Muggers_, or, what pleases them better, _Potters_. They purchase, at a cheap rate, the cast or faulty articles, at the different manufactories of earthenware, which they carry for sale all over the country; consisting of groups of six, ten, and sometimes twelve or fourteen persons, male and female, young and old, provided with a horse and cart to transport the pottery; besides shelties and a.s.ses to carry the youngest of the children, and such baggage as they find necessary.

"In the country, they sleep in barns, and byres, or other out-houses: and when they cannot find that accommodation, they take the canvas covering from the pottery cart, and squat below it like a covey of partridges in the snow.

"A few of the colony also employ themselves occasionally in making beesoms, foot-bosses, &c. from heath, broom, and bent, and sell them at Kelso, and the neighbouring towns. After all, their employment can be considered little better than an apology for idleness and vagrancy.

"They are in general great adepts in hunting, shooting, and fis.h.i.+ng; in which last they use the net and spear, as well as the rod; and often supply themselves with a hearty meal by their dexterity. They have no notion of being limited in their field sports, either to time, place, or mode of destruction.

"I do not see that the women are any otherwise employed, than attending the young children; and a.s.sisting to sell the pottery when carried through the country."

"Query 3rd. _Have they any settled abode in winter_, _and where_?

"C. Their residence, with the exception of a single family, who some years ago came to Kelso, is at Kirk Yetholm, and chiefly confined to one row of houses, or street of that town, which goes by the name of Tinkler Row. Most of them have leases of their possessions, granted for a term of nineteen times nineteen years, for payment of a small sum yearly; something of the nature of a quit rent. There is no tradition in the neighbourhood concerning the time when the Gypsies first took up their residence at that place, nor whence they came.

"Most of their leases, I believe were granted by the family of the Bennets of Grubet; the last of whom was Sir David Bennet, who died about sixty years ago. The late Mr. Nesbit of Dirleton, then succeeded to the estate, comprehending the Baronies of Kirk Yetholm, and Grubet. He died about the year 1783, and not long after, the property was acquired by the late Lord Tweedale's trustees.

"During the latter part of the life of the late Mr. Nesbit, he was less frequently at his estate in Roxburghs.h.i.+re than formerly. He was a great favourite of the Gypsies, and was in use to call them his body guards, and often gave them money, &c.

"On the other hand, both the late and present Mr. Wauchope were of opinion, that the example of these people had a bad effect upon the morals and industry of the neighbourhood; and seeing no prospect of their removal, and as little of their reformation, considered it as a duty to the public, to prevent the evil increasing; and never would consent to any of the colony taking up their residence in Town Yetholm.

"They mostly remain at home during winter, but as soon as the weather becomes tolerably mild in spring, most of them, men, women, and children, set out on their peregrination over the country, and live in a state of vagrancy, until again driven into their habitations by the approach of winter.

"Seeming to pride themselves as a separate tribe, they very seldom intermarry out of the colony; and in rare instances where that happens, the Gypsey, whether male or female, by influence and example, always induces the stranger husband or wife to adopt the manners of the colony, so that no improvement is ever obtained in that way. The progeny of such alliances have almost universally the tawny complexion, and fine black eyes of the Gypsey parent, whether father or mother.

"So strongly remarkable is the Gypsey cast of countenance, that even a description of them to a stranger, who has had no opportunity of formerly seeing them, will enable him to know them wherever he meets with them.

Some individuals, but very rarely, separate from the colony altogether; and when they do so early in life, and go to a distance such as London, or even Edinburgh, their acquaintances in the country get favourable accounts of them. A few betake themselves to regular and constant employments at home, but soon tire, and return to their old way of life.

"When any of them, especially a leader, or man of influence dies, they have full meetings, not only of the colony, but of the Gypsies from a distance, and those meetings, or _Late Wakes_, are by no means conducted with sobriety or decency."