Derby Mercury 1816

[babygirl101]

I came across this article in the above newspaper and thought it might be of interest:-

The Gipsies

Of late years some attempts have been made to reduce the numbers, or at any rate to civilise the habits of that vagabond and useless race, the Gipsies. In pursuance of such purpose a society of Gentleman have been making all the preliminary enquiries requisite to a proper understanding of the subject. A series of questions have been proposed to competent persons in the difference counties of England and Scotland; and answers have been received. Our readers will, we think, be amused with the following specimen of these answers:-

1. All Gipsies suppose the first of them came from Egypt.

2. They cannot form any idea of the number in England.

3. The gipsies of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, parts of Buckinghamshire, Cambridge and Huntingdonshire, are continually making revolutions within the range of those counties.

4. They are either ignorant of the number of Gipsies in the counties through which they travel, or unwilling to disclose their knowledge.

5.The most common names are Smith, Cooper, Draper, Taylor, Boswell, Lee, Lovell, Loveridge, Allen, Mansfield, Glover, Williams, Carew, Martin, Stanley, Buckley, Plunkett and Corie (not sure about that one, it’s not clear).

6.The gangs in different towns have not any regular connection of organisation; but those who take up their winter quarters in the same city or town appear to have some knowledge of the different routes each horde will pursue; probably with a design to prevent interference.

7.In the county of Herts it is computed there may be sixty families having many children. Whether they are quite so numerous in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, the answers are not sufficiently definite to determine. In Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Dorsetshire, greater numbers are calculated upon. In various counties, the attention has not been competent to the procuring data for any estimate of families or individuals.

8.More than half their number follow no business: others are dealers in horses and asses, farriers, smiths, tinkers, braziers, grinders of cutlery, basket-makers, chair bottomers and musicians.

9.Children are brought up in the habits of their parents, particularly to music and dancing, and are of dissolute conduct.

10.The women mostly carry baskets with trinkets and small wares: and tell fortunes.

11.Too ignorant to have acquired accounts of genealogy and perhaps indisposed to it by the irregularity of their habits.

12.In most counties there are particular situations to which they are partial. In Berkshire is a marsh, near Newbury much frequented by them; and Dr. Clarke states, that in Cambridgeshire their principal rendezvous is near the western villages.

13.It cannot be ascertained whether, from their first coming into the nation, attachment to particular places has prevailed.

14.When among strangers, the elude inquiries respecting their particular language, calling it gibberab (?not clear). Don’t know of any person that can write it, or of any written specimen of it.

15.Their habits and customs in all places are peculiar.

16.Those who profess any religion represent it to be that of the country in which they reside; but their description of it seldom goes beyond repeating the lords’ Prayer: and only few of them are capable of that. Instances of their attending any place for worship are very rare.

17.They may marry for the most part by pledging to each other without ceremony. A few exceptions have occurred when money was plentiful.

18.They do not teach their children religion.

19.NOT ONE IN A THOUSAND can read.



BG

[JoanneM]

Thanks for posting that.

Jo.

[Marie C..]

"Not one in a thousand can read." One cannot help wondering what ,in 1816, was the estimated number of ordinary folk(ie. non-gypsies) who actually could read.M

[babygirl101]

"Not one in a thousand can read." One cannot help wondering what ,in 1816, was the estimated number of ordinary folk(ie. non-gypsies) who actually could read.M

It was an interesting comment as at that time the vast majority probably couldn't read or write!!

BG