Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

simple and sequestered beauty of its scenery. It hangs upon the lower declivity of a steep rocky hill, called Stairroch, on the southern bank of the Bowmont, or as Leyden, in the elegant poem above quoted, has named it-the Yeta. This is a fine trouting stream, which issues, a few miles above, from the west side of Cheviot'; and after winding through a narrow pastoral valley, unsheltered with wood, but bounded everywhere by smooth steep hills of the most beautiful verdure, flows down between the two villages of Kirk and Town Yetholm. The Bowmont is here joined by a large brook from the bottom of a picturesque recess among the neighbouring hills, which pours into it the superfluous waters of the little lake of Loch-Tower or Lochside. A short way below this it enters England, and afterwards falls into the Till near Flodden Field.

women loitering at their doors, or lazily busied among their carts and panniers-and ragged children scrambling on the midden-steads (which rise before every cottage) in intimate and equal fellowship with pigs, poultry, dogs, and cuddies.

This description, though brief and general, may perhaps appear to some readers more minute than the occasion requires; but some little indulgence, we trust, will be allowed,-if not on account of our own early partialities, at least for the sake of the nowclassical scenery of gypsey heroism— the native haunts of Jean Gordon, alias Meg Merrilies.

The general aspect of the surrounding country, however, cannot be said to bear any striking analogy to the more dark and savage features of the gypsey character. Though the mountains of Cheviot can never fail to aBetween the two villages is stretched waken in the breast of a Scotsman a a broad and level haugh, which the thousand elevating emotions, there is Bowmont occasionally overflows. At little in their natural scenery that Fasten's Even this always forms the deserves the epithets of terrible or theatre for the toughest foot-ball match sublime. It is wild, indeed, but now played in the south of Scotland. without ruggedness and interesting Town-Yetholm lies rather low, and rather than picturesque. Its chief exhibits nothing remarkable either in characteristic is pastoral simplicity-the character of its inhabitants or its with something of that homely and internal appearance; but a small con-affecting bareness peculiar to Scottish ical hill, whose rocky summit retains landscape:-like the Border scenery the vestiges of some ancient entrench- in general, the green banks of Bowments, rises between it and Loch- mont seem more calculated to soothe Tower, and presents a very pleasing the fancy and soften the heart, than to view on approaching from the north. exasperate the passions by exciting the It is cultivated on all sides quite to imagination. To sources very differthe top, and the small village-ten- ent from the influences of external naants, by whom it is chiefly occupied, ture must be traced the strange pehave parcelled out its sloping declivi- culiarities of these wild and wayward ties into parks, or little enclosures, of tribes. In the same Arcadian vallies, almost Chinese variety, each of which reside at the present moment a peaannually exhibits, on a small scale, the santry distinguished for superior indiversified operations and variegated telligence, morality, and delicacy of vegetation of Scottish husbandry. feeling whose moss-trooping ancesThe aspect of the opposite village, tors, little more than a hundred years to which the gypsey population is en- ago, were nevertheless sufficiently fatirely confined, is of a different char- milar with stouthe reif and pykarie,' -acter:a mill and a church-yard ris- with feudal rancour and bloody revenge ving from the brink of the water-the-but the moral causes, which have church itself low and covered with thatch beyond which appear the straggled houses of the village, built in the old Scottish style, many of them with their gable-ends, backs, or coroners, turned to the street or toun-gate. 16 and still farther up, the TinklerRow, with its low, unequal, strawcovered roofs, and chimneys bound with rushes and hay-ropes-men and

[ocr errors]

happily changed the border reivers into a religious and industrious people, have scarcely yet begun to dawn upon the despised and degraded Gypsies.

Tradition affords no intelligence respecting the time when the first gypsey colony fixed their residence at KirkYetholm. The clan of Faas are generally supposed to have established

themselves there at a very remote period; and the pretensions of the present chieftain of that name to unmixed nobility of blood, as the lineal descendant of the renowned Erle Johnne,' are probably as well founded, at least, if not so splendidly illustrated, as the proud genealogy of the famous Prince de Paz, which certain northern heralds, it is said, had lately the merit of tracing up to the ancient royal blood of Scotland!

The tribe of Youngs are next to the Faas in honour and antiquity. They have preserved the following tradition respecting their first settlement in Yetholm:-At a siege of the city of Namur (date unknown) the laird of Kirk-Yetholm, of the ancient family of Bennets of Grubet and Marlfield, in attempting to mount a breach at the head of his company, was struck to the ground, and all his followers killed or put to flight, except a gypsey, the ancestor of the Youngs, who resolutely defended his master till he recovered his feet, and then springing past him upon the rampart, seized a flag, which he put into his leader's hand. The besieged were struck with panic—— the assailants rushed again to the breach -Namur was taken-and Captain Bennet had the glory of the capture. On returning to Scotland, the laird, out of gratitude to his faithful follower, settled him and his family (who had formerly been wandering tinkers and heckle-makers) in Kirk-Yetholm, and conferred upon them and the Faas a feu of their cottages for the space of nineteen times nineteen years-which they still hold from the Marquis of Tweeddale, the present proprietor of the estate. The other families now resident in this village (as we shall afterwards see) are of more recent introduction. They seem to have gradually retreated to this as their last strong hold, on being successively extirpated from their other haunts and fastnesses upon the borders.

We mentioned in our last Number, that Mr Hoyland, in the prosecution of his meritorious design for ameliorating the condition of this unfortunate race, had addressed a circular to the chief provincial magistrates, with a list of queries respecting their present state, &c. These, being transmitted to the sheriffs of the different Scottish counties, produced replies, several of which Mr Hoyland has published. Of

these notices by far the most interesting are, a short report of Mr Walter Scott, sheriff of Selkirkshire, and an account of the Yetholm gypsies by Bailie Smith of Kelso-which we shall extract in full; for though they relate, in some points, to particulars already detailed, they are altogether too graphi cal and curious to be subjected to any abridgement.-Mr Scott writes as follows:

"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 cognizance of the law. They are often called Gypsies, and pass through the county annually in small bands, with their carts and asses. 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 be lieve most of those who come through Selkirkshire, reside, during winter, in the villages of Horncliff and Spittal, in Northumberland, and in that of Kirk-Yetholm, Roxburghshire.

"Mr Smith, the respectable Bailie 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 Riddell, Justice of Peace for Roxburghshire, with my assistance and concurrence, cleared this county of the last of them, about eight or nine years ago. They were thorough desperadoes, of the worst class of vagabonds. Those who now travel through this country, give offence chiefly by poaching and small thefts. They are divided into clans, the prin cipal names being Faa, Baillie, Young, Ruthven, and Gordon.

"All of them are perfectly ignor ant of religion, and few of their children receive any education. They marry and cohabit amongst each other, and are held in a sort of horror by the common people.

"Bailie is a magisterial designation in Scotland, agreeing in rank with that of Alderman in England."

"I do not conceive them to be the proper Oriental Egyptian race, at least they are much intermingled with our own national outlaws and vagabonds. They are said to keep up a communication with each other throughout Scot land, 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."

In consequence of this reference, Mr Hoyland applied to Bailie Smith, and was furnished by that gentleman with an interesting report, dated November 1815, from which he has given the following extracts:

"A considerable time having elap sed, 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 asses on the farmer's grass 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 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 sub

[ocr errors]

joined 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."

66

Query 1st. What number of gyp sies in the county?

"A. I know of none except the colony of Yetholm, and one family who lately removed from that place to Kel

So.

Yetholm consists of two towns, or large villages, called Town-Yetholm, and Kirk-Yetholm. The first is on the estate of Mr Wauchope of Nid-" dry; the latter on that of the Marquis of Tweeddale. The number of the gypsey colony at present in Kirk-Yet, holm, 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 known 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 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 asses 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 besoms, foot-basses, &c. from 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 fishing; 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 assisting to sell the pottery, when carried through the country."

"Query 3d. Have they any settled abode in winter, and where?

* C. Their residence, with the ex.eeption of a single family, who some years ago came to Kelso, is at KirkYetholm, 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 Nisbet of Dirleton then succeeded to the estate, comprehending the baronies of Kirk-Yetholm and Grubet. He died about the year 1788; and not long after, the property was acquired by the late Lord Tweeddale's trustees.

ff During the latter part of the life of the late Mr Nisbet, he was less frequently at his estate in Roxburghshire 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 its aswa 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.

[ocr errors]

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 peregrinations 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 to London, or even Edinburgh, their ac quaintances 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 lyke wakes, are by no means conducted with sobriety or decency."

[ocr errors]

1

Query 4th. Are any of their children taught to read, and what proportion of them? With any anecdotes respecting their customs and conduct.

D. Education being obtained at a cheap rate, the gypsies in general give their male children as good a one as is bestowed on those of the labouring people and farm servants in the... neighbourhood; such as reading, writing, and the first principles of arithmetic. They all apply to the clergy

man of the parish for baptism to their children; and a strong superstitious notion universally prevails with them, that it is unlucky to have an unchristened child long in the house. Only a very few ever attend divine service, and those as seldom as they can, just to prevent being refused as sponsors at their children's baptism.

"They are in general active and lively, particularly when engaged in field sports, or in such temporary pursuits as are agreeable to their habits and dispositions; but are destitute of the perseverance necessary for a settled occupation, or even for finishing what a moderate degree of continued labour would enable them to accomplish in a few weeks."

Notes by Mr SMITH, intended to elucidate his Answers to the Queries A ́ and B, on their licentious liberty.

"I remember that about forty-five years ago, being then apprentice to a writer, who was in use to receive the rents as well as the small duties of Kirk-Yetholm, he sent me there with a list of names, and a statement of what was due; recommending me to apply to the landlord of the publichouse, in the village, for any information or assistance which I might need. "After waiting a long time, and receiving payment from most of the feuers, or rentallers, I observed to him that none of the persons of the names of Faa, Young, Blythe, Bailley, &c. who stood at the bottom of the list for small sums, had come to meet me, according to the notice given by the baron officer, and proposed sending to inform them that they were detaining me, and to request their immediate attendance.

[ocr errors]

"The landlord, with a grave face, inquired whether my master had desired me to ask money from those men. I said, not particularly; but they stood on the list. "So I see," said the landlord, "but had your master been here himself, he had not dared to ask money from them, either as rent or feu duty. He knows that it is as good as if it were in his pocket. They will pay when their own time comes, but do not like to pay at a set time with the rest of the barony; and still less to be craved."

"I accordingly returned without their money, and reported progress. I

found that the landlord was right: my master said with a smile, that it was unnecessary to send to them, after the previous notice from the baron officer; it was enough if I had received the money, if offered.-Their rent and feu duty was brought to the office in a few weeks. I need scarcely add those persons all belonged to the tribe

"Another instance of their licen tious independent spirit occurs to me, The family of Niddry always gave a decent annual remuneration to a baron baillie, for the purpose of keeping good order within their barony of TownYetholm. The person whom I remember first in possession of that office, was an old man called Doctor Walker, from his being also the vil lage surgeon; and from him I had the following anecdote:

"Between Yetholm and the border farms in Northumberland, there weres formerly, as in most border situations, some uncultivated lands, called the Plea Lands, or Debateable Lands, the pasturage of which was generally eaten up by the sorners and vagabonds on both sides of the marches.

66

Many years ago, Lord Tankerville and some other of the English border ers made their request to Sir David Bennet, and the late Mr Wauchope of Niddry, that they would accompany them at a riding of the Plea Lands, who readily complied with their re-s quest. They were induced to this, as they understood that the gypsies had taken offence, on the supposition that they might be circumscribed in the pasture for their shelties and asses, r which they had held a long time, partly by stealth, and partly by via lence.

i-aud "Both threats and entreaties were employed to keep them away; and atis last Sir David obtained a promise from some of the heads of the gang, that none of them should show their faces on the occasion.

"They however got upon the hills at a little distance, whence they could see every thing that passed. At first they were very quiet. But when they in saw the English Court Book spread out on a cushion before the clerk, and t apparently taken in a line of directionço interfering with what they considered to be their privileged ground, it wash with great difficulty that the most mówni derate of them could restrain the restr from running down and taking overtoo

« ZurückWeiter »