Present state of the Gypsies in and about London.

In the autumn of 1815, the author made a journey to London, in order to obtain information respecting the Gypsies in its vicinity.

The first account he received of the education of any of them, was from Thomas Howard, proprietor of a glass and china shop, No. 50, Fetter-lane, Fleet-street. This person, who preached among the Calvinists, said, that in the winter of 1811, he had assisted in the establishment of a Sunday School in Windmill-street, Acre-lane, near Clapham. It was under the patronage of a single gentlewoman, of the name of Wilkinson, and principally intended for the neglected and forlorn children of brick-makers, and the most abject of the poor. It was begun on a small scale, but increased till the number of scholars amounted to forty.

During the winter, a family of Gypsies, of the name of Cooper, obtained lodgings at a house opposite the school. Trinity Cooper, a daughter of this Gypsey family, who was about thirteen years of age, applied to be instructed at the school; but, in consequence of the obloquy affixed to that description of persons, she was repeatedly refused. She nevertheless persevered in her importunity, till she obtained admission for herself, and two of her brothers.

Thomas Howard says, that, surrounded as he was by ragged children, without shoes and stockings, the first lesson he taught them was silence and submission.—They acquired habits of subordination, became tractable and docile; and, of all his scholars, there were not any more attentive and affectionate than these; and when the Gypsies broke up house in the spring, to make their usual excursions, the children expressed much regret at leaving the school.

This account was confirmed by Thomas Jackson, of Brixton-row, minister of Stockwell Chapel, who said, since the above experiment, several Gypsies had been admitted to a sabbath school, under the direction of his congregation. At their introduction, he compared them to birds when first put into a cage, which flew against the sides of it, having no idea of restraint; but by a steady even care over them, and the influence of the example of other children, they soon became settled, and fell into their ranks.

With a view to reconnoitre an encampment of Gypsies, the author accepted a seat in the carriage of a friend, who drove him to Hainault forest. This, according to historians, was of vast extent in the times of the ancient Britons, reaching to the Thames; and so late as the reign of Henry the 2d, it covered the northern vicinity of the city.

On this forest, about two miles from the village of Chigwell, Essex, and ten from London, stands the far-famed oak, at which is held Fairlop Fair, that great annual resort of the Gypsies.

According to an account of it printed for Hogg, Paternoster-row, the trunk or main stem of this tree has been sixty-six feet, and some of the branches twelve feet, in circumference. The age of this prodigy of the forest cannot be ascertained with any degree of precision. The oak viewed by the present King, in Oxfordshire, and some years ago felled in the domains of one of the Colleges, though only twenty-five feet in girth, is said to have been six hundred years old. Fairlop oak having been nearly thrice as large, is supposed to be at least twice that age.

Phillips employed by the King, applied a patent mixture to stop the progress of its decay, but, last autumn, when seen by the describer, its naked gigantic trunk and arms, retaining not the least symptom of animation, presented a ghastly spectacle of the ravages of time, as contrasted with the rich verdure of the surrounding scenery.

The circumstances which gave rise to the establishment of a fair, on this spot of ground, are somewhat singular.

Daniel Day, an engine, pump, and block-maker, of Wapping, having a small estate in the vicinity of this oak, was in the habit of annually resorting to it about a fortnight after midsummer, to receive his rents, when he provided a dinner under the tree, and invited several of his friends to it. The novelty of the scene exciting the attention of the neighbouring inhabitants, attendance on that occasion increased until about the year 1725, when booths being erected round the stupendous oak, the scene assumed the appearance of a regular fair. It has continued to be held there, and it is said now attracts a great number of attendants.

As this fair does not appear to be a mart for horses or cattle, there is reason to fear, it is kept up more for revelry and excess, than for any useful purpose. The ground has been cleared to some extent about the oak, which stands at the head of a circular lawn, surrounded by pailing, to protect it from the ravages of the unthinking part of the multitude, who assemble there. It is said to have been the practice of the Gypsies, to kindle fires against the trunk, by which the bulk has been diminished, and perhaps the vegetation injured.

On the side of the forest, near to Dagenham, Essex, was the encampment of Gypsies, of which the author’s friend was in quest. The construction of their tents, is well known to be wooden hoops fastened into the ground, and covered with an awning of blankets or canvas, which resembles the tilt of a waggon; the end is closed from the wind by a curtain. This gang was called by the name of Corrie. It consisted of an old man, his wife, a niece, and their son and daughter with ten children; said to be all from Staffordshire. The men were scissars’ grinders and tinkers.

Questions being asked them respecting their condition, a young woman made some observations upon them to an older woman, in their own peculiar speech. This was the first time the writer had an opportunity of ascertaining, what the language of Gypsies in England really was. With the knowledge only of Grellmann’s vocabulary, he pointed out what the young woman had expressed; upon which they immediately exclaimed, the gentleman understands what we say; and they gave way to immoderate transports of joy, saying, they would tell him any thing he wished to know of them.

On being asked what gold was in their language, they replied without hesitation, sonnaka, and immediately added, silver was roop.

The opinion which has been entertained, that Gypsey language was composed only of cant terms, or of what has been denominated the slang of beggars, has probably been much promoted and strengthened by the dictionary contained in a pamphlet entitled, “The Life and Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew.” It consists for the most part of English words, vamped up apparently not so much for the purpose of concealment, as burlesque. Even if used by this people at all, the introduction of this cant, as the genuine language of the community of Gypsies, is a gross imposition on the public.

One of the women said, the education of their children was to be desired, but their travelling from place to place was against it.—A young man among them said, there were a hundred of their people in Staffordshire. This gang was intelligent as well as communicative, and gave proof of more civility than is commonly attributed to Gypsies.

The author also visited Norwood, which was formerly a principal rendezvous of the Gypsies. This village, near Croydon, in Surry, is situated on a fine hill, and is a wildly rural spot; but having been considerably inclosed of late years, it is not now much frequented by the Gypsies.

John Westover, deputy of James Furnell, constable of Norwood, stated, that about two months before, the Gypsies in that neighbourhood had been apprehended as vagrants, and sent in three coaches to prison. This account was confirmed by Edward Morris, the landlord at the Gypsey house. It did not appear that these Gypsies were committed for depredations on property, but merely on the vagrant act.

Gypsies being routed, as it is termed, in this manner, from various parts of the south, may probably have occasioned their appearing in greater numbers in the northern parts of the nation. The writer of this section being at Scarborough, in the bathing season of 1815, had intelligence of there being, at the same time, an encampment of Gypsies at Boroughbridge, another at Knaresborough, and a third at Pocklington, in the east-riding of Yorkshire.

On returning from Scarborough, he was told by an acquaintance at Tadcaster, that a gang of about twenty Gypsies, were just gone from the neighbourhood, after telling fortunes to most of the people in the town. The same summer, a numerous horde had been driven from the township of Rotherham; and there had been two encampments in the neighbourhood of Sheffield.

The winter before the last, severe as it was, a gang of about fifty or sixty, lay upon Bramley Moor, three miles from Chesterfield. This information was received from Joseph Storrs of Chesterfield, who has been an assiduous coadjutor. From the same authority, the writer learns, that a number of Gypsies usually came to Duckmanton, near Chesterfield, at the feast, who appear to be in pretty good reputation in their transactions. Also that there is a party of Gypsies who frequent Socombe-lane, near Shirbrook, which is two miles east of Pleasley. They are called Bosswell’s gang, consisting of twelve, and sometimes more, who mostly come once a year, and sometimes continue there for most of it. A woman among them is about 90 years old. They support a good character; and one of them who bought a pony, had credit for it, and paid honestly on his return.

After obtaining information at Norwood, of the winter-quarters in London, to which Gypsies resorted; the author had an interview with branches of several families of them, collected at the house of his friend William Corder, Grocer, in Broad-street, Giles’s. And in justice to them, he must observe, that however considerably the fear of apprehension as vagrants, may dispose them, when on travel and among strangers, to elude their inquiries, no disposition to do so, appears in the company of persons to whom they are known, and in whom they can repose confidence.

Being accustomed to lay out their money at the shop of this grocer, he said they would be very ready to attend upon his invitation; and accordingly, a number of them soon made their appearance. They said there were about twenty of the name of Lovell, who lodged in Bowles’s yard, in the neighbourhood. These acknowledged themselves Gypsies, and many of them had the features, as well as the complexion of Asiatics.

Their account is, that they come into lodgings at Michaelmas, and continue till April, then they set out on travel, and go into Norfolk, &c.

That some time ago, some of them had embraced an offer to educate their children at St. Patrick’s charity school, which had been established by the chaplain to the Portuguese ambassador; but some dissatisfaction arising in consequence of the religion of the conductors of that Institution, they had removed their children to the school for the Irish, taught by Partak Ivery, No. 5, George-street.

Uriah Lovell, the head of one of the families, made a very decent appearance; three of his children have been four winters at school, and learned to read and write; their father having paid sixpence per week, for each of them.—Partak was sent for, and came to the house of William Corder, where he confirmed the above account, saying there had been six Gypsey children at his school, and that when placed among others, they were reducible to order.

These Gypsies, like those upon Hainault forest, appeared to be greatly delighted at meeting with a person, acquainted, as they thought, with their language, and were remarkably free in speaking it.

James Corder, son of William Corder, obtained the following account of some of the lodgers in Westminster, and in the Borough, &c.

There has not been any information obtained concerning who winter in Bull’s Court, Kingsland Road, or in Cooper’s Gardens.

The older Gypsey children assist their parents in their trades; a few of the younger go to school during winter. Most of those who have children, are desirous of their receiving an education; though but few have the means of procuring it.

They complain of the scarcity of work; and in some instances appear to be distressed for want of it; the more so, as their ideas of independence prevent their applying to parishes for assistance.—It is much to their credit, that so few instances occur of their begging in London. In the minutes of evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons, on mendicity, there is only one example of a Gypsey girl begging in the streets.

Some of the women go in a morning to principal houses in the squares, before the heads of the families have risen, and tell fortunes to the servants, from whom they obtain sixpence or a shilling each.

A few of the Gypsies continue all the year in London, excepting their attendance of fairs in the vicinity. Others, when work is scarce, go out twenty or thirty miles round the metropolis, carrying their implements with them on asses; and support themselves by the employment they obtain in the towns and villages through which they pass; and assist sometimes in hay-making, and plucking hops, in the counties of Kent, Surry, and Sussex.

Among those who have winter-quarters in London, there are a few that take circuits of great extent. Some of them mentioned going through Herts into Suffolk, then crossing Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Bristol, &c. Others spoke of being at Yarmouth, Portsmouth, South Wales, Wiltshire, &c.

There is reason to think, the greatest part of the Island is traversed in different directions, by hordes of Gypsies.

For the purpose of comparing the language of English Gypsies with that of the Continental, exhibited in Section VIII, the following list of words was sent to James Corder, Broadstreet, Bloomsbury. He obtained from the Gypsies in his neighbourhood, the translation affixed to them.

When it is known that Gypsies are unacquainted with letters, and that James Corder, who took from the mouths of those in the parish called St. Giles, the preceding Gypsey words, did not know of Grellmann’s vocabulary, the coincidence appears very remarkable; but it is still more so with the Turkish Gypsey specimen by Jacob Bryant, exhibited also in the 8th Section. Robert Forster of Tottenham, who has been a coadjutor in this work, transmitted the following collection of words obtained from Gypsies in his neighbourhood.

In the conversation a clergyman had with the Bosswell gang, as published in the Christian Guardian for 1812 and 1813, they told him Chum, was the sun; Chuu, the moon; KalmÀro, bread and butter; and Livina, drink. The first two of those words almost exactly accord with Grellmann’s vocabulary, and the latter as nearly with Robert Forster’s and James Corder’s collection from Gypsies in and about London.

From the comparative views which have been taken of Gypsey expressions in various countries, there is reason to conclude that wherever they have been scattered on the face of the earth, they have spoken and transmitted the same language to their descendants. That it should have been preserved by them, when among people of other tongues, throughout centuries, for no purpose that we are acquainted with, but that of concealment, is indeed astonishing.