Telegram-herald., 1890-09-14

allled to TIE WANDERERS g. mArr age. ~
secret 4a1 still mote Al1ae1tal t.rs,
sneh tne government a. thAt pefoa
very loosely controlled.
Bat tns history Of scottish Gyps,es
after tae beginning * tne >eFenleeutn
eentQry . n0t marked b striking ep--
s5des s4ye Ia fes instances, ana those
% a iOe4l nature and interest, shefe
he kommsaY people were persecuted
aad punished much the same As Al
sagzuCnds coming under tie saEveli-
lance ~ scottish justice. The most
that ean be sad of them = ghat they
were Gypsies. K0yal ed.cts and.parll-
ulent4Ey statutes, whatever their sever
~, operated about the same as edlcts
and statutes would have operated
against foxes. A special furry OF
excited Ylglience aud gypsy pre-
l0dlce would from time 10 time
cause renewed persecution, which only
drove the Gipses lntO their hiding
places, where, sill Ike foxes, they pro-
pagated tne more rapidly, and after
quiet had returned they came TO tie
surface again, more daring Glpsles and
more OF them. Perhaps some poor
gct caught aud be clubDed o. death by
the butt-end OF cruel scotch iaw, As
though there had been i mighty con-
quest; but that was AL. They never
failed % thrive under persecution I'M All
European countries 10 almost a. great
a degree as they have prOspered under
conditions OF absolute freedom IA
America.
. 4
were AnthOnlus Gawmo. the original
chief and leader, the Bailyows, after
wards the Balllies, from whom the
many families ~ American Gypsy
Baileys are descended, and old John
kaw, prOgenltOr OF all the Gypsy faws,
Faas and Falls OF Scotland and Amer
lca. Many members Of the Faa family
have attained wealth and political pre-
ferment in Scotland. The once wealthy
Falls, merchants of Dunbar, are Gyp-
sizes. one OF the Falls became a colonel
IN The British army. Another served a
term IN Parliament. Hosts have been
and are under-sherItis and bailliis.
Lady Anstruther, wife OF the late SIR
John Anstruther, OF Ellie, was Jenny
Faa, Gypsy woman OF great wit
and beauty. These Fall or Faas,
OF Dunbar, are also connected by
marriage with the great banking fam
ly OF Coutts, widely known IN America
through the frequent social intelligence
concerning the noted Baroness Bur
dette-Coutts. While the celebrated
poem, ''rhe Gypsle LaddIe," commem-
CRATES the abduction by the Gypsy King,
John Fsa, in l643, Of Lady CasillIs, wife
of the Earl of Casillis, "a sullen and i'll
tempered man, more gwen TO theology
than lika-day goodness" who was alb
sent on "A deputatIon IT, ratlfy the
solemn league and covenant Of that
year at Westminster. Sir Walter Scott
created his great character or "Meg
Merrlies" out of Jean Gordon, a Gypsy
woman of this very Kirk Yetholm; and
/ have many times broken bread with
her descendants here as we'll as during
my wanderings among the Gypsies in
America. Scott himself said OF Jean
Gordon "She had great sway among
her tribe. She was quite Meg Mer-
rifles, and possessed the savage virtue
OF fidelity in the same perfection"
The interest in Kirk Yetholm as a
haunt OF the Scottish Gypsies lies
rather IN what they once were here,
than IN what they now are. They orr
ginally acquired their footing IN the
place through bravery in battle as adj
herents of Scottish border lords. That
was fully 200 years ago. The feu
leases of many of their hOmes-and at
one time nearly a hundred cottages
We're IN their pOssesslOn-were remark
able as illustrating the friendship exist
ing between the nOmads and the sue
cesslve lords OF the manor. These were
either for nineteen times nineteen
years" or "as long as grass grows and
water runs" Their increase here un-
doubtenly reached its climax at about
the middle of the present century.
over 400 GypsIes then had their homes
in Kirk Yetholm; and at the death of
their chief, William Faa, IL 1917, they
mustered from Yetholm and its lmme-
date neighb0rhOOd 500 Gypsles and 800
asses as an escort for his remains from
COldstream to the parish burying-
ground at Yetholm. This Faa was the
acknowledged king of the Scottish Gyp-
sies. Shortly after ms death. on the
sudden decease of Charles Blythe,
King Williams immediate successor, a
remarkable contest took place between
the late Faa's two daughters, Princess
Esther and Princess Helen-the latter
hale old woman stlll living here alone
n her cottage at the side OF TInker's
Green, YethOlm.
These Faas were the pick Of the Scot
tish Gypsy race, and by their sagacity,
address and physical Drowess, were
able for nearly 800 years To exercise
royal supremacy. The Blythe line was
extinct m Scotland, aud no one could
be found to dispute this royal line re-
vertng TO one or the other of the two
Faas princesses. Helen, the younger,
urged her claims on the ground OF the
weli-known and Often-eXpressCd wish OF
the dead king that she should eveutu-
ally succeed him. Esther, the elder.
claimed the succession on the grounds
Of seniority. For months the llvehest
imaginable political canvass was w8ged
throughout the Gypsy camps OF scot
land. che sisters often taking secret and
rapid journeys OF hundreds Of miles 90
further their respective interests. At
last the contest waCed 50 bitter that the
SISTERS Of r0yal blood came to blows. che
first aud last breach of the peace ever
Sccredsted 90 trYpslCs ln NetnOlm. They
were both women OF powerful bu ld
over sIx feet ion height. and the eocoun-
ter has been described o. me 0v an eve
witness now hving here as of the most
savage ard feToCl0us character. Esther
vas victorious. and Helen. OF black
bearded Nell, "a she is called by the
villagers. "g0t hersef weel lickit This
ARRAY apparently decided the contest.
for when "testing- or Shrove
Tuesday. on which the famous Bow
mont rames sars stili notably celebrated .
Princess Helen and her followers Of
fered 30 objection % Princess Esther's
election and coronation.
The crowniug Of Queen Esther