Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14
YETHOLM FOLK.
Story of David Williamson, Perse-
cuted Presbyterian Clergyman.
,iipsies In rcotland-Ihe Once Famous Strong
hold Now Almost DesPrtad-1rans-
planted to America
(Copyrighted, 1907

the-way spot, hid like a meadow ark's nest il
one OF Scotland's shining border wales. Be
sides. my OLD friends, the Gipsies, who hav;
made the place their haunt and home for nearly
400 years, greet me SO ioyously that their radian
faces, vice-like hand grasps and loudly bel
lowed, ever-quaint words of greeting, thrill me
as one knows in gladstone home coming.
The valley of Yetholm itself is enchanting
enough without Its tinge and flavor OF true
Glpsyism. 1t lies within cannon-range of the
English border. in the southeastern shire oil
Scotland, RoIburgshire, and in Its eastern dis
trict, which comprises the parishes of Linton
Hownam, Ietholm ana Morebattle. On all
sides rise the noble Cheviot hills, more beauti-
full and charming in reality than anywhere
painted in all border minstrelsy. The vale is SO
shut in from the outside world that it is only &C.
cess1ble by two roads, so hidden, as one wan
ders in hamlet and valley. that no egress from
:hs romantic spot can anywhere be seen. But
winding through the CheYiot peaks one thor
oughfare leads to K elso and another to jed
burgh, both places tne examples CT old border
towns, through most enhancing scenes. The
one trailing along to Kelso gives noble views
of the region at the junction of the Teviot
and Tweed. and of the ruins of Roxburgh Alb
oey, to my mind the sweetest spot and the finest
Scottish medival ruin to be found. Just beyond
where it leaves Yetholm through the circuitous
opening in the hills, is the famous Cherry rrees-
Manse, reference to which ever brings a broad
smile to every Scottish face; for it was here that
the famous David Williamson, a prosecuted
Presbyteriann clergyman, who afterwards min
x.
the lady of the Maase into bed
WITH HEB OWN DAUGHTER,
body and boots TO escape the pursuing dra-
goons, by which means the Rev Cherrytree
Davie, as he was ever afterwards known was
saved from his pursners, but at the expense of
the young lady; who, however, afterwards be-
came the first OF the reverend gentleman 8
seven wives.'
overshadowing Yetholm itself are six
s90e hills oi Of the Ghevip sheGbrgngh
law and great Venchen, hiding from the hamlet
the oillowy, verdure-clad reaches of English
NORTHUMBERLAND wales. Between the circling base
OF Fenchen and the sunIy haughs of The five
other half mountains, flows the Bowmont
Water. an endless water-song tuned in hollow
reels and oveI myriad banks of bleaching peb-
Dies; miles-long shadows of wondrous tint and
tone. AT the cresent-like base of the five hills is
an ancient scottish hambet. A wide clean street;
huge square houses with peaked, matched
roofs; two old inns to which nobody ever comes
save hob-soled kinds at the rare intervals OF
market days and holidays; tiny windows and
hu e doors; monstrous knobs and knockers;
red tiles and brown thatching; with here and
there the forms and faces of old, old women
with bent backs and trembling frilled 'mutch''
caps; are what one sees it.
This is old Yetholm. Winding out of its rus
set side underneath q shadowy vaulting of
trees, pleasant way leads across Bowmont
water vale, where, otten IN the very water it
self, occur the iercest struggles of the famous
Bowmontside games OF Fasten's Fen, or
Shrove Tuesday. This sunny road at last
threading around the bold side OF Venchen
passes gray old mill, then is lost in a mass of
foliage by an ancient manse in which lives my
friend, good NJ mister Davidson. for more than
quarter of century the pastor of the heather
Rommany tribe at his very door; and then, to
the right and left, and before you, fringing a
ragged triangle enclosing Yetholm Green, are
all that are left of the cottage homes of what
was once the largest Gypsy settlement in any
English speaking land. This is Kirk Yetholm
Gipsies stels into Scotland. from Ireland
were they in carrying cut their assumption of
pilgrimage under the leadership of Anthonius
Gawino. earl of Little Egypt. ana Of being under
command of the pope to ''wander seven years
without sleeping in bed, - that they actually
SECURED THE CouNTEEAScE
if not the favor of James ". They received no
when James VI, took the government into
his own hands, Then statute was passed
''ior punishment of strong and idle vagabonds
and beggars. and relief OF the poor and impo-
tent This statute was very severe against
the Gipses, and ordered that their ears should
be cut off and themselves banished. This law
ute passed in 1897 that they be,
on conviction, made slaves for life.
In 1900 another act enforcing all previous stat
utes bearing on their regulation and punish
ment and severely coademning the negligence
of justices and commissioners in not putting
previous laws against them into execution. was
passed; and n il603 the privy council ordered the
whole race to leave the kingdom by certain
date under the penalty of death. In 1863 this
order was made perpetual law; but it appears
that, If these statutes were not actually set at
defiance by the Gipsies themselves, they were
effectually voided by the sympathy and assist
ance extended them by the different powerful
Scottish clans, some of which were ALI ID to the
by marriage secret and still more
influential ties, which the government at that
period very loosely controlled
But the history OF Scottish Gipsies after the
OF the Seventeenth century is not
marked by striking episodes in a few in
stances, and those of a local nature and interest
where the Rommany people were prosecuted and
punished mnch the same as all vagabonds COM
ing under the suryeill nee OF Scottish justice.
were Gipsies. Royal edicts and parliamentary
statutes. whatever their severity, operated
about the same as edcts and statutes would
have operated against foxes. sp .ciai furry of
from time to time cause renewed persecution,
which only drove the Gipsies into their hi ling
the more rapidly, and after quiet had re.
turned they came to the surface again,
more daring Gipsies and more of them.
would occasionally get caught and be clubbsd to
ieatl by the butt eud OF cruel Scotch law as
though there had been niiehty conquest; but
in all European countries to almost
conditions of
ABSOLUTE FREEDOM IN AMERICA.
The most noted of Scottish Gipsies were An
honius Gawino, the original chief and leader
.he Bailyows, after the Baillies, from whom the
,cended, and old John Faw, progenitor of all the
iiTsy Faws, Faas and Falls of Scotland and
America. Many members OF the Faa family
have attained wealth and political preferment in
Scotland. The once wealthy Falls merchants of
Dunbar, are Gipsies. One of the Falls became
colonel in the British army. Another servei
erm in parliament Hosts have been and are IN
ier-sheriffs and bailiffs. Lady Anstruther
wife OF the late Sir John Anstrdther, of
Ellie, was Jenny Faa. a Gypsy woman of great
Wit and beauty. These Falls or Fans OF Dunbar
are also connected by marriage with the great
banking family of Coutts, widely known in
America through the frequent social intelli-
yence concerning the noted Baroness Burdette-
Coutts While the celebrated poem THE |
ilpsie Laddic,' commentaries the abduction |
,y the Gipsy king. John Faa, in 1913. of Lady |
Casillis, wife of the Earl of Casillis '.a sullen
md ill,tempered man, more glveu to theology |!
han ilka-day goodness - who was absent on |
ieputaIion to ratif the solemn league and |
,ovenant OF that year at Westminster. Sir |
Walter Scott created his great character of |
= Meg Merrilies. - out of Jean Gordon. q Gypsy |
woman of III is very Kirk Yetholm; and have |
many times broken bread with her descendants |
lere as well as during my wanderings amo ng
ean Gordon: .'She had a great sway among
Ter tribe. She was quite Meg Merriiies, and |
possessed the savage virtue of fidelity in the
a,ne perfection"
The interest in Kirk Yetholm as haunt of
he Scottish Gipsies lies rather in what they
they orihinally acquired their footing in the
lace through bravery in battle as adherents of
scottish border lords. That was fully 200 wears
go. The few leases Of many of their homes
nd at one tine nearly an hundred cottages were !
n their possession-were remarkable as illus
rating the friendship existing between the
omads and the successive loads of the manor |
'hese were either for nineteen times nineteen |
ears. or, as with some of the more favored |
mes, las long as grass grows and water runs