Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14
YETHOLM FOLK.
Story OF David Williamson, Perse-
cuted Presbyterian Clergyman.
6ipsies In ScOtland-The Once Famous Strong
hold Now almost Deserted Trans
planted to america
tCopyrightsd. 800

the-way spot, hid like q meadowlRrk's nest IN
one OF Scotland's shining border wales. Be-
sides. my ola friends, the Gipsies, who have
made the place their haunt and home for nearly
400 years, greet me so ioyously that their radiant
faces, vice-like hand grasps and loudly bel
lowed, ever-quaint words OF greeting, thrill me
as one knows in gladstone homecoming.
The valley of Yetholm itself is enchanting
enough without Its tinge and flavor OF true
Gipsyism. II lies within cannon range of the
English border. in the southeastern shire OF
Scotland, Roxburgshre, and in its eastern dis
trict, which comprises the parishes of Linton 4,
Hownam, Yetholm ana Morebaitle. On all
sides rise the noble Cheviot hills, more beauti-
full and charming in reality than anywhere
painted in al border minstrelsy. The vale is SO
shut in from the outside world that it is only
cessible b. two roads, so hidden, wan
ders in hamlet and valley, that no egress from
he romantic spot can anywhere be seen. But
winding through the Cheyiot peaks, one thor
oughfare leads to K also and another to Jed
burgh, both places tine examples CT old border
towns, through most enhancing scenes. The
one trailing along to Keso gives noble views
OF the region at the junction of the TeviOt
and Tweed. and of the ruins OF Roxburgh Alb
hey, 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 rees-
hanse, reference to which ever brings a broad
smile to every Scottish face for it was here that
the famous David Williamson, a prosecuted
Presbyterian clergyman, who afterwards min
istered at ST. Cuthbert's. Edinburg, W as put by
the lady of the Manse into bed
WITH HER OWN DAUGHTER,
body and boots. 10 escape the pursuing ORA
goons, by which means the Rev. Cherrytree
Davie, as he ever Afterwards known was
saved from his pursners, but at the expense of
the young lady; who, however, afterwards be-
came The hTst of the reverend gentleman 8
seven wives. -
oyershadOwing Yetholm itself are six
Staerough, Goldsnout, Green Hamilton. Hare
law and great Venchen, hiding from the hamlet
the Dillowy, Verdure-clad reaches of English
Northumbrian wales. Between the circling base
of Venchen and the sun1y haughs of The five
other half mountains, flows the Bowmont
Water. an endless water-song tuned in hollow
reels and owes myriad banks of bleaching peb-
Dies; miles-long shadows of wondrous tint and
tone. AT the cresent-lEe base of the five hills is
an ancient scottish hambet. wide clean street;
huge square houses with peaked. matched
rootsi two old inns to which nobody ever comes,
save hob-soled binds at the rare intervals OF
market days and holidays; tiny windows and
hu e doors: monstrous knobs and knockers;
red tiles and brown matching; with here and
there the forms and faces of old, old women
with bent backs and trembling frilled 'mutch''
caps; are what one In it.
This Is old Yetholm. Winding out of its rus
set side underneath shadowy vaulting of
trees o pleasant way leads across Bowmont
Water vale, where, often in the very water it
self, occur the fercest struggles OF the famous
Bowmontside games OF Fasten's Fen, or
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 N mister Davidson, for more than
a quarter of q 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 left of the cottage homes of what
was once the largest Gypsy settlement in any
EngIish-speaking land. This is Kirk Yetholm.
Gipsies sttls into Scotland. from Ireland
about the year 100 So consumately shrewd
were they in carrying cut their assumption of
pilgrimage under the leadership OF Anthonius
II ~ I.Sv
command of the pope to wander seven years
without sleeping in bed, - that they actually
SECURED THE CoUNTEEANCE
if not the favor of James ". They received no
molestation worthy 10 be called such until 1873,
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 inpo-
tent This statute was very severe against
the Gipsies, and ordered that their ears should
be cut off and themselves banished. This law
was ratified in 1892 and another stat
ute passed in 1897 that they be,
on conviction, made slaves for life.
In 1900 another act enforcing all previous stat
utes bearing 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 il6O3 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
ance extended them by the different powerful
Scottish clans, some of which were ALI ID to the
wanderers by marriage or secret and still more
influential ties, which the government at that
period very loosely controlled.
But The history OF Scottish Gipsies after the
beginning OF the Seventeenth century is not
marked by striking episodes in few in
stances, and those of local nature and interest,
where the Rommany people were prosecuted and
punished mnch the same as all vagabonds COM
ing under the surVeill nee OF Scottish justice.
The most that can be said of them is that they
were Gipsies. Royal edicts and parliamentary
statutes. whatever their severity, operated
about the edicts and statutes would
have operated against foxes. sp ecial furry of
excited vigilance and Gypsy prejudice would
which only drove the Gipsies into their hi ling
aces. where, still like foxes, they propagated
the more rapidly, and after quiet had re.
turned they came to the surface again,
more daring Gipsies and more Of them
Perhaps some poor lame fox of a Gypsy
would occasionally get caught and be dubbed to
though there had been mlghty conquest; but
that was all. They never failed to thrive under
persecution in all European countries to almost
as great degree as they have prospered under
conditions of
ABSOLUTE FREEDOM IN AMERICA.
The most noted of Scottish Gipsies were An
thonius Gawino, the original chief and leader,
the Bailyows, after the Baillies, from whom the
many families OF American Gypsy Baileys are de-
scended, and old John Faw, .progenitor OF all the
Girsy Faws, Fsas 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 Glpsies. One of the Falls became
colonel in the British army. Another serve a
term in parliament Hosts have been and are un-
der-sherins and baiIiffs. Lady Anstruther,
wife of the late Sir John Anstrdther, of
Ellie, was Jenny Faa. Gypsy woman of great
wit and beauty. These Falls or Faas OF Dunbar
are also connected by marriage with the great
banking family of Coutts, widely known in
America through the frequent social intelli-
gence concerning the noted Baroness Burdette-
Coutts. While the celebrated poem, 1.-The
Gipsie Laddic," commentaries the abduction
Casilis, wife of the Earl of Casillis, ga sulleu
and i'll tempered man, more gIveu to theology
than ilka-day goodness - who was absent on a
deputaiion TO ratif Y the solemn league and
covenant of that year at Westminster. Sir
Walter Scott created his great character OF
Meg MeTrilies.' out of Jean Gordon, a Gypsy
woman of this very Kirk Yetholm; and have
here as well SIS during my wanderings amo ng
the Gipsies in America. Scott himself said OF
Jean Gordon: ''She had great sway among
her tribe. She was quite q Meg Merrilies, and
possessed the savage virtue Of fidelity in the
sane perfection
The interest in Kirk Yetholm as a haunt of
the Scottish Gipsies lies rather in what they
once were here. than in what they now are.
They oritinally acquired their footing in the
place through bravery in battle as adherents OF
Scottish border lords. That was fully 200 years
ago. The few leases Of many of their homes
and at one time nearly an hundred cottages were
in their possession-were remarkable as illus
trating the friendship existing between the
nonsds and the successive loads of the manor.
These were either for nineteen times nineteen
years, ~ or, as with some of the more favored |
I'M &C end