A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the Gypsies Part 13

James Lovell, do. 6 do. Tinker, Church-lane.

Joseph Lovell, do. 3 do. Chair-bottomer, New-street.

Thomas Lovell, do. 2 do. Chair bottomer, Banbridge-street.

William Lovell, do. 1 do. Knife-grinder, Church-street.

Lussha Cooper, wife and 10 children, Rat-catcher, Tottenham-court-road.

Corrie Lovell, do. 5 do. Knife-grinder, Bolton-street.

Uriah Lovell, do. 6 do. Chair-bottomer, Bolton-street.

Thomas Lovell, do. 7 do. Knife-grinder, Paddington.

Solomon Lovell, do. 4 do. Chair-bottomer, New-street.

Solomon Jones, do. 2 do. Basket-maker and Wire-worker, Battle-bridge.

Men and Women, 22-52 Children.

John Lee, wife and 9 children, Chair-bottomer, Tothil-fields.

Richard Taylor, do. 3 do. Wire-worker, New-street.

Betsey Lovell, widow, Supported by her son Joseph Lovell.

Joseph Lovell, wife 1 do. Bellows-mender, Sh.o.r.e-ditch.

Diana Lee, widow 1 do. Sells Earthenware, Sh.o.r.e-ditch.

Mansfield Lee, wife 0 do. Tinker and Grinder, Sh.o.r.e-ditch.

Zachariah Lee, do. 0 do. Fiddler-Travels the Country.

Thomas Smith, do. 5 do. Chair-bottomer, Lisson-green, Paddington.

Thomas Porter, do. 3 do. Works at the Ca.n.a.l, Paddington.

Charlotte Allen, widow 7 do. Sells Earthenware, Kent-street, Borough.

James Cole, wife 4 do. Lamplighter and Grinder, Kent-street, Borough.

Edward Martin, do. 2 do. Sells Fruit in the Street, Kent-street, Borough.

Samuel Martin, do. 6 do. Journeyman Saddler, White-street.

John Sinfield, do. 0 do. Sells Fish in the Streets, White-street.

John Taylor, do. 3 do. Ditto. Ditto.

Men and Women, 25-44 Children.

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 a.s.sist 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 a.s.sistance.-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 princ.i.p.al 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 a.s.ses; and support themselves by the employment they obtain in the towns and villages through which they pa.s.s; and a.s.sist sometimes in hay-making, and plucking hops, in the counties of Kent, Surry, and Suss.e.x.

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.

_English_. _Gypsey_.

One Yake

Two Duee

Three Trin

Four Stor

Five Pan

Ten Dyche

Head Charro

Eyes Yock

Nose Nack

Bread Mor

Bread & b.u.t.ter Kil-mor

Beer Limbar

Hair Balo.

Cold day Shil-dewes