Appendices

Appendices

 

Appendix1

The Writ issued by James V in 1540'

James, be the Grace of God, King of Scotts: To our Sheriffs of Edinburgh, principal and within the Constabulary of Haddington and Berwick, Provestes, Aldermen and Baillies of our burrowes and cities of Edimburgh, &c.;, greeting. Forasmeikle as it is humblie meanit and schewin to us be owre lovite Johnnie Faa, Lord and Erle of Little Egypt, that quhair he obtainet our Letters under our Grette Seele, direct to zou, all and sindry ayris havand autorite within our realme, and to assist in the execution of justice upon his company and folkis conforme to the laws of Egypt; and in punishing of all yame that rebelles against him; neveryeless as we are informet, Sebastiane Calow, Egiptiane, of the saids John's company, with his complices and partakeris underwrittin, yat is to say, Anteane Dorea, Satona Fingo, Nova Tineo, Philip Hatfeyggow, Jowla Bailzow, Grafto Neyn, Geleys Bailzow, Bernard Beige, Demer Macskella, Nolfaw Cawlour, Martin Zemine, rebelles and conspires agains the said Johnnie Faa and has removit yame all utterly out of his company, and taken fra him divers soumes of money, jevelles, claiths, and oyrs gudis, to ye quantite of ane grete soume of money and on na wyss will pass hame with him; howbeit he has bidden and remainet of lang time upoun yame, and is bunding and abest to bring hame with him all yame of his company yat are on live, and ane testimoneale of yame yat are deed; and also ye said Johnnie has the said Sebastiane's obligatioune maid in Dunfermling befor our maister housald yat he and his company suld remane with him, and on na wyss depert fra him, as the samin beiris incontrar ye tennor of ye quhilk, ye said Sebastiane be sinister and wrang information fals relatioun and circumventioun of us, hes purchest our writings, discharging him, and ye remanent of the personis above written, his complices and partakeris of the said John's company, and with his gudes takin be yame fra him, causus certane of our lieges assist to yame and yair opinionis and fortify and take yair part agains ye said Johnnie, yair lord and maister, sae yat he on nae wyss can apprehend nor get yame to to have yame hame againe within yair owin countre, after the tenour of his said band, to his heavy dampnage and skaith, and in grete perell of tynsall of his heretage, and expres agains justice. Our will is heerfor, and we charge you straitlie, and commans, yat incontinent yir our letters ze and ilk ane of zou, and within ye bouns of zour offices command & charge all our lieges yat nane of yame tak upoun hand to reset, assyst, fortify, supple, mainteine, defend, or take pairt with the said Sebastiane and his complices above written, for na buddies, nor oyr way agains the said Johnnie Faa, yair lord and maister, bot yat yai, and ze in likwys tak a lay handis upoun yame quharevir yai may be apprehended, and bring yame to him to be punist for yer demeretis, conforme to his laws, and help and fortify him to punish and do justice upoun yame for yair tresspasses; and to yat effect len to him our personis, stokis, fetteris, and all oyer things necessar yerto as ze and ilk ane of zou and all oyers our lieges will answer to us yerupoun and under all hiest pene and charge yat efter may follow; swa yat the said Jihnnie have na cause of complaynt heirupoun in tyme cuming, nor to resort to us agane to yat effect, notwithstanding ony our writings sinisterly purchest or to be purchest be the said Sebastiane in the contrar. And als charge our lieges yat nane of yame molest, vex, enquiet, or truble ye said Johnnie Faa and his company in doing yair lefull bessynes or oyerwaiyes within our realme, and in yair passing, remanyng, or awayganging furth of ye samin under the pane above written: and siclike, yat ze command and charge all skippers, maisters, and merinaris of all schippes within our realme at all portes and havyns quhair thew said Johnnie and his company sal happen to resort and cum to resavi him and yame yrin upoun yair expenses for furing of yame furth of our realme to the portes beyond sey; as zou and ilk ane of yame sicklike will answer to us yereupoun, and under the pane forsaid. Subscrivit with our hand, and under our Privie Seele at Falkland the fiveteene day of Februar, and our reign the 28 zeir.' 1540?

 

Appendix 2

Berwickshire Naturalists VII Anniversary Address

'This subject of the Gipsy has always been one of much interest to myself. By Statutes 1 and 2 Philip and Mary and 5 Elizabeth, it became felony, without benefit of clergy, to be found in fellowship with gipsies; and Sir Matthew Hale states, that at one Suffolk assizes no less than thirteen gipsies were executed upon these statutes.

'Their ancient history is veiled in obscurity; but their features and language remain, after hundreds of years, to this present moment. They are swarthy in complexion, with very dark, long eyes, black hair, and rather an oval face -clearly of an eastern origin. Dr Knox says that they rarely intermarry with other races, so far as the females are concerned, but the male has no such scruples. He describes a young gipsy he saw at Kirk Yetholm. She was about 16, and the finest specimen of the race he ever saw - features regular; eyes and hair black. Even in the best specimens, the mouth is too large, and the upper jaw, as in the Jewess, quite disproportioned to the lower jaw and to the rest of the features. The lips are large, and partake of the African character. To detain her at the door, he asked her the way to the head of the College water. She raised her fine arm to point out the mountain path. On the inner side of the arm there stood a circular leprous spot, not to be mistaken. Quick as though she observed, by a look I gave my friend, that the spot had been noticed by me, and as suddenly withdrew her arm retiring within the hovel immediately. He adds, 'they are dying out; they do not work, and like to live on the industry of others; they have found out the great secret, that they can live by the labour of others.' '

The Scottish Gypsies

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