themselves there at a very remote period; and the pretensions of the present chieftain of that name to unmixed nobility of blood, as the lineal descendant of the renowned 'Erie Johnne,' are probably as well founded, at least if not so splendidly illustrated, as the proud genealogy of the famous Prince de Paz, which certain northern heralds, it is said, had lately the merit of tracing up to the ancient royal blood of Scotland!
The tribe of Youngs are next to the Faas in honour and antiquity. They have preserved the following tradition respecting their first settlement in Yetholm:—At a siege of the city of Namur (date unknown) the laird of Kirk-Yetholm, of the ancient family of Bennets of Grubet and Marlfield, in attempting to mount a breach at the head of his company, was struck to the ground, and all his followers killed or put to flight, except a gypsey, the ancestor of the Youngs, who resolutely defended his master till he recovered his feet, and then springing past him upon the rampart, seized a flag, which he put into his leader's hand. The besieged were struck with panic—the assailants rushed again to the breach—Namur was taken—and Captain Bennet had the glory of the capture. On returning to Scotland, the laird, out of gratitude to his faithful follower, settled him and his family (who had formerly been wandering tinkers and heckle-makers) in Kirk-Yetholm, and conferred upon them and the Faas a feu of their cottages for the space of nineteen times nineteen years—which they still hold from the Marquis of Tweeddale, the present proprietor of the estate. The other families now resident in this village (as we shall afterwards see) are of more recent introduction. They seem to have gradually retreated to this as their last strong hold, on being successively extirpated from their other haunts and fastnesses upon the borders.
We mentioned in our last Number, that Mr Hoyland, in the prosecution of his meritorious design for ameliorating the condition of this unfortunate race, had addressed a circular to the chief provincial magistrates, with a list of queries respecting their present state, &c. These, being transmitted to the sheriffs of the different Scottish counties, produced replies, several of which Mr Hoyland has published. Of these notices by far the most interesting are, a short report of Mr Walter Scott, sheriff of Selkirkshire, and an account of the Yetholm Gypsies by Bailie Smith of Kelso—which we shall extract in full; for though they relate, in some points, to particulars already detailed, they are altogether too graphical and curious to be subjected to any abridgement.—Mr Scott writes as follows:—
"A set of people possessing the same erratic habits, and practising the trade of tinkers, are well known in the borders; and have often fallen under the cognizance of the law. They are often called Gypsies, and pass through the county annually in small bands, with their carts and asses. The men are tinkers, poachers, and thieves upon a small scale. They also sell crockery, deal in old rags, in eggs, in salt, in tobacco, and such trifles; and manufacture horn into spoons. I believe most of those who come through Selkirkshire reside, during winter, in the villages of Horncliff and Spittal, in Northumberland, and in that of Kirk-Yetholm, Roxburghshire.
"Mr Smith, the respectable Bailie[1] of Kelso, can give the most complete information concerning those who reside at Kirk-Yetholm. Formerly, I believe, they were much more desperate in their conduct than at present. But some of the most atrocious families have been extirpated; I allude particularly to the Winters, a Northumberland clan, who, I fancy, are all buried by this time.
"Mr Riddell, Justice of Peace for Roxburghshire, with my assistance and concurrence, cleared this county of the last of them, about eight or nine years ago. They were thorough desperadoes, of the worst class of vagabonds. Those who now travel through this county give offence chiefly by poaching and small thefts. They are divided into clans, the principal names being Faa, Baillie, Young, Ruthven, and Gordon.
"All of them are perfectly ignorant of religion, and few of their children receive any education. They marry and cohabit amongst each other, and are held in a sort of horror by the common people.
- ↑ "Bailie is a magisterial designation in Scotland, agreeing in rank with that of Alderman in England."
