News Articles

1877 APRIL 7th - A ROW AMONG THE GYPSIES

The Gypsy women belonging to the tribe which has permanently located itself adjacent to the Horse Market in East 74th Street became engaged on Friday night in a row, that ended almost in tragedy, Among those who took part an active part were MRS MARY SEED & THERSEA LEE true types of Gypsy Blood, Mrs Lee received a blow of a stone at Mary's hands which caused concussion of the brain, at the 57th street Court yesterday ,the whole tribe were present, Mary Seed was committed to await the result of Mrs Lee injuries.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1878 THE STANLEY GYPSIES

SOMETHI NG ABOUT THEIR WANDERINGS AND SETTLEMENT IN OHIO

The STANLEY tribe of Gypsies who have made their home in Dayton are probably as well known in Cumminsville Hamilton and the whole south-western part of this state as in Dayton.

They are one of the oldest tribes known that were prominent in England more than 200 hundreds years ago and prided their selves then on their antiquity.

OWEN STANLEY the head of the American branch of the family emigrated to this country from Berkshire in 1856 and on his death in Indiana was brought back to Dayton LEVI STANLEY son of Owen and widower of the deceased Queen is the recognized head of the tribe, the Stanley's believe or claim that they were the 1st family of Gypsies to emigrate to this country, there were Gypsies among the earliest English emigrates to this country, but Gypsy history is not trustworthy.

Those tribes of early English emigrants were of Welsh Gypsies and wandered in Canada 50 years ago. The Canadian Gypsies are nomadic tinkers and basket-makers, the Americans are principally horse traders. In the latter occupation the Gypsies seem to have acquired a skill possessed by no other people in civilized life. There seems to be a sympathy existing between half civilized people and the brute creation which culture destroys.

It is most likely true that the Stanley's were the 1st important family to arrive here and brought the 1st properties and became house dwellers especially in Dayton Ohio.

They have purchased 4 or 5 farms a few miles east of Dayton and acquired the old Smith Mansion, this was bought by MRS JEFFERYS of the tribe a short time before her death with the intention of her children occupying it as a residence.

The Stanley tribe pride themselves on being law abiding and tax payers, from Dayton they start out on their fall and winter trading over the west and south and to this place they return in the spring for home work or for tours through the north.

1879 NO EXPENSE SPARED IN GYPSY FUNERALS

At the funeral, Dr. Daniel Berger, recalled that at other gypsy funerals Queen Matilda was one of the most attentive listeners. 'She also had the Bible read to her daily and was frequently found in the act of prayer. She gave other evidences of a devout faith and I have good reason for believing that she died in full hope of eternal life,' Dr. Berger said.

The final parting at the grave was a scene of the most pathetic character,' he continued. 'King Levi Stanley and his people were thoroughly heartbroken and lingered long by the still open grave after the great crowd had begun to melt away. The two younger daughters, Missouri and Matilda, like the children of nature that they were, cast off all restraints of conventionalism and, leaping down into the grave, remained for some time upon the great marble slab which hid their dear ones from them, pouring forth a prolonged torrent of affectionate and tender expression. With much difficulty they were at last persuaded to come up out of the grave. 'An expensive granite monument, surmounted by a statue of the queen, marks the place where her body rests. The monument was cut out of a great granite boulder which Levi found at the entrance to the George W. Smith farm at Lockville, Wayne Twp. The owner made Levi a gift of the boulder.'

Dr. Berger, speaking to the historical society, recalled some of the other gypsy funerals he had conducted. On Palm Sunday in 1877 he held a triple funeral. After a brief illness, Mrs. Amelia Jeffrey died at her farm home just north of Dayton. Her husband, Thomas, who was in perfect health, was so grief-stricken that he simply went to bed and died within two days. The family ordered two expensive caskets and the baby, whose birth was the cause of the mother's death, was laid beside her in the casket.

1879 Aug.1st Mrs. Mary Stanley Smith died at the age of 110 or perhaps even older. She had been born in England and lived there under the reigns of four different sovereigns: The first was George III and the last was Queen Victoria.

'No one who saw this venerable woman in her later years,' wrote Berger, could be disposed to doubt the fact of her extraordinary age, so deeply marked was she in all her lineaments by the hand of the great sculptor Time.

'Funerals among the Stanley gypsies are usually made a kind of state occasion. No expense is spared to give them suitable dignity and make them a proper expression of regard for their dead. The familiar funeral coaches, the undertaker's hearse, a long procession, a rich casket, the greatest profusion of flowers, all form a part of the event.

'The women appear dressed in their best, frequently in silks, satins and velvets, the garment often severely wrinkled from packing away in boxes and trunks. Jewellery in greatest abundance is worn, fingers and hands being adorned with massive gold. The gypsy woman who possesses money does not hesitate to purchase costly things, especially things of ornament, when she has set her heart on them.'

Many visitors to Woodland Cemetery seek out the graves of the gypsies with their carvings and expressions of sentiment.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~