Newspaper Reports 4

CORONATION CEREMONY IN OHIO. Notes and Queries(JGLS)

One of the most picturesque ceremonies of Gypsy life has just taken place near Dayton, Ohio. This ceremony consisted of the coronation of Matilda . as Queen of the American Gypsies. The Gypsies in this country, says a Telegraph corre- spondent, have been controlled for many years by four families, the Stanleys } Coopers, Harrisons, and Jeffreys. These families came here from England in 1859. Stanley, known as Sugar Stanley, the principal member of the first-mentioned family, was made king of all the tribes. At his death his daughter Hagar became

Queen. Dying in 1874, she was succeeded by her sister, who was proclaimed Matilda i., but she only lived to reign six years. The succession fell to Jeannette, granddaughter of King Sugar, who is succeeded by Matilda, another granddaughter of King Sugar Stanley, whose succession is now being celebrated. She is only seventeen years old, is 5 feet 7 inches in height, has a graceful figure, and is a very interesting personage. At her coronation she wore a red silk dress ; her hair hung down loosely behind, gathered in the centre with a crimson ribbon, which set off her dark brown hair. Queen Matilda is the absolute ruler of all the Romany tribes in America: her decrees must absolutely be obeyed without question.  Ayrshire Argus, 2d Nov. 1888.

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

    URIAH WHARTON

August 1881 Gypsies at Elmwood New Jersey

Just at Dusk on a chilly Sunday Evening in November 1876 a young and comely Gypsy woman called at the residence of Rev Dr Bishop Rector of Christ Episcopal Church East Orange New Jersey and said that a man is dying and sent her for him.

Dr Bishop accompanied her to the Gypsy encampment at Elmwood about a mile from his residence, where he found a score of swarthy- looking men and women gathered about a large square tent.

On a rude pallet in the tent lay a man of about 60yrs ,his iron grey hair was long and bushy, his eyes blue and his face thin & care worn, he did not bare any resemblance to the gypsies, who moved away from the tent at his bidding when the clergyman entered, he told Dr Bishop his name was URIAH WHARTON that he was born on SHROPSHIRE ENGLAND and that his family were respectable and well to do, they were communicants of the Church of England which he attended as a boyhood they discarded him after his clanstine marriage with MARY HOLMESWORTH the pretty daughter of a GYPSY Band, his wife was recognized as the head of the tribe after her mother died and he became the Chief

About 35 yrs ago he brought the band to the United States and for 30yrs wandered through different states, he had labored to improve the morals and correct the habits of his companions and in a measure had been successful, the men had become thrifty and purchased a house and considerable land in Elmwood for a permanent home, but they never lived in the house preferring to sleep in the tents or wagons.

Dr Bishop was impressed by his story especially when the old man said he wished to die in the faith which he was taught in his childhood and to have a Church of England service read at his burial, after praying with Wharton Dr Bishop went away, but returned the next day with a female Doctor, theo ld man refused to have anything to do with them but they kindly gave him attention.

 On one occasion as Bishop prayed with Wharton an old woman who did not like him being there slipped into the tent and started a gypsy cantation, she was trying to work a spell according to their customs, but the other members of the band ordered her out, one gypsy said to her what do you know about it the Chief is talking to a Christian you are but an old heathen.

When the old man was dying Bishop asked him to confess every sin he had committed but his only reply was " I never murdered anybody, I have no man's blood on my hands"

The corpse was laid out decently in a caravan or house wagon there Dr Bishop held the burial service, Wharton was buried in ROSEDALE CEMETERY in Orange New Jersey where Wharton had purchased a large burial plot.

 He left a wife and several children a few weeks after the burial the eldest son came to Bishop and said he was giving up Gypsy life and was going south to become a useful member of society , that was January 1877.

On Wednesday last Mrs Bishop was surprised to see several swarthy men and women approach her home and asking for Dr Bishop.

They said a couple were here to marry and the names were DINAH WHARTON the youngest daughter of the old chief who was 13 yrs old when her father died so she was born 1863.

 The bridegroom was HENRY LEE aged 21yrs his swarthy looks and piercing back eyes & hair proclaimed him a pure Gypsy, Dr Bishop told Dinah who wasn't quite 18yrs old he couldn't marry unless her mother was present or with her written consent.The mother was sent for and came, so the marriage went ahead, Dinah was a petite Brunette with brown eyes.

The following day the Old Woman called for the marriage certificate which shows HENRY LEE parents were : CAROLINE BOSWELL & OAK LEE a direct descendant of the Recognized KING of the GYPSIES in England 60yrs ago. The Boswells were also of English descendant one of the original tribes.

 

On a plateau overlooking Central Avenue a Times Reporter found last evening an encampment of Gypsies, near to ELmwood another scene was a handsome wagon near a pretty white cottage, near this was a spacious tent in which 2 young gypsy women were dressing, another maiden sat combing her hair.

3 brawny gypsy men lay beneath the wagon and in the centre sat on a log were a young girl and an elderly woman each holding in their arms a blue eyed baby,the elderly woman was the mother of Dinah Wharton now MRS HENRY LEE who was braiding her dark hair.

Mrs Wharton was is a well preserved woman of 50yrs she had dark brown hair & eyes she was likely a lovely looking young girl in her time, " My husband was always one of us" she said and good Mr Bishop must be mistaken "It was Uriah's grandfather who was the house liver" he was lodge keeper for LORD SEFTON the lord of the manor in northbridge Shropshire England" and he educated his son for a gentleman but he fell in love with one of the children of the woods and married her ,he was discarded by his family he then became part of the tribe , he educated his children and became a power among the Gypsies so his voice was always obeyed.

His son my husband got a good education also he died broken hearted that the tribes were breaking up, there are very few pure blood gypsies now don't believe the tells about Queens there is none, the male head of the family is looked a upon as the chief and the women respect the elder woman as the one in direct line, we can't be house dweller's we love the out-side life, which our rules and traditions & religion teaches us,there is no marriage ceremony performed by any member of the tribe, we always marry by some Christian Minster, We are not so romantic or so bad as some folks think, we might be better, but we could be worse".

The End.

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

  MAY 14TH 1900 HISTORY OF A GYPSY KING

PLATO BUCKLAND LEADS HIS BAND FROM ENGLAND TO NEW YORK

*His family numbers twenty-five members- His youngest daughter a Seer by

birth- A member of the Tribe worked for the Vanderbilts and fought under

Chinese Gordon.*

*New York 14^th May- * In three-cornered lot alongside the East Chester

Tavern on the Old Boston Road , Plato Buckland the English Gypsy who

traces his ancestry so far back that Europeans proud of their Pedigree

are parvenus in comparison has pitched his tents and will trade horses

for a fortnight.

With Buckland are his wife 2 sons 7 daughters and enough son in laws and

grand-children to make the family number 75. They have 5 good-sized

tents 3 handsomely decorated travelling wagons, besides luggage wagons

buggles and phaetons.

The live stock consists of horses which constitute a good part of the

stock in trade a variety of dogs and a goat.

Buckland is now nearly 70 years old, but is strong,active and much

younger looking, his wife Elizabeth who is also a 7^th daughter is tall

erect and has long black hair, they came to America from England 10 yrs

ago and travel summer & winter.

Their youngest daughter being the 7^th daughter of a 7^th daughter

possesses the occult gifts of the Gypsies to a high degree, she has a

romantic name spelled “Trifling” but pronounced Tryphenia. She is now a

young woman and can only pen dukkerin ( read fortunes), but can cure

bodily ailments by saying secret formula provided the sufferer will tell

her his or her name.

Still greater things are expected of this young gypsy girl as she grows

older and some day she may rule the band now led by her father and

mother or may found one of her own.

These Wanderers are good linquists having a natural aptitude for

mastering languages, they speak English Fluently.

One woman in the camp Mme Lafonso Gray can speak Italian and high and

low German. Mme Gray and her husband Alfred Grey have both read fortunes

in Museums in this city and elsewhere and he has traveled with a circus.

The story of his life as told by himself surprises one by the number of

things he has done and the places he has visited.

I am he says probably the only gypsy living who can say he has worked

for the Vanderbilts but I did on Staten Island years ago, I was Employed

as a driver and would have remained but one of my hands became maimed by

paralysis , I also was in the British Army and fought under Chinese

Gordon in Egypt. Did you read the death of Old Sadie Evans near

Guttenburt about 6 weeks ago,she was my Aunt and was 106 yrs old, there

are folks who can remember seeing her 75 years ago.

Buckland himself is a very interesting man with his courtly ways and

evident honesty and truthfulness,his two brothers preceded him to this

country and it was their reports of the advantages to be enjoyed here

that led him to come.

He finds he says that he is allowed to rest his tents closer to the main

roads here than England Buckland was born in a Tent and he has never

during his long life slept three nights running in a house.

He has built up quite a list of Customers who deal with him year after

year Most of these rewgular customers know about what time of year to

expect him in their neighbourhood or else he advises them by maiul of

his coming.

Besides Horse selling the Bucklands buy and sell wagons and the women of

the family sell basket work and lace besides reading fortunes when the

opportunity offers.

The Camp makes a lively spectacle with fancy wagons gay dresses of the

women and the children running about. The Camp has a good many visitors

from New York and Mount Vernon many of whom visit the Romany village out

of Curiosity and regard the nomads as Freaks and the entire

establishment as a free show.

Notwithstanding this visitors are welcome and are received not alone

with civility, but with all the natural courtesy of the Romany race

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

 

*1913* *New* *York* *Binghamton*

Mrs *Kezer* *Buckland* aged *89* Years died this morning at her home 316 Prospect Streey. She is survivied by her Husband Tennett Buckland 3 daughters Mrs Mark Jeffrey of Dayton Ohio. Mrs Nelson Wells of Minnesota. Mrs Plato Panful of Baltimore. 4 sons : Thomas R Buckland of England, Moses Buckland, Plato Buckland and Henry Buckland all of Binghamton also 36 Grandchildren and 14 great grand-children One sister Ester Jeffrey and a Brother William both of Columbia Ohio.

PLATO BUCKLAND

BETSY BUCKLAND