Transcribed from the 1880 Haughton and Co. edition by DavidPrice,
GIPSY LIFE:
BEING AN ACCOUNT
of
OUR GIPSIES AND THEIR CHILDREN.
with
SUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT.
by
GEORGE SMITH, of Coalville.
london:
HAUGHTON & CO., 10, PATERNOSTER ROW.
[All Rights Reserved.]
1880.
p.ivI give my warmest thanks to W. H.Overend, Esq., for the block forming the Frontispiece,which he has kindly presented to me on the condition that thepicture occupies the position it does in this book; and also tothe proprietor of the Illustrated London News for theblocks to help forward my work, the pictures of which appeared inhis journal in November and December of last year and January inthe present year, as found herein on pages 42, 48, 66, 76, 96,108, 118, 122, 174, 192, 236, 283.
I must at the same time express my heart-felt thanks to themanager and proprietors of the Graphic for the blocksforming the illustrations on pages 1, 132, 170, 222, 228, 248,272, 277, and which appeared in their journal on March 13th inthe present year, and which they have kindly presented to me tohelp forward my object, connected with which sketches, at thekind request of the Editor, I wrote the article.
W. H. Overend, Esq., was the artistfor the sketches in the Illustrated London News, and Herbert Johnson, Esq., was the artist forthe sketches in the Graphic.
I also tender my warmest thanks to the Press generally for thehelp rendered to me during the crusade so far, without which Ishould have done but little.
p.vto the most honourable
THE PEERS AND MEMBERS
of the
HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT.
I have taken the liberty of humbly dedicating this work toyou, the object of which is not to tickle the critical ears ofethnologists and philologists, but to touch the hearts of mycountrymen on behalf of the poor Gipsy women and children andother roadside Arabs flitting about in our midst, in such a wayas to command attention to these neglected, dark, marshy spots ofhuman life, whose seedlings have been running wild among usduring the last three centuries, spreading their poisonousinfluence abroad, not only detrimental to the growth ofChristianity and the spread of civilisation, but to the presentand eternal welfare of the children; and, what I ask for is, thatthe hand of the Schoolmaster may be extended towards thechildren; and that the vans and other temporary and movabl