Hi,
wonder if this is of interest. Taken from Bicknoller rector's diary and Bicknoller burial registers.
Rector was not always sympathetic!!!
March 9th 1878
On my way to Williton on March 2nd I stopped a gipsy woman & spoke to her about baptism. Today 2 gipsy men called at Vicarage & wished to have 3 children baptised & one told me that his wife was
dying on the Moor. I found 5 caravans in one of which the poor woman was lying or rather reclining,
she seemed a pure gipsy & professed to be of no religion. I read to her St Matthew V telling her how
we are born in sin & that Jesus Christ came to deliver us from that state & taught us in his gospel what we ought to do if we wished to be saved. She seemed very nervous but listened, her mother & another woman were in the caravan which had a fireplace....etc
March 10th 1878
Service at Sampford Brett at 11. Rev J Tripp took the morning service here and preached for Additional Curates Society. Edie Tripp said that some of the gipsies were drunk last night and making such a noise that he hardly liked to pass by. Evensong Baptisms and Sermon 140. One gipsy child was baptised and 7 were received into the congregation. Some of the gipsies put something in the Bag. The children behaved well during the Baptismal service but badly afterwards.
October 3rd 1878
Buried C Orchard from caravan about 40 followed, orderly some in mourning some not.
Charlotte Orchard Woolston 3 Oct 1878 41 "Caravan on Woolston Moor"
November 14th 1878
Buried a gipsy child.
Robert Holland Woolston 14 Nov 1878 6mon "Caravan on Woolston Moor"
June 24th 1900
A gipsy child was baptized. Hath this child been baptized. Oh no sir, they could not read & had to be
told the responses.
