“The gipsies who mostly frequent this neighbourhood,--or did frequent it, for their visits are now ‘few and far between,’--are Lees and Stanleys; I should have said Stanleys and Lees--for the former tribe hold up their heads very high above the Lees, and call themselves ‘the better sort of travellers.’ Some years ago a party of these Stanleys came from a distant part of the country to attend a wedding at Newport, in the Isle of Wight. They stopped at the turnpike-gate near my house, being on friendly terms with the tollman and his family, who had often done them kind offices, and to the daughter who is now in my service (1838) they entrusted the important office of making up grey silk spencers and smart flowered chintz petticoats for each of the women; encamping in the neighbourhood while the work was in hand, and ‘_very particular_’ the ladies were about ‘_good fits_,’ etc. Then they went to the best hatters in the town, and ordered hats on purpose for them--of the long felt, wide-brimmed sort for the women. The tradesmen hesitated about giving credit, as they required, till their return from the island, at which they were highly indignant. ‘What!’ stormed one, whom they called Brother John--‘What! refuse credit to a gentleman ratcatcher!’ But they obtained it, and paid honourably on their return, and as honestly remunerated the sempstress for making their gay dresses. “This same party often camped at a spot in the forest called Marl-pit Oak--and nearer to my residence on a hill near the road, called Gally Hill, and were not ill thought of by the farmers and poor people, and one or two forest girls would sometimes steal to their tents, sure of a savoury regale. The wonder is, how they lived so well--for their kettles were not filled with the produce of poaching or of thefts in the hen-roost--still less with meat ‘_that had died of its own accord_,’ as the people say. No; they used frequently to go back from the town laden with good joints honestly purchased and paid for at the butchers.