Gypsy leaders The Boswells were for centuries one of England's largest and most important Gypsy families. The Boswell clan were a large extended family of
Travellers, and in old
Nottinghamshire dialect the word ''bos'll
was used as a term for Travellers and Roma in general. Hence, many claiming the title King of the Gypsies'' come from the Boswell family.
Haniel Boswell Was the son of Francis Boswell.
Jacob Rewbrey "Alias king of the Gypsies", from the St Margaret's
Westminster, was tried at the
Old Bailey on 28 August 1700 for theft with violence and highway robbery. It was alleged he had robbed "one Rebecca Sellers, near the High way ... taking from her 3 Gold-rings, and 9 s. in Money" in January of that year. The jury found him guilty of theft, but not robbery, as "It appeared that he juggled [tricked] her out of it." He was sentenced to
penal transportation.
James Boswell Is buried in
Rossington, near
Doncaster in
Yorkshire. Langdale's "Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire" (1822), says: "In the church yard, was a stone, the two ends of which are now remaining, where was interred the body of James Bosvill the King of the Gypsies, who died 30 January 1708. For a number of years, it was a custom of Gypsies from the south, to visit his tomb annually, and there perform some of their accustomed rites; one of which was to pour a flagon of ale upon the grave." This is similar to the ritual of "stalling the rogue" mentioned by
Thomas Harman and in
The Beggars Bush and by
Bampfylde Moore Carew. A tradition was reported of annual visits to the grave of Charles Boswell near Doncaster for more than 100 years into the 1820s, including a rite of pouring a flagon of hot ale into the tomb. This may be the same person. The grave is situated by the main door leading to the church, shaded by a dark oak tree. It is now covered in moss, but is still readable. The words "King Of The Gypsies" will lie there for ever more, whereas the mystery of the black cat is still unsolved. – information on the grave by A. Needham – P. Needham, of St Michaels church.
Robert Boswell Born c. 1735 in
Wiltshire, buried at
Loders, Dorset, in January 1806, with his monument reading 'King of the Gypsies'. Robert is likely the father of Lucretia/Lucy, the wife of Josiah Smith. Lucretia died at
Halton, Chester; however, her burial took place in
Beighton, Derbyshire, for unknown reasons. Lucretia's grave bears in inscription 'Queen of the Gypsies', which has resulted in numerous folktales surrounding her life. In 1998, a pub was constructed nearby and was given the name 'The Gypsy Queen'.
Henry Boswell "King of the Gypsies" died in 1760 at the age of 90 and was buried at
Ickleford near
Hitchin,
Hertfordshire at the church of St. Catherine, as were his wife and granddaughter. Royal National and Commercial Directory and Topography of Herts, Pigot & Co., London, 1839
Edmund Mashiter Edmund Mashiter a.k.a. "Old Honey", died in
Bolton,
Lancashire in 1811 aged 90. He was reported to have been "justly entitled the King of Beggars", having been on the road for 70 years. He was reported to have been the son of a schoolmaster, and well educated, but to have taken to the road by choice, and maintained a wandering life until he became bedridden.
Henry Boswell The "King of the Gypsies" died in 1824
Stamford, Lincolnshire.
Louis Boswell Louis Boswell was buried at
Eastwood church,
Southend-on-Sea in 1835. In the Burial Register he is described as a "Traveller aged 42" – "This man known as the King of the Gypsies was interred in the presence of a vast concourse of spectators".
Inverto Boswell In the churchyard of
St Mary's parish church,
Calne,
Wiltshire, a tomb commemorating Inverto Boswell who was buried on 8 February 1774, son of Henry Boswell King of the Gypsies. It is set in the exterior wall of the church.
Harry Burton Described as "King of the Gypsies", died in the
Workhouse in
Wincanton,
Somerset, aged 94 in 1847.
Absalom Smith Was noted as
King of the Gypsies upon his death, aged 60, in 1826 in
Twyford,
Leicestershire. His funeral on 10 February 1826 saw over 60 gypsies in attendance. The
Manchester Times reported he had been elected as
King in the first half of the 19th century and was accorded special burial rites, with the ceremony attended by traveller families from twelve camps. He was a well-known
fiddler in the local area, often playing at wakes and celebrations and had a daughter, Beatta Smith, a renowned beauty whose portrait was displayed at
Belvoir Castle.
Xavier Petulengro/Smith Was described as the King of the Gypsies. There was an account of a Roma wedding at
Baildon in
Yorkshire in 1937 between his son Leon Petulengro/ Smith and Illeana Smith both of Colchester Essex. According to the caption of a photograph from then,
Xavier Petulengro cut the hands of the couple to mingle their blood during the ceremony. After their wedding the couple went north to Blackpool. During a war, Leon was in the RAF and Ileana (Eileen) was a staff car driver for ICI. The marriage was dissolved in 1947 in Nottingham. Baildon was a famous fair and meeting place for Gypsies. Petulengro/ Smith was well known as a broadcaster on Gypsy subjects. His son Leon Petulengro/ Smith wrote for the "Woman's Own" magazine. ====
Gilderoy Scamp ==== Born in
Orpington,
Kent in 1812 and was known as the
King of the Kentish Gypsies. Lived in
Folkestone, Kent and was a boxer and scissor-grinder.
Louis Welch Louis Welch of
Darlington was described by British media as the "King of the Gypsies", a title given to the best bare-knuckled boxer in the
Romanichal who was mainly from the UK and France community. His title was appointed following an alleged attack by six knife-wielding men, possibly from a rival band of travellers, in
Cumbria. He refused to give evidence against his attackers, saying it was "against the travellers' code of honour", and a retrial was ordered after the jury failed to reach a verdict. ==Hungary==