User:Karenlouiseb/sandbox

This is my sandbox, this is where I will draft content first.

Jean Gordon born c.1670 in Kirk Yetholm and died in 1746 in Carlisle. Jean was born into one of the gypsy tribes of Kirk Yetholm and married Patrick Faa (known as a 'royal' gypsy). In 1714, Patrick was banished to Queen Anne's American colonies for the rest of his life after being convicted of fire-raising and general misdemeanors.

They had nine sons but none survived, eight of them were killed on the gallows for being 'evil-doing gypsies' and the other was murdered.

The character of Meg Merrilees in Sir Walter Scott' s novel Guy Mannering was said to be inspired by Jean, who was described as tall, hawkfaced and swarthy.

In 1732, she was charged of ‘being an Egyptian, common vagabond and notorious thief’ by a court and ordered to leave Scotland forever. She survived in the north of England and died at Carlisle in 1746.