18th June 1819
Stamford Mercury
An inquest was held at Langtoft on Monday last, by Mr. Edwards, coroner, on the body of Mr. John Jibb, carpenter, who was found hanging by the neck in his workshop on Saturday. Verdict, " Lunacy."— It appeared that the deceased had for the past twelve months scarcely ever been sober.
It is an observation which we are sorry to find confirmed by the judgment of several intelligent agriculturists, that the effect of the very early and open Spring is showing itself unfavorably in the crops of corn in Lincolnshire and the adjacent counties. The ear small in general, as if the land had been exhausted by early and excessive vegetation. Norfolk, the deficiency of the Barley crops is represented as very great.
Gipsies —" On Sunday morning the 30th ult. a lamb, the property of Mr. Belcher, of Stnnion, near Oundle, was found in the pasture with one of its shoulders cut quite out. The poor animal, when discovered the shepherd, was not quite dead. The perpetrators ef this cruel act are supposed to be gipsies. A fine sheep belonging to Mr. Roberts, farmer, of Sleafurd, was round on Tuesday morning the Bth inst maimed tbe back of the head, and left lingering." It is matter of astonishment that the lawless gangs, the gipsies, by whom these outrages are well known to be committed, are any where tolerated. The magistracy of Rutlandshire rendered a great public service by the energetic measures which they some time since caused to be taken for rooting out tbat county the gipsy hordes that annually made their stations there. By continued vigilance, that county, we believe, is quite cleared of those dangerous marauders. The neighbourhood of Sleaford and Falkingham, in Lincolnshire, is, on the contrary, hardly ever free from gangs that are really a tax and a terror to those persons who live in lonely situations. Near Slcaferd, in particular, there are always camps of these ruffianly rovers; and is considered to be dangerous to refuse compliance with their frequent requisition* the houses of farmers and others. We hope that the subject will be considered at the quarter sessions, and that tbe individuals who are , exposed depredations will be relieved from the dread of consequences that may result from being the first to be active bringing down the law's severity, *y *° general and simultaneous resolution and exertion that the desperate vagabonds can be banished.
