Mother Of All The Townsleys

At the Wick Sheriff’s Court, Mr Nimmo had mentioned that Esther Townsley had a previous conviction against her for the trifling offence of obtaining a shilling by spaeing a fortune. Records show that in 1857 she had been imprisoned in the Selkirk prison for what was described as ‘Wilful Imposition and Intimidation’.

A little bit more information has been located re that offence by Esther:

In 1901 the Southern Reporter reviewed a story from the fifties:

 Esther Mullins (aka Mullen): - The wife of a travelling tinker, was sentenced to four weeks imprisonment, for “wilful imposition and intimidation”. Esther had entered a house at Kirkhope Tower, Ettrick, and by representing that she had the power of foretelling events, frightened a good wife so that she gave her money and clothes. The judge, in passing sentence, said that Esther might be thankful she lived in 1857 instead of 1657, or she “would have undoubtedly had been burned as a witch amid the execrations of the people of Ettrick.”

 After Esther’s year in the Perth General Prison in 1866 she seems to manage to keep away from census takers or other record keepers for several decades.

Thomas Townsley died in England in 1875.

 

Traveller Katherine Townsley at her home near Perth in 1964 The Scotsman

 In 1885, Esther now back in Scotland, the Elgin Courant and Courier reported a case that went to a JP court where Esther and some other Townsley women had a problem when they were said to have bought some groceries and a shilling’s worth of whiskey. In the end the case was dismissed. 

Brough Hill horse fair

Source: The Gypsy’s Parson by George Hall

 

Esther reappeared again in the 1891 census. She was a widow, 79 years old, living with the next generation of her grandchildren. There is a delightful comment in the census against her name “Mother of all the Townsleys”. They were living in caravans in Skene, Aberdeenshire, at the ‘Quarry Hole, Red Crag and Craigie Clarg.

 

 

In the 1901 census Esther’s age is said to be 87. She is living in a room at 28 West North Street, Aberdeen on her own. Her family are not far away. I wonder if the family have felt that their grandmother is getting a bit old to be still sleeping in a caravan so have found her a room to stay in. On August 15, 1901 Esther Townsley aged 85 died. She did not die alone in her room but with her people at the Fraserburgh Links where they were staying. 

 

Several local news papers published a report about Esther’s death and funeral.  

The Evening Telegraph, August 20, 1901

 

A GIPSY FUNERAL

The oldest member of the gipsy community at present on Fraserburgh Links died the other day aged 85 years. The name of the deceased was Esther Townsley, and she was held in high regard by all the fraternity. Father Wiseman, Roman Catholic Church, officiated at the funeral on Saturday afternoon. Almost the whole community followed “mother” to her last resting place, in Kirkton Cemetery, the males walking reverently behind the coffin and the females following in cabs. Many of the mourners were deeply affected. A number of beautiful wreaths were placed upon the grave.

So Esther Townsley had the respect and love of the people who mattered – her family, and clearly the public of Aberdeen. I like to think Esther got the last laugh at the two Sheriff’s who punished and tried to reform her by sending her to prison, having no respect for the fact that people of all ages and stations in life like getting their fortune told and are willing to pay for it. She knew that.