The Plymouth and Exeter Gazette" of 3rd March 1849 briefly reported a gypsy burial at Littleham Church:
"A woman named Kitty Cooper, belonging to a large band of gipsies that have for some time encamped near this town, died a short time since and on Thursday last week, the day appointed for her burial, upward of 60 gipsies, belonging to different tribes, met at the camp, and, after removing the body from the tent, it was immediately set on fire, together with all the clothes and property belonging to the deceased.
"The body was then taken by eight of her relations, and conveyed to Littleham, where she was interred by the Rev. T. R. Rocke.
"The father and child of the deceased were deeply affected, and at the grave upwards of 300 persons were assembled to witness the ceremony."
There must have been some cultural significance to this gypsy burning of Kitty Cooper's tent and personal property. Perhaps the Exmouth gypsies would also have wanted, as in India, to make a bonfire of her remains but felt inhibited by their residence on Exmouth common!
Another worthy Anglican parson buried Kitty and upwards of three hundred empathetic(?), local(?) people witnessed the ceremony..
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