"At the Newton Poppleford fair on the 19th inst, there was the usual number of gipsies, pickpockets, and prostitutes for which this fair is notorious; the robberies were numerous, females being mostly the victims.
"The most distressing case made public was that of a person from Whimple, who had the value of thirteen hundred weight of cheese stolen from him; and the thieves seemed to carry on their nefarious calling with perfect impunity.
"There was also much fighting caused by two hostile tribes of gipsies coming in frquent collision, the most conpicuous of the combatants being a young lady....
"'who not only had black eyes herself/ but could furnish a friend with a pair, too. if wanted'
....after the manner of Miss Grace Gregson, of pugilistic memory."
I found this description of the Newton Poppleford Fair quite dramatic. Tribes of gipsies fighting between the stalls and a wonderful black-eyed Carmen leading the fray, bands of daring thieves, a cheesemonger from Whimple being robbed of his takings and more pickpockets and prostitutes than you could shake a stick at. But I'm pretty sure it could not have been quite as exciting as it reads.
I find two puzzles here: whence comes the 'black eyes' quote?, and: who was Miss Grace Gregson? The first was perhaps a music-hall number and the second, one whom some today might call a girlfighter but I cannot yet find trace of either.
Makes Saturday nights in Exeter seem quite tame!
Source: The Western Times, October 29th 1842.
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