Epis.111-Târgu Neamț-Some information about the gypsy slaves around Târgu.
About Lamba's Lamba and Toader's Todirițenii - old gypsy families from Vânători Neamț. Because many residents of Târg are disturbed by the behavior of a certain branch of the gypsies living in the neighboring commune of Vânători-Neamț, I decided to bring to the fore a few clarifications about the gypsies of our area. Gypsies have existed around Târg for many, many hundreds of years. Written documents preserve little detailed information about them. Starting with the 14th-15th centuries, the deeds of sale of estates provide, as an advantage when buying, the presence of gypsy dwellings on these estates. According to feudal custom, gypsies were not treated as human beings...not being counted.
The rulers and boyars of Moldavia often donated gypsy settlements to the monasteries. The Secu Monastery was one of the richest in terms of the dowry of gypsy settlements received as tribute. The monastery did not buy slaves, they were offered to it as alms by the wealthy who were able to buy them from other owners. Slowly, the number of gypsies gathered in the area of interest of the Secu Monastery multiplied. Around 1647, the voivode Vasile Lupu and around 1658, the boyar Nicolae Ureche, the son of the reader of the church of the Secu Monastery, donated large gypsy settlements to the new Monastery of St. Nicholas in the Neamț Fortress. It is likely that a quarrel had arisen between the Secu Monastery and the Monastery in the fortress since the abbot in the fortress asked the ruler Gheorghe Ghica for recognition the right of ownership over the gypsies. This concerns the gypsies of the family of "Lamba with his wife and sons", as well as the gypsy settlement of the family "Toader with his wife and sons". These 2 gypsy families living between the border of the fortress and the Secu Monastery (somewhere in the area of the Pig's Hair, the stream separating Secu and the fortress) often mixed with other gypsies, since the abbot of Secu asked His Majesty for a document recognizing the right of ownership over the slaves.
The royal document issued in 1658 is the only source indicating the beginnings of those who in the following centuries and until today, are called in general terms, the gypsies of Limbău from Vânători, or of the Toader family, who I believe formed the area currently called Todirițeni. We know about Limbău's gypsies that over time they kept this name as a nickname since in the property lists from 1877 we find them with other names, Limbău becoming in the meantime only a nickname. Toader's gypsies... probably created the Todirițenii neighborhood located in the area of the current town hall of the commune, becoming workers at the metoque of the Secu Monastery from Vânători. Around 1683, the gypsies Ion Cobzarul and Neculai Ciontilă voluntarily became slaves to the Secu Monastery. There were situations when the peasants gave themselves up willingly give up a child slave to escape some debts.
Because the monastery gypsies were still mixing with the boyar ones on Cantacuzino's estate in Bălțatesti, the abbot asked the prince for support to win the case against the boyar. Sometimes, due to wars or famine, the monastery gypsies would leave without permission to other boyar estates. After times settled down, negotiations for the recovery of the gypsies would begin again with the prince's support. After 1775, with the arrival of Abbot Paisie from Dragomirna to Secu, he brought with him 20 gypsy settlements that he distributed around the monastery's metoaches. I believe that this moment was the beginning of the formation in the monastery villages of the stable gypsy areas that still exist today.
Along with the existing local gypsies in the villages of Lunca, Petricani, Țolici, Leghin-Stânca, Nemțișor, Crăcăoani, Oglinzi.... the newcomers give these villages a pronounced gypsy component. Paisie asks the consent of the Principality of Moldavia to move the village of Fagi from the mouth of the Sacuțai near the Secu Monastery. Thus the village of Fagi was moved to the main street, next to the Hrincului mill (next to the big bridge). The laymen from the vicinity of the Neamț Monastery (where Paisie becomes abbot), together with the gypsy slaves, were moved at the request of the abbot Paisie with the order of Vodă Moruzi, to the estate of the monastery in Timișesti.
The laymen of Macovei, Sandu, Bordea, Lupu Abârnoaiei, Istrati, Ciocănaru, Ursu Mărculeț, Pavel Habgic, Sârboiu, Buruiană,... moved to Timișești, who guaranteed in writing before the abbot that those from the families of Șingul, Blaga, Mărculeț, Balica, Cerbu, Pulbere... Lupașcu, Grecu and others would not flee from Timișești. After the emancipation of the monastery gypsies in 1845, these free people, named in the documents as freedmen, became free from obligations towards their former masters. However, at the metoaci of the Secu-Neamt monastery, they continued to work for the united monasteries in various skilled jobs...becoming...labourers. The Gypsies were blacksmiths, bricklayers, farriers, they made lime, they were butchers, hoemakers, tanners, furriers, shepherds, cowherds, sober men, they worked as broommakers, basket makers, basket makers...etc...and the products of their work were in demand in fairs and markets. Hundreds of former freed Gypsies worked and did not beg.
In the village of Vânători, according to the Census drawn up by the Russian administration in 1778, there were 44 heads of gypsy families: Ceucă, Ciuboncă, Chimol, Bucătaru, Negrei, Socia, Gologan... being excluded from paying taxes to the state. During the summer, when they lived in slavery, they worked 2 weeks at the metoc and one week at home. During the winter, they worked only one week at the metoc and 2 weeks at home. At the metoc they received 3 meals a day, and other advantages consisted of grazing animals and firewood for the winter, free of charge. Although they were freed from slavery, some of them did not know the gypsy language, being vagrants (settlers).. they were not owned following the application of Cuza's reforms.
They did not have enough work animals and were not respected .... by anyone. However, the former monastery slaves lived from work and not from begging. Begging was a complementary custom of the former gypsy slaves, which manifested itself only in certain situations. (holidays, or extreme life situations). I must remind you that today, without knowing or recognizing it, many Romanians are descendants of these former gypsy slaves. With the increase in the level of education, the gypsies will be able to ensure their own well-being from economic activities. We must not forget that in democracy, there must be room for all ethnicities, and together we can ensure the progress of civilization in the future Romanian space.
Sources-Arch. Andronic, Jones O. Noys, Professor Florian, Eng. L. Ionescu.
This project is financed with the support of EEA Grants 2014 – 2021 within the RO-CULTURE Programme
