The Suffolk Gipsy

The Amazing Story of John Heigham Steggall, ‘The Suffolk Gipsy’.

This is the true story of a local man who was born at Creeting St. Mary and grew up in Wyverstone 200 years ago. He went to school at Walsham-le-Willows, where he ran away and joined a family of gipsies. Involved in the shooting of a gamekeeper, he was arrested at Norton, tried at Ixworth and imprisoned at Bury. Later, he trained as a doctor at Bacton, sailed to the South Seas on a whaling ship, served with the army in India, was a surgeon at Rattlesden and ended his long life as a vicar at Great Ashfield.

This story has not been published for over 100 years. It is remarkable but is it true?

In answer, we have produced an edited version of Steggall’s story with our researches interspersed, and over 70 illustrations in colour and black & white. Surprisingly, most of it can be shown to be an accurate representation of a remarkable life.

Now out of print

Pawprint Publishing: ISBN 0 9548298 0 8