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Topic: Traveller musicians (Read 2783 times)
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kdc650
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 34
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Some of you know already that I'm working on a book for the RTFHS on Traveller musicians active before 1900. I've cast my net far and wide, and isolated 265 individuals so far, mainly fiddle players. The sources which are more of a problem are the certificates of birth, marriage and death, which are too costly to be speculative about. I was wondering if any of you have information from either this type of source, or family tradition, or any other less accessible source. I would be so pleased to learn anything further. And, of course, I will be happy to share my own research if you contact me offlist.
Many thanks in advance.
Keith
Here is a brief listing of those found so far :
BLACK Amos alias BLACKMAN / Morris
BOSS Charles / Newton aka Newcombe / Robert
BOSWELL Aaron / Andrew / Bruce / Byron / Charles alias BOSS / Edward / Edward Mackenzie / Elias / Elias ('Lias') / Frampton / Frederick ('King of the Manx Gypsies') / George / Hezekiah / Hope / Isaiah / John / John / Joseph / Lawrence / Lawrence / Levi / Lewis / Mackenzie ('Kenza') alias James SMALL/ Major / Mordecai alias WAINWRIGHT / Moses alias BOSS / Moses / Nelson / O'Connor aka Fergus Occona / Oscar ('Womanly') / Peter / Plato aka William / Riley / Samuel / Seth / Silvester ('Wester', 'Westrous') / Theophilus / Thomas / Trafalgar / Uriah / Zachariah aka John
BOWERS Henry
BUCKLAND Abraham / Absalom ('Stinker') / Edward ('Winggi') / Henry G. / Henry / Henry James / John Shipton / Moses / Nelson / Noah / Owen / Plato / Tenant / Thomas aka John / William / William / William Emanuel
BURCHALL James / James
CLEMENTS James
DAVIS Albert alias Thomas DAVIES / Frederick / Mark Henry / Thomas alias DAVIES
DOE Albert
DRAPER Ambrose / Edward / Edward / Elias / Israel / James alias CLARK / Joseph / Samuel
EYRES James
GAGE Walter Joseph
GRAY Adolphus / Alfred / Charles / Frederick / George / George / George / Henry / Israel / John Budd / John / Joshua / Louis / Obediah / Oseri / Oseri / Oseri aka Eckley / Piramus / Samuel / Sunny / Thomas aka William Joshua / Thomas alias Ambrose DRAPER alias Thomas SMITH / Yoben
GREEN Frederick / George / Henry / Mackenzie ('Kenza') alias SMALLWOOD / Matthew / Samuel / William
HARRIS William ('Billy')
HERNE Evergreen / John / Nukes ('Crimea') / William
HOLLOWAY John / Thomas / Thomas
JAMES Ancian
JOHNS William OR Solomon
LEE Adam / Charles / Ethal aka John alias WOOD / Eugene Walter / Felix Alfred / Henry / John / Joseph / Major / Oliver Alfred alias WOOD / Silvester aka Wester / Thomas / Valentine V. / Walter / Zachariah / Zachariah / Zachariah
LEWIS Louis / Siterus aka John / Thomas
LOCK Bert / Enoch ('Winkles') / Ezekial / Ezekial / John / Herbert / Isaiah aka James ('Pollen') / Leonard Buzzi / Noah alias BOSWELL / Noah aka Manoah alias BOSWELL / Somerset Joseph / Vivian Delmore aka Charles / Zachariah alias Henry ('Harry') BOSWELL / Zebulon James
LOVELL Arthur / Charles ('Wry-necked Charley') / Charles / Henry / Horatio Lamprey / John ('Concertina Johnny') / Walter Charles
LOVERIDGE Moses
MACE James ('Jem')
MARTIN Henry
McLEAN Charles / James
MIDDLETON Alfred James / Edwin / James
PERRY Peter
RAINBOW John
REDMAN Mitchel Robert
ROBINSON Elias ('Lias') / Eros / John
ROGERS Thomas
SCARROTT Charles / James
SHAW Aaron ('Funny Aaron Jeks') / Arthur / Arthur / Arthur ('Rinky') / Charles / James / James ('Big Jim') / James / John ('Little Jack') / John ('Ne'er do well') / Larry / Larry / Moses / Moses / Noah / Rodney aka William / Tiger ('Fiddling') / Tobias / Walter / William / William ('Willie')
SMITH Abey / Abslolm / Albert Edward / Betsey / Cain / Charles / Charles / Charles Simpson / Cornelius alias SHAW / Elijah / Henry / Henry / Henry Robert / Hercules ('Old Arti') / Hercules aka Arkless / Isaac / Israel / James ('Jemmy') / James / James / James H. / Jasper / Job / Job / John / John / John / John / John / John Francis / Jonas / Josiah / Josiah aka John / Levi / Nelson / Neptune / Perrin / Riley / Sampson / Shandres / Stephen / Thomas ('Fiddling Tom') / Thomas / Thomas / Thomas / Tobias / Walter Herbert / William ('Black Willy') / William / William / Wisdom
TAYLOR Obediah D. alias DIAPER
TOWNSEND Lawrence
WELCH Moses / William
WILLIAMS Henry/Thomas / William ('Fiddling Billy')
WOOD Abraham aka Abram
YARDLEY William
YOUNG Esau / John aka Auther alias Oli HERNE
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willow154
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3157
Mum - Such love
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Sorry, I don't personally, but it's sounds like a really interesting project.
Wish you every success.
At least it now back on the top of the list again : 
Paulene 
Will let you know if I come across any others on my travels.
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Old Bristolian
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 558
Ada & Joan
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Hi Keith
Do you want information on people who were travelling solo musicians, or those who played in groups?
I have an ancestor who was on a Census as a musician (in lodgings) in 1881 & was with a "Wild West Show" as a musician in 1891. I've no idea what instrument he may have played, or when he died. Let me know if you would like details
Steve
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Bumstead - London, Suffolk
Flexney, Godfrey - Oxfordshire
Street, Cave - Gloucestershire
Gibbs, Gait, Noyes, Peters, Padfield, Board, York, Rogers, Emery, Clavey - Somerset
Fook, Snell - Devon
M(a)cDonald, Yuell, Gollan, McKenzie - Rosshire
McLennan, Mackintosh - Inverness
Williams, Jones - Angelsey & Caernarvon
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Burto
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 472
Enjoying the silence
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Hi,
I have an ancestor who is described as being a musican or "Professor of the Violin" on various census. There is also evidence of boxing running through the family and I have often wondered if they were Romany. 2 children disappeared from records as did their mother (one I think was sent to Australia for theft), although she possibly was moved from parish to parish.
They were Swifts. Do let me know if you want anymore details.
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Swift , Matthews, Price , Clarke , Rockley, Dewey, Turton, Wild, Nottingham
Aldread, Brentnall, Cowlishaw Derbyshire
Elliot, The Borders/Nottingham FWK industry
Smith Bilston Staffordshire
Bennett, Calary? Ireland
Johnson, USA
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willow154
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3157
Mum - Such love
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Burto,
If the Swift family were in Nottingham there might be a record of her settlement certificate in the index at the archives office.
If you're really lucky there might be a settlement examination which will detail where the family came from and moved to. It's all indexed by surname and they'll let you know if the names are in the index, if you email.
Paulene
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Burto
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 472
Enjoying the silence
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Hi Willow,
Do you know what dates these certificates started from? My ancestor was living in a house in Nottingham in 1841, so not sure if that means he was of Romany descent? Are these certificates exclusive to travellers or to anyone who was moved around?
Thanks.
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Swift , Matthews, Price , Clarke , Rockley, Dewey, Turton, Wild, Nottingham
Aldread, Brentnall, Cowlishaw Derbyshire
Elliot, The Borders/Nottingham FWK industry
Smith Bilston Staffordshire
Bennett, Calary? Ireland
Johnson, USA
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willow154
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3157
Mum - Such love
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Hi kdc650,
Sorry - back to the point.
Found these on the 1881 census:
*all described as travelling musicians:
Henry Wombwell b. 1809 Worksop, Notts
Frederick Wombwell b. 1852 Hull
Frank Carle b. 1862 Lanarkshire, Scotland
Chas J Dillon (Charles Joseph) b.1850 London, Middlesex
L A A Livermore B. 1854 London, Middlesex
George Wileman B. 1932 Leicestershire
Charles L Tapson b. 1850 Liverpool, Lancashire
Samuel L Hall b. 1839 Petton (?)
Paulene
Do you need more, or are you concentrarting on tracking down more information on the ones you have?
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lollyross
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 2
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I have a harp playing ancestor who travelled the country with his wife & children between 1860-1888 when he died.His background was Woolcombing{brother & father Woolcombers from Leicestershire,who then moved to Bradford,west yorks around 1830's.}and I wondered if you could enlighten me on how & why he would have taken up harping & singing as an occupation?
1851 census-woolcomber, Bradford.
1861census he was in Norwich with a group of musicians.
1863 married in Edinburgh
1863 child born Glasgow
1865 " " Liverpool
1868 " " Castle Donington
1871 census Middlesbrough
1871 Child born Cardiff
1874 " " Middlesbrough
1878 " " "
1880 " " Leeds
1881 census Middlesbrough
1888 died in Union Workhouse Middlesbrough.
One of his sons continued in the harp playing but by the 1901 census was working in the Jarrow Shipyards as a riveter,which must have been more lucrative when he married and had a family.
Just wondered if you would have any info. on such people as above -even tho' they wern't "travellers or gypsies".
Good Luck with your book. 
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Hodgkiss
RootsChat Member
Posts: 187
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I am directly related to :
Henry Boswell
&
Israel Smith
But i dont know if i can be much help.
I do however have some family members who did play instruments in Wolverhampton. The hodgkiss tribe, they was Musician Street Pianists, and Barrell Organ players.
But you don't seem to have the hodgkiss's listed, so im not sure if i can be help there either....
All the best,
Gary
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RomanyRoser
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 67
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi There to you all and in particular, the person with the name SWIFT in their family tree. They are most certainly Romany and thought you may like the entries that I have in my research into Gypsy Families in UK. I am researching Gypsy Convicts who were transported to Australia and If you could send me the details of your convict I would apprecite it. Robert Dawson, in his book Ä Romany In The Family (ISBN 1-903418-27-5) states that the Swift family were in the UK at least from 1608-1866 (int) at DBY, GLS, MON, NTH, SOM, SRY & WAR. I have them in Surrey in 1907. My entries are as follows,
SWIFT Dorothy May born 25.7.1906 daughter of Joseph and Alice Mary (Hawker) Ash, Surrey (Gypsies Passing Through)
SWIFT Olive Daisy born 26.10.1907 daughter of Joseph and Alice Mary (Hawker) Ash, Surrey (Gypsies Passing Through)
SWIFT Thomas born 18.11.1860 son of Joseph and Hannah Travelling (Hawker) Ash, Surrey (Gypsies Passing Through) . Hope it helps- Roser
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thegasman
RootsChat Pioneer
Posts: 1
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Steve!
A few members of the Flexney family were musicians.
(The children of Edward and Mary Flexney.)
Edward (1825) played,and his son,Edward (1849) was a 'professor of music'.
Charles(Richard) played,and John played too.
Daniel Flexney,I don't think, played an instrument,but his grandaughter, Nelly Searle,my grandmother, was an Assosiate Member of the Victoria College of Music,London,when she was 14.
Regards,
Neil (Mills)
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