Kent / Sussex Travellers

[delbouy]

Had a reply from the Brockers ref above as personal message, but cant reply as new member.
I have quite a bit of info. Robert was my great grandfather and his daughter Caroline (Keziah) b1886 was my grandmother and sister to Elizabeth Eliza Wilson. Keziah Married my Grandad Fredrick Robert Parker b 1885 - My Dad was Sidney Parker b1919

Derek Parker

[trystan]

Derek,

You should be able to reply now that you've made a couple of posts.

Trystan

[Alice-Marie]

My maternal ancestors were also in the Sussex area and moved around between Sussex and Kent.  They were SAYERS, some of whom were Hawkers, Dealers and Labourers and there are so many it is hard to unravel but I am getting there! Since I was a child my Mother used to tell me there were rumours about "gypsy blood" in the family and now I realise that some of the words she used to use could have held clues.  For instance she used to say "togs" for clothes and she has lots of superstitions.  Dark hair, eyes and olive skin is also prevalent in the family. 

[Romany Knaves]

Hi,
My mother back in the sixties and seventies lived next door to a family called Sayer, and a few years ago at her wake I spoke to the man about family trees etc and I recall he did say that his family came from the Sussex area and that his ancestors were as the name say's Sayers, the Romany did not have Sayers in that sense but the surname "Sayer/s" is referenced as Gypsy life in the Journal's of RTFHS,

[Oojie]

My maternal ancestors are all travellers moving between Kent & Sussex. The common Names are Kemp, Jones, Ripley, Stanford or Stamford with Brazil, Stonnel & Wilson thrown in for good measure. The names Jones & Kemp seem to be very much inter-twined.

I know that there was certainly an element of inbreeding (or line breeding as we call it in the dog world) within the family as my grandfather (Samuel Kemp/Ripley/Jones) and my grandmother (Sarah Ann Stamford/Jones) had a common half sister (Annie Ripley/Jones/Boswell).

As you can see, as a genealogy project, it’s a nightmare :-)

If anyone has any information that might enlighten me, I would love to hear from you.

regards

Steve (ukk9)

My granny was a Brazil before she married my grandfather, George bignall. Her parents were ada and Ben Brazil, travelled all round kent before stopping on a site in sittingbourne before they died about 25 year ago. I grew up on a site and know some of the names you have mentioned Jones Samuel. Would like to find my family right back but i don't know past my great grand parents, my grandfather George's family were from swanley dartford foots cray, still loads of cousins of his round that way till this day, but don't know no further that his parents that were Flo and George I think but not 100%

[Romany Knaves]

Gypsy History is entwined with marriage of cousins even brother and sisters in the past and it can be very hard to unravel say the Jones who ended up being Boswell's or The Lee's who had originally been Emmett's the Hilden's who had been Small's etc etc, and then you are told say the Brazil's and the Jones are they are one and the same from over in Surry or the Botton's or Denby's someone say's, no they are not Gypsies, the thing is any surname can be a Gypsy name, just because they are never mentioned as a Gypsy does not make them Gorger, I have many Gypsy friends who are not in my family line but live in my town so research is easy to a point but sometimes contradictory so caution is always needed when listening to tales of old, I even remember once talking to a English Traveller who tried to pass themselves of as a Romany, why I do not know as their history is as rich as the Gypsy's, finding your past is just a matter of research research research, and leg work as you wont find it all on the WWW.

[Lamps1]

Hi
My 2XGrandmother was Mary Roberts born 1863 in Burgess Hill (if Census is to be believed). She had a son Thomas Roberts my Great Grandfather to an unknown father, before marrying Edward Bacon (but he also used the name Albert Bacon or Gillet) from Bexhill/Hastings area. He was the son of Robert Bacon and Naomi Gillet.

I do not know if Mary Roberts is the daughter of Samson Roberts as i cannot find any Birth, Baptism or Marriage for Mary, so i was interested in this post as both Roberts and Bacon were used.

The family story is that a Jumping Jack (John) Harris was Thomas Roberts father but again this is just a family story

Many thanks

[Romany Knaves]

Hello,
       Finding a baptism / christening may never happen sadly it is all to often an event, there are some parish records for Mary Roberts, Lewes-1860, Rye-1863, Farnham-1865, Westhampnett-1866, not sure if the father is a Samson the two of births at Hastings 1865 and Hailsham 1866 are one I note are living with Brazil's [other spelling] they two lived in Surry, some of the Roberts did move around a lot into Kent, Middlesex and the other way into Hampshire so perhaps a wider scope may help you, Harris well, I have two lines and they are some what of a conundrum, some did become travelling showmen so moved around quite a lot also, Bacon and Gillett are noted only from 1799 as a Gypsy surname but they may have gone under another before that time, I have a friend who is a Gillett who says his family had been Gypsy at one point he believes but long ago, anyhow most of this you may know and another member may be able to help, good luck, I hope you find what you seek.

[rebekahm28]

Sorry for late reply. Yes the Gillett's are linked to the Roberts and the Bacon's. Mary wasnt the daug of Samson but I have Naomi Gillett and the Bacons in my tree. Also a Faith Harris married Esau Roberts, who was Samsons son. Poss related to your Jumping Jack Harris...