I have an Ayres in my family tree and I am probably distantly related to all Bottisham/Lode Ayreses, including those who were head gardeners at Anglesey Abbey. I have never come across any suggestion before that the Ayres were Gypsies and I have done quite extensive research at Cambridge Records Office. The Ayres family were certainly well settled in Bottisham by the mid 1700s. The name Stubbings Ayres continued through into the 1800s, where I seem to remember that one Stubbings Ayres was fined for having faulty weights in his shop (even though the census gives him as an Ag lab). I recall that a Stubbings Ayres was also a stalwart of the Lode Chapel. The censuses also show numerous Ayres as born and/or living in Lode throughout the 1800s. In fact one of my grandmother's sisters (born Lode) married another Ayres from Lode! Could I ask what your resources for the Gypsy connection are? Most of my family names are scattered throughout England, so I don't think that is a pointer. Here is my Ayres connection:
Child of WILLIAM WEBB and ANN RICHARDSON is:
i. SUSAN3 WEBB.
2. SUSAN3 WEBB (WILLIAM2, JOHN1) married JOHN AYRES 21 Jun 1791, son of STUBBINGS AYRES and HANNAH PRAT.
Child of SUSAN WEBB and JOHN AYRES is:
3. i. ANN4 AYRES, b. 03 Jan 1796.
Generation No. 3
3. ANN4 AYRES (SUSAN3 WEBB, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 03 Jan 1796. She married PHILIP CORNWELL, son of WILLIAM CORNWELL and ANNE ARBER. He was born 1798.
Children of ANN AYRES and PHILIP CORNWELL are:
i. EMMA5 CORNWELL, b. 30 Mar 1828; m. RICHARD RAYMENT, 25 Dec 1844, Bottisham England; b. 1831.
ii. LEVI CORNWELL, b. 30 Mar 1828; m. SARAH PETTIT, 21 Mar 1857, Bottisham England; b. 1836.
4. iii. WILLIAM CORNWELL, b. 29 Sep 1829, Bottisham England.
iv. CHARLES CORNWELL, b. 15 May 1832; m. (1) ELIZABETH AYRES, 1855; m. (2) EMMA HANCOCK, 30 Oct 1857, Bottisham England; b. 1836.
v. ELIJAH CORNWELL, b. 14 Nov 1834.
vi. ELLIS CORNWELL, b. 08 Jan 1837.
vii. URIAH CORNWELL, b. 1842.
viii. ZILLAH CORNWELL, b. 1843.
ix. JOHN CORNWELL, b. 1847.
I descend from William Cornwell.