Hi,
Sometime ago I discovered one of direct ancestors to be Catherine Spinks. She married Richard Bradley in 1815 in Shipston on Stour, Worcestershire and they had two sons; Isaac and Jonathan.
As of yesterday I've located her baptism record which took place in Shropshire and her parents to be that of Jonathan Spinks and Catherine Weiss. Johnathan and Catherine married in St Mary's church in Warwickshire. This being the second branch of my family connected to St Mary's church, the other been the Franks family.
Anyway, on Catherine Spinks baptism record underneath is the word - travelers. I've researched this term last night and discovered it can either mean an occupation that would require the person to go where the work was, fairground folk or Romany.
I've searched through the census returns but can't find John/Catherine and considering they would be about 70yo by the time of the 1841 census its not surprising. And I've not discovered any other baptisms for any other children to help my research.
Is there a way to determine what the general term, travelers is in regards to the Spinks occupation? If they are Romany is there a way to locate the family in any other records?
Hope someone can point me in the right direction.
Many thanks,
Stuart