Is Paginton (+variants, of which there are a few!) a Traveller name?

[Lisajb]

My 3rd GGM, Mary Paginton was born in Codrington, Gloucestershire in 1809.

Many years ago I was in contact with another Paginton researcher who said that "One thing that appears to be fairly certain is that ALL the PAGINTONs (including spelling variations) in the Wiltshire and Gloucester area are/were the descendants of Richard and Makepeace PAGINTON who arrived in the area about 1700 via Oxfordshire and Herefordshire and who knows where else.  Richard was was described variously on his children's baptisms as "a poor traveller", a labourer and a ragman.  He appears to have originated in Newington, Surrey but may have wandered around a bit as I have his marriage in Malmesbury in 1695.  Presumably Makepeace was a Malmesbury girl, they married, he continued to wander with his new wife then returned to Malmesbury and settled there about 1700.  They had several sons and grandsons who had families and the name soon propagate."

Would anyone have any thoughts about this?  I have traced Mary's line back to her grandfather James Paginton, who was born in Malmesbury Wiltshire in about 1750. They seem to have been fairly static in Hullavington, Wiltshire, where the children, including Mary's father Daniel was born, moving to Wapley and Codrington where he married her mother. On the 1851 census Daniel is described as a labourer.

Thanks
Lisa

[Steve G]

Hi, Lisa. " Is Paginton a Traveller name? " Apparently not  I've certainly never heard of it, as such. I've just checked The Book Of Bob . He's never come across it.

Fact that this post has remained un replied to, since Sunday also speaks volumes. I just happened to be passing through and can never resist a good, " Is XXXX A Gypsy Name? " thread. If only because I like reaching for TBOB.

Tell ye what though? How about I do the bit where I put the finger tips of my left hand to my forehead. And I gaze down at my left thigh. Eyes almost closed in concentration. Are ye getting this ....?

 Then, I intone; " A soldier ..... "  How cool is that?! Tis Witchcraft, I tell thee!!!


Well, no. It's not, actually. It's just an educated guess, based on a few snippets of given information and a spot of deduction.

He turns up, out of no where. Getting described as a " Poor Traveller " and a " Rag Man ".. Right. Okay. Let's face it; He's pretty much a bloody 'Tramp'! Yet, he's young enough to marry?

Okay. What would a relatively young man be doing, wandering the land in piss poor shape? Why isn't he at home with his family?

Well; I don't know what was going on in the later 1600's. But, it's a fair bet that the british empire was at war, somewhere. War's a young mans game. Thus, it's fair to say, Richard might have taken the kings shilling.

Maybe he suffered some wound? I honestly don't know how soldiers got out of the army back then. But, let's just imagine he got discharged. He's fought abroad. He's seen things there was no internet to prepare him for. And, certainly, no one had ever dreamed of something called " Post Traumatic Stress Disorder " back in those days.

Rabies is known as " The Running Disease ", Lisa. Because an animal, suffering from it, will try to out run the stuff in its head. It has no way of rationalising how it's feeling. So it tries to run away. PTSD often manifests similarly. The sufferer may disengage themselves from all they've ever known. Leave town. Forsake their family and friends. Just Walk.

See where I'm coming from now? The guy's not a Gypsy. He hasn't the life skills, nor the familial network. So, he's stumbling down the road, a tramp to all intents and purposes. Probably being found a bit too 'interesting' for those he meets. Thus having a hard time of it. Scratching about to survive.

 Then, he meets Makepeace. Somehow, they mesh. She can handle his ways. He can lean on her and let her do the dealing with people. Things start to look up a little ~ at least from his former aspect. They become a team and she even follows his still itching desire to move on. Till she soothed him enough that he could settle down a bit.

They could breed like rabbits then. Wouldn't mean any of the following Pagintons would be head cases. No way! PTSD doesn't work that way. It's directly, environmentally received. Not genetically passed.  I have a couple of lines of right head bangers amongst my lot. I was always right as rain, myself. Until " The Incident "

Now? In another country I'd never set foot in before. Divorced from friends. Family. All I'd ever known. I sit here, late at night. Writing posts like this.

Can ye see the parallels? 
 

[Lisajb]

Hi Steve

Thanks for your thoughts, which I much appreciate. Yes, can see the parallels.

I imagine people were probably thinking "what is this woman on about?", and yes the lack of response was telling.

You've certainly given me a lot to think about.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Lisa

[rob g]

Hi. Lisa. I saw the thread. And can say I haven't heard the surname your researching.in Romany folks. As to the traveller thing.if you moved from one parish to another. You had to get a work permit. A ticket. And would be registered as a person travelling thru. Ie.traveller. you had to get your paper punched. Like a bus ticket years ago. It was spiked. Hence pikey ..spiky?.. But don't give up. All kinds turn up in family history. And over 70 % of British people have Romany links.. Regards Rob.