Hello, Like so many i am researching my Romany Roots, In my research I have come across Two Eastwood Families in Burwash with similar names & dates of birth & at the same time, One being a Travelling Family the other Family being a little better off in work & in houses/cottages.
I have been researching for a number of years this branch of my Tree & was wondering if any of you agreed with my findings. As so many of you know it is easy to copy other people's tree's from certain sites without researching to confirm which is correct & i'm pretty sure this is what has happened for this particular part of the Eastwood Tree where people have just copied & followed.
So lets start, this may be a bit Long winded so apologies in advance.
I descend from Caroline Eastwood, she was born 1846 Hadlow Kent, Bap 26 Apr 1846 Hadlow, Caroline is my 2nd Gt Grandmother. Parents John & Harriet Eastwood.
There is a few Eastwood's in the Burwash/Sussex area at the same time. Caroline's Father JOHN was born c1816 according to the 1851, 1871 & 1881. The 1891 census states that he was born c1818.
John's (Caroline's Father) death Certificate on 29th Oct 1901 age 84 also suggests that his birth is c1817. This John is also known as Elias Eastwood, he uses this name when he marries Harriet in 1835 Yalding Kent. I am unable to find him in the 1861 & 1901 census.
The John Eastwood that every one seems to have in their tree's on certain sites, was born also Burwash in 1821 to a William Eastwood & Philadelphia Hawkins/Hoggins, this John was Bap also in 1821 Burwash, this is when things started not to add up for me, Firstly was the age of my John, born c1816/17 to the other John born c1821 & why was my John Bap in 1821?, (according to other tree's) Five years is a long time for a Christening, but not unheard of.
Secondly was, this John bap in 1821 Parents William & Philadelphia was living in Tott houses in the 1841 & 1851 census & the 1861 for Philadelphia all in Burwash, which again didn't make sense to me if they were Romany's why didn't they travel?, they seemed to stay in Burwash & this is the Eastwood family goes back to the 1600's, I have got back as far as 1678 with this family to yet another John Eastwood, this family seem a little better off as he has an apprentice for Carpentry in 1744, in Mayfield, they also lived in Houses/Cottages. Also with this Family All John's (1821) siblings seem to be in houses/cottages through the census except for My John which states on his census that he is in a Travelling Van.
This Eastwood family also has a son called George (parents William & Philadelphia) he was transported to Australia in 1841. Also this George was born c1808 which does not match up with my George, nearly a 10y age difference.
I have thought for a very long time that George Eastwood c1819 Burwash was closely related to My John & Harriet, (My John's Brother) George's wife is Phoebe Brazil & when i learned that a Benjamin Eastwood born in 1828 Kent, had married Jane Brazil, sister of Phoebe caught my attention, & then i noticed that George & Phoebe's two eldest children were named William & Frances.
Everything started to fit, George & Phoebe traveled in the company of John Reynolds & wife Mary Ann Breeds & their daughter Jane. Mary Ann Breeds is a sister of Seaman & John Breeds who married Britannia & Alvina Eastwood, daughter's of John & Harriett Eastwood, Caroline's sister's.
Thomas Eastwood married Elvy Scamp, they had a Granddaughter also called Elvy, she married Seaman Clubb, he was the Son of Francis Clubb & Hannah Breeds, Hannah is another sister of Seaman & John Breeds as above.
This George & Thomas seem to fit in with My John with dates & area, George 1819 Burwash & Thomas 1820 Burwash, there is also other siblings as follows;
William 1813, (then My John c1816/17), George 1819, Thomas 1820, as above, Frances 1824 Burwash, James 1825 Surrey, Benjamin 1828 Kent, Caroline 1829 Maidstone & Mark 1831 also Maidstone. Parents are William Eastwood & Frances Hayward.
So it makes more sense that This Eastwood Family is more likely to be the Family to My John Eastwood, who marries Harriet in 1835 Yalding Kent, This William (William Eastwood & Frances Hayward) was born c1780 in Mayfield, which is approx 5 miles away from Burwash,
The other William (married to Philadelphia) was born c1782 in Burwash, so you can see where everyone gets confused & follow the other John/William Eastwood's tree this William marries Philadelphia Hawkins/Hoggings, Children are; William 1806, George 1808, Stephen 1810, James 1811, Thomas 1813, Mary 1815, Stanford 1816, Frances 1818, Matilda 1820, (John 1821), Eliza 1823, Henry 1825, & Harriet 1830, all born in Burwash.
My William marries Frances in Mayfield in 1814, looks like their first Born William 1813 was born out of wedlock, 9 children in total, all travelling as above.
Hope that's not to confusing & you can follow,
Thanks for reading
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