« Reply #21 on: Saturday 29 March 08 18:22 GMT (UK) »
The furthest back I've been able to go is with:–
Samuel Smith who married Sophia Wright 6 Nov. 1803 Diss, Norfolk. He was a chaffcutter. The Smiths moved to Maldon in Essex and the male descendants were carpenters. Not Romany occupations …
Do you think that a YOUNG family in Worcester who were blacksmiths, could be Romany – from the point of view of occupation? Because Elizabeth YOUNG married, firstly, Thomas WILKS, and then Edward TUDGEY (in Hallow in 1870). And I have thought that the dark colouring I've been investigating could have come from the YOUNG line, or the WILKS line – if it wasn't the TUDGEYs.
Jamie
Hmm, being a blacksmith wasn't a typical Romany job anymore than being a carpenter but I'm certain I have seen both jobs being done by travelling people.
Some of my ancestors who I know (not just suspect) were travellers were masons which is hardly your typical Romany job but they both came separately from the same general area in Somerset/Wiltshire where stone working is very common so they probably picked up different skills depending on the type of work that was commonly needed in the areas they travelled in. (Sorry I don't think I explained that very well).
Often looking at neighbours' occupations can help although it is hardly conclusive evidence. With only one exception, on my line they are living amongst general dealers/hawkers/pedlars/tinplate workers/cutlers etc although it does of course depend on when they settled. I'm pretty sure that my Morgan family had settled by the end of the 19th century in London and possibly as early as the 1850s. In which case there is no guarantee they will still be living amongst travellers.
It's very hard to prove unless you have family stories or just masses of evidence but I have heard several times the suggestion about the Tudgay line so my assumption that they were English people who married in (as in my line it was a woman not a man which although not favoured was preferred to a man marrying in) has grounds to be doubted.
Coupled with the dark colouring there is reason to believe the suggestions have some basis and if they are it is probable that the families they married into (eg. the Marshalls, Youngs, Wilks etc) were of traveling blood too.
Romany/Traveller:
BLACKMAN, BUCKLAND, BURGESS, DIX, DOBSON, FOLEY, GRANT/PARKER, HUNT, JONES, MUNDAY/MONDAY, MORGAN, NOYELL, ORCHARD, PAGE, REED, VINCENT
Jewish:
BRAHAM, FROST, LYONS
French:
HONEYSETT, LEVETT PETTIT
English:
BELSHAW, BETTSWORTH, CANE, COVENTRY, DOBSON, FRY, NURSE, POOK, PUTLAND, PUTT, SMITH, SNELGROVE, TEE, TUDGAY, VENUS/VENESS
Irish:
ANDERSON, KILLOUGH, MACCORMACK, MACROBERTS, MORTON, MOORE, WALLACE
