Travellers' Movements

[junket]

Hi can any one tell me about traveller's movement's
did they have a set pattern around seasonal work fair's ect or did they move about randomly. Before motor transport how far would they have  travelled.

Junket's husband

[chafox]

 It's my experience researching my family, who travelled a lot, that they must have been attending fairs on a regular sequence.

My family the Kirbys, and  Whitehouses,  have marriages and baptisms all over the place.

My 2x gt grandad Joseph William Kirby was born in the Burgage Monmouth, which suggests common land owned by the council, but aalso hints at their presence there for a fair near to the time of the birth.

Other family baptisms have been recorded at an Inn half way between Tewkesbury and Cheltenham. That suggests that they may have had a circuit of market towns.

But then they were specifically hawking earthenware.

terry

[An65]

no, they didnt travel randomly- they had their circuits and followed them every year. Some wintered indoors, some stayed out in all weathers. Some had flash trailers, earlier vardos and brush waggons, and tents and donkeys, tramping on foot. They could and would travel many miles in a day even on foot. Some travelled all over to horse fairs, others all over to gather the seasons veg and hops. Most incorporated more than one county in their travels.

[Maggott]

Hi  Mine seem to have moved round Surrey-Sussex-Kent, but over quite a stretch of time.  I think their base was on the Surrey/Sussex border, tho' they did get as far north as Middlesex for a time.  Eventually they seem to have settled - a house with at least two families in it-& the men worked in the brickyard whilst  some of the women still made chairs
Maggott

[junket]

Hi Everone thank you for your reply's you have all confirmed my thoughts that there was a pattern to the traveling life and not just random traveling
thanks again
Junket's husband