Hello everyone
During my Lock(e) family tree research, I think I have stumbled upon a possible Romany migration to early Maryland and Virginia USA 1700's.
I can trace back to Richard Lock of Calvert County Maryland 1728, possibly earlier.
Richard Lock has close associations in Calvert County Maryland early to mid 1700's to
John Smith, Walter Smith, Richard Smith, Luke Smith, Joseph Hall, Benjamin Dixon, William Perry and others while in Calvert County Maryland USA. It appears some Romany folk left england for America, and some are found in Calvert County Maryland, but not exclusivly in Calvert County.
I don't know if the Smith's, Hall's, Dixon's and Perry's of Calvert County Maryland are Romany or not, but it appears likely that they are likely all Romany family's.
Here is a list of Richard Lock Sr. and Richard Lock Jr. records I have collected to date.
You will see that the records that Richard Lock is named in, are some of the very same records the other Romany surnames are also mentioned in.
http://lockeroots.home.comcast.net/~lockeroots/Richard.htmlI am fairly convinced there was a much earlier Romany migration to America then was previously known about.
Here is another record of interest.
Oaths of Fidelity 1778 Montgomery County Maryland USA
Surnames; Boswell, Bailey, Campbell, Carter , Henry Lock and William Jewell.
This is a short list of a much larger list of names. I need to get to the library and transcribe all the names mentioned in the 1778 Oath record.
Again, notice the known Romany surnames in this 1778 Montgomery County Maryland record!
So it appears some Romany either migrated or were deported out of England to America in the 1700's.
The 1790 census of Montgomery County Maryland, has somewhere around 20 to 30 known Romany surnames, of which are truly Romany I can not know.
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/md/montgomery/census/1790/index.txtIt is also interesting to note that there are 7 European ( English ) surnames who are all in a rare DNA group called Y chromosome Haplo Group H. It is rare regardless the surname.
The 7 surnames are; Lock(e), Carter, Campbell, Jewell, Hite, Bailey, Ruffin.
Again, notice some of the known Romany surnames who are in this rare DNA group.
If my theory is right, Y chromosome Haplo Group H, has a direct relationship with some English Romany family's. I say "some" because I don't know of any other Romany family's who have participated in DNA testing.
I do suspect other Romany family's will be found to be in this rare DNA group, but I do not expect to find a lot more just because this is a rare DNA group world wide.
Y Haplo Group H is thought to have originated in India, and the English Romany are thought to be Indian descendants. So it makes since that Y Haplo Group H has a relationship with some English Romany family's, but exactly how many Romany family's I do not know yet.
The Vasko surname is another European surname who is in Y Haplo H, but his family came from Hungry, which is another Romany population, so we suspect his Vasko family to also likely to be Romany from Hungry.
So I have to ask myself, if the Lock(e)'s are Romany and are in this rare DNA group, are the others in this rare DNA group also Romany? I have to believe the answer is yes, it just makes since!
I have started the Romnchel DNA project for anyone who is interested.
We hope to compare all Romany DNA to one another to see if some answers can be found.
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Romnchel/The Romnchel DNA project is open to all Romany regardless the surname, and regardless where you come from.
It will be interesting to see how many English Romany are in Y Haplo Group H.
The primary focus will be to compare the male Y chromosome, though the project is open to you ladies too, to get mtDNA tested if you wish. But I highly suspect many English Romany will be in the more common European DNA groups.
This is who I think is my USA ancestor.
The names and dates seem to fit.
Richard Lock
Marriage Date: May 26th, 1698
Ampney Crucis, Gloucester, England
To: Mary Eldridge
Richard Lock
Christening: August 31st, 1699
Ampney Crucis, Gloucester, England
Parents: Richard Lock & Mary
And I think this is one and the same Richard Lock & Mary Eldridge in Islip, Oxforshire
Anne Lock
Christening: December 18th, 1698
Islip, Oxford, England
Parents: Richard Lock & Mary
Joseph Lock
Christening: December 15th, 1700
Islip, Oxford, England
Parents: Richard Lock & Mary
Now that I know Richard Lock of Calvert County Maryland is a 65/67 DNA match to Henry Lock of South Cerney, Gloucester England 1770's, now I am searching the paper records to try to link Richard Lock to Henry Lock, DNA has already proven to me they are related, I just have to find the paper records to prove that fact.
Donald Locke
