Hi everyone on this chat x
Welcome Jade
you are in right place, its same family we are chatting about. I have already explained my own connections, my Grt Grandmother Bessie Smith ( the photo is Bessie) was Peggy/Maggie Smith sister, they were Romani folkie and married Romani men .
I have loads of information on the bigger family, having been researching my ancestors for over 20 plus years......which also leads to USA as in family connections..
I will just say some of family linked do not like to talk about this part of family being Romani or as most country folkie call them Gypsies, especially if they married out as we call it to a non romani.
I am proud of my heritage and happy to help if someone genuinely wants to know about their ancestry.
Although I feel its a personal journey we decide to take and the enjoyment is finding out ourselves,its also great to find living family,just beware not all though will share your need or want to know for what ever reasons and respect this and don't judge them.
We are all parts of a jigsaw puzzle coming together piece by piece to make the puzzle complete.
Here are a few tips I learnt along the way>
Get where you can certificates Birth Marriage Deaths- They hold important info for many different reasons, but will give you facts to help you.
Don't copy and accept cos someone has a family tree its factually correct> always do your own research and compare or you can find yourself following wrong families.
When you find anyone who is connected be polite and respectful, not all will share your excitement at finding them and many don't even know they have connections to Romani and because of the way sadly history past and present makes out they are bad people will deny connections. Or you might be unlucky and meet certain ones who boast they are experts on everything and everyone romani and of course they are 100% rom with not a family tree ,but a forest !
Possibly that is worse can happen and those people are not interested in family history only pumping people to get info and to make out they are something they are not, just be aware they are out there.
Photos -Be careful who you share with if you don't want to see them spread over internet. We all love to see especially our passed ancestors, there is nothing I feel compares with seeing relatives maybe you never knew existed and excitement of wow the likenesses. Some people again don't respect they are personal to you ad yours.
Lastly I highly recommend taking a DNA test . Its a whole new way of confirming many things and finding new relations and understanding your family origins way back in past.
Not to sound all negative
There is positive side - the excitement and thrills of finding out about your ancestors. Meeting living cousins sharing your families history ( which I am really excited to say that in next few weeks I am meeting a cousin face to face from USA coming over for family reunion ! )
Hi Debs sorry not answered before had not seen replies to posts
xx
Regards the Thomas family yes Stephen James Thomas did wed Defiance Orchard. Stephen was b 1892 Sithney Cornwall and wed in 1915 Helston. He came from Cornish folkie as in he was not romani he married into a Romani family, so for all those descended from this couple the Romani blood comes from Defiance side.
Jade > You don't mention the name of your father ? I am assuming he was by surname Thomas & son of Stephen J Thomas and Defiance Orchard.
There was a daughter Fiance Thomas,but she died, born 1916-1918.
Stephen and Defiance had several children . 5 daughters and 3 sons.
