Are they gypsies?

[lynew]

Hi, it's been very interesting reading your stories here.  I am apparently from a Romani background, my great grandmother was known as Maude of the caravan tribe, her maiden name was Woods, and she lived in the West Country, finally coming to rest in Gwent when she married a Tanswell.  My Grandmother, her elder sister and brothers all had high cheek bones, olive complexions and dark hair.   I have been looking into the family history a little but haven't got very far.  I would be very interested to hear from anyone who knew of the Woods family (Maude Woods).  I believe she was born in Wiltshire or Somerset.  I'll have to check on that.

The female line of the family have all got a 'gift' apparently, my Grandmother & Aunt were quite involved in various methods of fortune telling & healing, my grandmother was always telling me some natural herb or thing to use as a cure, and my aunt looked the part, being olive complexioned, high cheek boned and loved wearing her gold jewellery and brightly coloured clothing.

[rhspeedway]

hi nashua i am new on here so have just seen your old post, my name is richard hughes, and cinderella buckland was my great grand mother, she had 15 children 13 lived, thomas rose was one of her sons and he was my grandfather he lived in chippenham wiltshire, and they were gypsies.

[1944grandad]

Hi there, i was wondering if anyone could help me on this, it has always been told that we have romany gypsy in our family on my great nans side, her name was elizabeth tooth and was said she was born in a gypsy caravan in warwickshire 1909, she has olive toned skin dark black hair and light blue eyes and wore alot of gold jewlery, she and her husband william edward banford my great grandad worked as the rag and bone and she also done basket weaving and selling toffee apples and her children my grandad and his brothers and sisters used to sell fire wood (kindle) in the streets, her father was william tooth who was a bricklayers labourer i think and her mother was elizabeth REA from worcestershire bromsgrove, they were a family of nail makers the Reas and the Banners on that side are also kimberley, Randle, Hughes, Brighton,, Wheeler, Troth, Crump, burford, and on her fathers side which is william tooths is the Nicholls family, Guest, Doughty, Newey, Blackham, Payne, Bailey, Broughton, Price, Ward, Etchells all these are people who are married in the family but my great nan being a tooth is said there is gypsy on that side of the family, i met only new years eve a family member of the tooth side who also carries the name tooth, he was telling us how he used to sleep under the caravan with his grandad when he was young, elizabeth rea mother was anne kimberley and her father was Thomas rea both from worcester and worked as nail makers up until 1911 he was a lodging house keeper and she was a boarding house keeper, not sure what these are, they lived in mill fields in worcestershire bromsgrove also sidemoor, cuckolds corner, the pleck, sidemoor allotments etc, any help would be appreciated thank you, im also a new member :-)

[1944grandad]

it was said when my great nan was young her and her family members went to live in a proper house and her mom and nan took in washing for money, and something that has never been looked up or how true it is i dont know but there was a fight in the street between the local men and my great nans mom elizabeth rea got in to brake it up and it was said she got injured with a bottle i think during the break up and was said it was the cause of her death thats whats always been told dont know how true it is.

[Mike in Cumbria]

Hello

I can't help with your request but I can say welcome to Rootschat and I'm sure you will gets lots of useful help with your very interesting-sounding family.

regards

Mike

[Redroger]

If you are within range of the Worcestershire Record Office then I would expect them to have local newspapers with a report on the fight and her death. There may also have been charges for assault, or even murder brought as a result of the fight, these will also be reported in the local newspapers. I suggest that if you are within travelling distance go to the record office and see.

[tiggi]

it was said when my great nan was young her and her family members went to live in a proper house and her mom and nan took in washing for money, and something that has never been looked up or how true it is i dont know but there was a fight in the street between the local men and my great nans mom elizabeth rea got in to brake it up and it was said she got injured with a bottle i think during the break up and was said it was the cause of her death thats whats always been told dont know how true it is.

 Try to get her death certificate that should give you a clue to cause of death.. it usually is written on it cause of death

[tiggi]

Hi there, i was wondering if anyone could help me on this, it has always been told that we have romany gypsy in our family on my great nans side, her name was elizabeth tooth and was said she was born in a gypsy caravan in warwickshire 1909, she has olive toned skin dark black hair and light blue eyes and wore alot of gold jewlery, she and her husband william edward banford my great grandad worked as the rag and bone and she also done basket weaving and selling toffee apples and her children my grandad and his brothers and sisters used to sell fire wood (kindle) in the streets, her father was william tooth who was a bricklayers labourer i think and her mother was elizabeth REA from worcestershire bromsgrove, they were a family of nail makers the Reas and the Banners on that side are also kimberley, Randle, Hughes, Brighton,, Wheeler, Troth, Crump, burford, and on her fathers side which is william tooths is the Nicholls family, Guest, Doughty, Newey, Blackham, Payne, Bailey, Broughton, Price, Ward, Etchells all these are people who are married in the family but my great nan being a tooth is said there is gypsy on that side of the family, i met only new years eve a family member of the tooth side who also carries the name tooth, he was telling us how he used to sleep under the caravan with his grandad when he was young, elizabeth rea mother was anne kimberley and her father was Thomas rea both from worcester and worked as nail makers up until 1911 he was a lodging house keeper and she was a boarding house keeper, not sure what these are, they lived in mill fields in worcestershire bromsgrove also sidemoor, cuckolds corner, the pleck, sidemoor allotments etc, any help would be appreciated thank you, im also a new member :-)

My suggestion would be to get vital certificates to establish your family connections

Elizabeth Tooth birth 1909 Jan/Feb/Mar Birmingham Warwickshire Jan/Feb/Mar 6d 71

Elizabeth Tooth married 1938 Birmingham Warwickshire Edward  E Banford Jan/Feb/Mar 6d 649

1911 family living at 1 House Bk 35 Wilton St Birmingham ( Tooth)

There seems to be conflict with her death as she is alive in 1911 listed in above household ?
Yet a death is registered for b 1873  -died 1907 Birmingham Warwickshire ?

[Murrell]

Wow fantastic thread. Just as a matter of interest wood-gnome and excuse me if you already know, in the 50's and 60's there were two camp sites in Holbeck. One on Domestic Street where the folk lived they paid for their pitch,  there  were lots of people living there. There was a man who lived with his mother his name was Humorist Smith he collect scrap metal each day, his mum had an amusement arcade at Whitby and each summer she would go to live there for the season. Another family who lived there were called Scargel but they got the chance to live in a rented house and moved.
The other caravan site was over the road from the Holbeck washhouse, families there was Smith there son Paul was not allowed to talk to us openly his father didnt trust us. Dempsey Pickels was lovely and the story went that his mum found him and brought him up as her own, He too was heavily protected from us kids his mother would walk him too and from school. Maybe Leeds archives maybe able to give you further info. Good Luck with your searches  Ps other family name that have come to mind are Kingdoms, Paynes, Ellam.