gypsies

[missjo123]

Hiya

Sorry seems like im always asking for help.

While im awaiting my grandads birth certificate,  i decided to look at my family on my mothers side,  my great grandmother has always had a bit of a mystery surrounding her, or that is what ive been lead to believe by family members.

Her name was Isabel Mcbean Frazer (by marriage),  and maiden name Hynds (which unfortunately at present no one knows if that spelling is correct).  She was a true spanish gypsy.

Now will i have trouble finding her?

Obviously i wil look for into the correct spelling of her maiden name.

Many thanks

Josie

[Sasha]

Hi Josie,

My husband has gypsy ancestry on his side.  I have been lucky in that I found someone else researching the same family who was able to give me quite a bit of information.

My lot are a bit 'hit and miss' on the census returns although it does help that they are 'house dwelling' Gypsies from the late 1800's onwards.  Because of their travelling around baptisms and marriages are not that easy to find, but quite oftens they gave their children quite distinctive forenames which makes it that bit easier to track them via the IGI.

One of the best resources is the Romany and Traveller Family History Society.  The link for them is http://website.lineone.net/~rtfhs/.

Hope this helps.

Sasha.

[RootsChat]

Hello Josie,

There are quite a few links dotted all over the site. If you click the search button and type the word "Traveller" it should bring up some additional links which you may find usefull  

RootsChat

[Janet B]

Hi

Another site which may be useful is

www.nwon.com/pauline/Travellers.html

this site contains lots of info on travelling show people, with some census data.

Also try typing gypsies into your search engine.

cheers
Janet  

This link has already been posted previously and can be found by using the search button

[Boongie Pam]

I'm currently researching "potters" (the description NOT the name) in Cumbria.  I'm still not sure that my LOWTHERs are of Romany stock but they definitely have connections to travelling YOUNGs who are.

Anyway the point of my post is that I bought an excellent little book from the Family Records Centre called "My Ancestors were Gypsies" by Sharon Sillers Floate.  And it is excellent for pulling together all the different sources of information.

One interesting exercise I have done with the IGI is start from a known parish where births were registered and using Hugh Wallis' batch number site and a county map of parishes work outward on contiguous parishes.  Or do a broad brush search and find the parishes with the concentrations of names - check the census are there travelling folk?  It's great fun.  I've found the routes some of my Lowther's travelled around Lancashire and Cumberland.

Cheers,
Pam
 

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi Bongie Pam

I think this site will be of great help to you

Romany & Traveller FHS
CONTACT: Mrs J. Keet-Black, 6 St.James Walk, South Chailey, East Sussex, BN8 4BU
WEB-SITE: website.lineone.net/~rtfhs

Chris in 1066Land

[lovin lass]

just browsing through the site and came across this topic
i originate from the romany gypsies from birmingham surname the loveridges
there is actually a book published about them havnt bought it yet but hoping to buy a copy when i visit b,ham next
best wishes angie

[XPhile2868]

How can you tell if an ancestor was Romany, like in the censuses?

I remember reading that in some documents a long time ago they were called "Egyptians" beacuse people wrongly thought they came from Egypt - they are originally from NW India.

[casalguidi]

Hi Xphile

You can't really tell if an ancestor was Romany from census returns.  Mostly people are aware of a Romany background due to little snippets of information passed down through the family.

However, indications (from census returns) that a family might come from travelling stock are:

Frequent movement ie. children born in different locations

Persistant itinerant occupations/descriptions ie. Gypsy, traveller, stranger, wayfarer, hawker, scavenger, tramp, peg maker, basket maker, chair bottomer, besom/broom maker, dealer, marine store dealer, mat maker, tinsmith, whitesmith, pedlar, fair keeper (many Gypsies worked the fairs in those days as well as the more proper showmen) etc. etc..  Obviously there are people following these occupations that didn't have traveller origins but they are some of the signs to look out for.

Abode given as cart, house cart, van, caravan, tent, shed, barn in the address column.  Prior to 1861 there was no requirement to list those not living in houses but in 1861 special forms (usually at the end of each district) are to be found recording those not living in houses.  In the later census, these families are mostly listed in chronological order as they appear on the census enumerator's route.  Although there was no requirement to list them in 1841 and 1851,some counties have better coverage than others ie. Sussex has quite a few whereas Kent is not so good.

Best wishes

Casalguidi