the impact of the industrial revolution *COMPLETED*

[sallyyorks]

 over and over again when iv been researching my mums side of the family ( some have romany ancestry)
iv been astonished at how many families with romany names/ancestral ties and occupations all seem to have settled in the same inner city areas, the same streets and then married into each others families ,
 iv noticed this especially  in parts of birmingham , durham and the north of england
during the industrial revolution as farming became mechanised, ag lab jobs became fewer and goods that would previously have been hand made and hawked became mass produced ,i guess , like millions of others in the uk at that time  ,  many romany families had little choice but to move into the industrial areas to settle and  work in order to provide for their families
the industrial revolution had such a huge impact on this country that i cant see how it could have failed to impact on the romany community  too ,
just wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on this 
 
 
 

[cathaldus]

The present development in China is the "mirror image" of what happened in the UK during the period known as the "industrial revolution".  In the case of China however we are talking about millions of peasant farmers and their rural villages.   
Even in this supposed "communist" state,  the very worst aspects of "capitalism" are beginning to show their unacceptable face and those who will suffer will be the poor and uneducated and the children of the "working class.
 The question as to whether the "industrial revolution" was a good thing is moot and should only be answered honestly from the viewpoint of the "poor" people living at that time and directly affected by it!

Bill

[sallyyorks]

thanks for your reply bill
iv thought of the china comparison too
i must say that sometimes iv been pretty much shocked and upset by some of the things iv found out re living conditions , ages of children working (and after reforms ) and so on ,  iv also found some very shocking criminal records too and a lot of newspaper reports of drunken public disorder
but , to be fair , i think if id have had to live like my ancestors  did i think i would have wanted to get blind drunk too
i think what has left the biggest impression on me though is just THE SHEER SCALE  of it all , millions upon millions of people , mile after mile of cramped housing and overcrowded communities in tiny slums,  though pulled down of course during  the slum clearances when  people were rehoused on the new council estates
yes "moot" ,
my opinion ? (even though i didnt live it)
it was a bad thing

i think what i was trying to ask is
how many romany families in the uk settled into the urban areas/workforce  during its industrial revolution ?

[rob g]

hi, sally we have talked before. it is not possible to estimate how many romany people went into the large towns etc. but my own family were living around the manchester areas, in houses and in living wagons. they were pottery hawkers. and  the growth in factorys that made pots goods etc, was a boon for them, as they could buy and sell cheap china glass, and all manner of household things. in my research, they all seem well off for the time, so for them, industry was a good thing  . and as with all travelling people then as now, they camped and stayed in the same areas, so as some moved in to houses, others followed and brought the family with them. so in fact they were creating a type of ghetto, much as is still going on to day with immigrants. so you will find lots of romany familys in the same streets camps  areas etc. there was a price to pay of course for this type of capitalisem,  and some times its not the right thing to do, but it is human nature to try to better oneself. sadly this can be at a cost that often proves  too high. loss of identity, and selfworth, etc, leading to all kinds of bother. still we cannot change that now.but it is very interesting to see how it affected our ancestors. anyway nice to talk to you again, bye for now  rob..g

[sallyyorks]

sorry i havnt replyed earlier
hi there again rob
yes much the same as iv been thinking ,on the oldest census's iv seen (1841 and 51)  it does look very much like the way immigration  from the west indies and asia in the 1950s and 60s was concentrated in inner city areas
i know that a lot of romany names are very common non romany names too but it happens too much for it to be some kind of coincidence and with the occupations too
one of the things iv found so interesting is not just my own families history but the history of the people around them too and the wider picture
great stuff
nice to talk again too
ta ta for now

[rob g]

hi, again sally. here is somthing i did once whilst bored, and it gave me a better insight to my family. in the( l.d.s ) 1881 census, i traced my g.g.g father peter mitchell.  to georgiana street bury. then just went thru the next streets. and as you said, travellers do tend to stay together, i found peters brother inlaw, a pawnbroker. and another one that was a inn keeper. so they were setteling? also some varey relations living in gypsy wagons at the end of the street on a green. in fact there were lots, but it does take time, its not for every one. but as you say it can give a a wider peek into the past lives. all the best for now..rob..g

[sallyyorks]

hi rob
iv noticed family living "at back" or "at back in open"  when  there have been , say , 5 families on the page but only 4 houses , things like that
iv also seen what look like camps in or near town centres with folk working as, for example,  miners or weavers in newly opened business's nearby
how many of these people are romany is hard to say , but going by the names and the names of of thier extended family id say quite a few of them were 

[MeirSoul]

over and over again when iv been researching my mums side of the family ( some have romany ancestry)
iv been astonished at how many families with romany names/ancestral ties and occupations all seem to have settled in the same inner city areas, the same streets and then married into each others families ,
 iv noticed this especially  in parts of birmingham , durham and the north of england
during the industrial revolution as farming became mechanised, ag lab jobs became fewer and goods that would previously have been hand made and hawked became mass produced ,i guess , like millions of others in the uk at that time  ,  many romany families had little choice but to move into the industrial areas to settle and  work in order to provide for their families
the industrial revolution had such a huge impact on this country that i cant see how it could have failed to impact on the romany community  too ,
just wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on this 
 
 

Yes. Most of my romany ancestors seem to be living in settled community houses by the 1800s in the potteries (stoke on trent) area