I'm new to this thread and just started researching the branch of my tree which myself and my siblings were led to believe we had Romany ancestors in. The names I'm looking at initially are: FINCH (Suffolk then Southwark) PETERS & MINNS in Southwark. Occupations include, Agricultural labourer, Horse Dealer, Costermonger, Hawker of vegetables, general dealer, greengrocer. Lots of wonderful stories & an apple & nut farm mentioned with two donkeys called 'Billy Bubbles' & 'Kate Carney'. We have a lot of Scottish DNA but yet to find a Scottish ancestor and most branches are traced back to the 1700's. There are other names which I believe to be travellers too: DURRANT, MADDOX, NORTH, WELLIN, BACHELOR, PHIPPS, WINN, LAMBERT & WHITE.
I see that there were Finch (Finca) 'gypsies passing through' in 1542 and wondered if they harked from Scotland?! I also wondered if it is know where Margaret Finch came from originally and if that was her maiden name or a married name?!
Myself and two siblings had the DNA test and my sister is 37% Scottish compared to me 12% and my bro just 8% and she is the one who has the more olive skin, brown eyes and dark hair whereas I've very pale blue eyes and fair. She's never forgotten an elderly (very Cornish) Aunt asking my Mum "where did you get that dark one too?!"
DNA - we have all got differing results: England & Northwestern Europe, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germanic Europe, Norway & Sweden through ancestry.com