Exploring Romany links to Ellis family

[beyondsunrises]

Hi everyone,

I stumbled across this forum whilst doing some family research on my great-grandmother Sarah Jane Ellis (b 1891)'s family. There have been family rumours that she came from a Romany background, which stem from a family story of her running away with a Romany boyfriend. She and the rest of her siblings and her mother were working as tin makers, and her father was an ostler, which I've read were traditional Romany professions at the time. They are from East London (Newington, Walworth, Limehouse, Poplar, Bethnal Green and Mile End are all locations that appear regularly on their Ancestry family tree). One other thing that struck out for me was that her mother, who was a Saward, has Mile End Green as her birth location and as I understand it, Romany births were often registered as being on greens, under bridges, by roadsides or simply no fixed abode.

I was wondering if anyone here could confirm the Romany rumours or give further hints as to Romany links in the family being likely.

Thank you!

[tonepad]

Welcome to RootsChat!


Was your ancestor a Gypsy?

http://rtfhs.org.uk/gypsy_identity/


Look out for Romany surnames, unusual forenames.
Typical travellers occupations.
Living in caravans or tents in a Census.



Tony

[rosie99]

Welcome to rootschat

Were the parents Joseph and Sarah living in Newington in 1911 - Joseph married Sarah Jane Davey in 1884

ELLIS, SARAH  JANE     Mothers maiden surname DAVEY 
GRO Reference: 1891  June Quarter in ST SAVIOUR LONDON  Volume 01D  Page 102

[beyondsunrises]

Welcome to rootschat

Were the parents Joseph and Sarah living in Newington in 1911 - Joseph married Sarah Jane Davey in 1884

ELLIS, SARAH  JANE     Mothers maiden surname DAVEY 
GRO Reference: 1891  June Quarter in ST SAVIOUR LONDON  Volume 01D  Page 102

That would be them! 

[rosie99]

What information does Mary Sawards marriage to John Ellis give for her father

[beyondsunrises]

What information does Mary Sawards marriage to John Ellis give for her father

Her father was John Yetton (born 1800) and her mother was Sarah Tolley (born 1802). I know John Yetton was half French, as his mother was the daughter of Hugenot silk weavers from Spitalfields (originally from Brittany).

[beyondsunrises]

Welcome to RootsChat!


Was your ancestor a Gypsy?

http://rtfhs.org.uk/gypsy_identity/


Look out for Romany surnames, unusual forenames.
Typical travellers occupations.
Living in caravans or tents in a Census.



Tony

Thank you! I will have a dig around.

[beyondsunrises]

I have done further research and have found several confirmations of Romany heritage including new surnames that appear in our tree such as Boswell, Young, Knight and Smith which as I understand are common Romany names. They were mostly ostlers, green grocers, fire wood cutters, tin makers, tannery workers and hawkers. My great grandmother's grandmother was also sharing a boarding house with other travellers at one point.

The only parts of the family I'm drawing a blank on are the Lanksfords, who married in, and the furthest I've got to is Joseph Lanksford who was born in 1776 in Bromley, Kent.