Help tracing possible gypsy ancestors. Bilston, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton

[AM1988]

Hey everyone,
I'm hoping someone can help me shed light on a rumour about our family being descended from gypsies on my Mums side. I assume these stories don't start up without evidence - although I'm struggling to find any!
GEDmatch lists my DNA as:
North_Atlantic         49.52 Pct
Baltic                       21.24 Pct
West_Med               13.74 Pct
West_Asian              6.69 Pct
East_Med                 3.03 Pct
Red_Sea                   2.16 Pct
South_Asian             1.57 Pct
East_Asian                 0.58 Pct
Siberian   -   
Amerindian               0.61 Pct
Oceanian                  0.87 Pct

The only anecdotal evidence I have for this claim (sorry to generalise) is my grandfather on mums side having dark features - especially in summer, and an affinity for horses and pigeons and the like.
  I have checked ancestry census' on the side I think the link is from, but all of my ancestors had typical jobs - gen labourer, coal miner, locksmith, etc and seemed to have lived in houses. The main names are Howell, Aston, Edwards and Brazier from around the Bilston, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton area.

If anyone could help me I would be so grateful.

Thank you - and happy new year.

[Talacharn]

Living DNA say I have Asia South Pashtun 8.6% which could be traveller. I have traced back to great-great-grandparents and cannot find the connection. At that point, she was a Howell and her parents Howell and Powell. Powell is an early traveller name. I have no proof, but wonder if Powell became Howell. My aunt on that side of the family had very dark features. Before my DNA test I wondered where it came from, but now accept it to be in the genes. She bet on the horses, but never kept pigeons. There is an Edwards family linked to the Boswells and known travellers, mainly in Wales. South Staffordshire and especially Wolverhampton were traveller strongholds. You may have traveller genes, but finding it is another matter.

[AM1988]

Very interesting! I have always thought we were from gypsies growing up based off of features etc but the search only started a couple of weeks ago when mum said this is something she had been told also by an older person who knew our family. I see no reason someone would make that up.

Kind of frustrating though that none of the names or occupations of my great great side are typical travelling ones. I have only checked census' on Ancestry. I'm kind of stuck now!

[Talacharn]

The only way of knowing is to trace your family, starting with those you know. Establishing the traveller link, it might be a long way back. Not all with traveller heritage actually travelled. With each generation, more were being pushed into houses and other occupations. They also tended to have large families where only some travelled. Also, the census was carried out early in the year when many travellers lived in houses until the weather improved. They worked in factories or as agricultural labourers. It would seem you have already placed your DNA on GedMatch www.gedmatch.com and there are other free sites as that will offer more relatives, but you also need a paper trail. The tree needs to be as full as possible to see where the names offered from DNA actually fit. There are plenty of threads on Rootschat that explain DNA. From census records, you need to find births, marriages and deaths. Family Search is free www.familysearch.org though as with most you have to register. www.freebmd.org.uk is free to use and no registration. Then you might need to check details on the General Register Office and possibly buy a certificate. www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp. I hope this helps, but it is your tree and you know people in your family. Find the birth, marriage and death of all you know, their children; and then then move on to the previous generation.