Pledger Surname - Possible Romany Heritage

[Jasmine2002]

Hi everyone!

Since starting my family tree research, I’ve been told by family that they believe we have some sort of Romany Gypsy heritage on my paternal side, through the surname Pledger.

I’ve gone as far back as 1830 on the direct Pledger line and can’t find any information to suggest this heritage so far, so just wondered if anyone may know the history of the surname or anything more on the family. The Pledgers I have on my tree so far all seem to be from around Surrey.

Other surnames through marriage to the Pledgers have been Tindall, Pritchard and Devonshire.

Thanks in advance

[Darnity]

Pledger doesn't feature in the - not exhaustive - list of surnames in Bob Dawson's Romany in the Family however Pritchard does, 1891 census in Sussex.

As you haven't found any obvious Pledger connection look at the Pledger/Pritchard connection and take the Pritchard family wider and see if that comes up with anything.

Usually if there is a family story of Romany Heritage it is there but may not be in the direct line but part of the wider family connections.

[Vance Mead]

To get a rough idea of the geographical origins of the surname, try searching in the Common Pleas index:
https://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/aalt/cp40_search.php

Using a wild card - Ple*ger - will give 9 results and 8 individuals (one appears twice) from 1400 to 1600 named Plegger, Pleger or Pledger. Five are in Kent, one in Cambs, one in Norfolk and one in Hampshire. The result shown for London was a Walter Pledger of Brenset/Brenzett, Kent.