Genealogy Chat

I am looking for Parnells or (Purnells). I have them in 1901 in a house in Woolwich but know they were originally travellers. Jan

My mother told me years ago that there had been Romany blood in the family... Now I am trying to trace the family tree but can not find anyone Romany. The closest i have got is a x3 great grandfather called smith. am I right in understanding that Smith is a Romany name. It is odd because I am having particular trouble tracing him and his family. I have him down on my x2 great grandma's birth cert as being a Mariner, and so far have not been able to find him anywhere else. could this be the Romany link??? They were from suffolk

I have Gypsy on my mothers side of the family. They lived around Derbyshire,named Clarke? Clark. Some decendants are still living there. Though I don't know that they would like it advertised as such. I have some photos of my Great Grandparents with there horse drawn caravan. Great grandfather used to pull the boats down the river with his horses. My mum still talks about her grandmother who used to slip sixpence into her hand when ever she saw her. And I remember being told that I would be sold to the gypsys for a dozen pegs if I didn't behave myself. We visited a gypsy camp in London in 1985 and I had bad vibes and couldn't get out fast enough. On the other hand we went to a camp just out side Derbyshire a few days later and I was very comfortable. Strange I know . My Clarke married an Elsmore, but sadly died when my Mum was born.So it has been hard to find out much about them. The relies arn't talking. Regards Jenny

hi all my romany names are smith, capel, miller and cooper Tony

Hi, What a great thread! I have two gypsy lines - my grreatgrandfather was Valentine Smith, born in 1884, I believe in Baylam Suffolk, his father was John - born in Ipswich and his mother was Mary Ann, born in Grays, Essex. Valentine Married Margaret Hamer, but we believe it was gypsy wedding (the jug and all that), Ive found him on the 1891 but then he disappears! My other line is Clark - they were fairground people and horse dealers from Northumberland, but they moved to Roxburgh (ancrum) in the 1890's William Clarke b1805 married Sarah Andserson & their son also William b1843 married Isabella young....... I'm really struggling with both these lines, I've tried all the gypsy sites I can find, and still not got much! Teri

hi ya i have romany blood in me my great nan was a loveridge from birmingham,there is a book written about my loveridge ancestors by ted rudge but i live in wales and think you can only buy it in birmingham book shops so on my next visit to the big city will go and buy it angie

Hi, I've just seen this thread again and am surprised about all the possible Romani names. As well as Purnell/Parnell, I have Welch, King, Smith and Clarke. Are all these Romani names. Mine are mostly 'dealers' or 'lightermen'. Jan :-D

There's a family rumour of gypsies in my maternal grandmother's ancestry. I've found a family was called Coles living in Somerset but I haven't proved the gypsy link yet. There have been odd clues and some slightly unusual first names plus a very unusual name Eflina. Does this sound like a gypsy girl's name to anyone? I also suspect that my 3xgreat grandmother was a co-wife...she had 6 illegitimate children in a very small village and I wonder if she had perhaps been married in a gypsy ceremony. Sue

I have found quite a few hawkers and travellers in my Mott/Gilligan family and would like to know if the name Heepatia is a Romany name. It only occurs in the 1861 census for the Preston area and although I've searched through all the death records between 1861 and 1900 can find no further trace of her though I have found her husband ( my gt.gt.grandfather) remarried and living until 1891.

My husband thinks there is a gypsy in his family tree as him, his sister & cousin have all seen a photo of a gypsy lady. The name it refers to is BOXALL. We can't find any info on this as he's not to sure who or when this photo was taken. Don't know where to go on this line of inquiry, hope someone can direct us in the right direction. Thanks in advance. Paula

Hi all, my father has wanted to know about his Romany family for many years and I have been searching so hard for him. He is now 89 yrs old and unfortunately time is running out for him. He has dark skin and had jet black curly hair. His mother Annie Rowley ( nee Lee) and Grandmother Sushannah Lee (nee Jones) Born 1852 both had that olivie different looks. He remmebers as a little boy travellers comming to visit his mother in beautifull wagons and the ladys were quite colourfull. They were allways introduced to him as relations. He grew up in Audley, Staffordshire. Sushannah was born in Harvils Hawthorn, but the rest of her siblings came from West Bromwich West Midlands, Dudley Staffordshire and her grandfather Jeremiah Jones born 1801 came from Kingswinford ,Staffordshire. On my Grandmother Annies side her father William Lee born 1851 mainly came from Bromwich but her great Grandad came from Tipton. We also have a few distant smiths also on our tree. II have found it hard to find alot about Sushannah and she is only on one other family tree and she doesn`t know a great deal about her either. I would really love to find some answer for my Dad. I feel we have allways felt a bit displaced and never felt settled and never really had a feeling or sence of belonging. I do believe things pass down through the generation and maybe this would explain the reason that we have moved so many times with my father. I know a few Romanys even here in Australia have approached him while i have been with him and tried to talk to him in the Romany langue which unfortunately he was never taught but can remmeber his visitor familys talking to him in. If anyone one has any ideas on how I can find out for him and me I would love to here from you. Also I have tried the sites you have listed Risho but I can`t get them to open.I do have some photos of my Grandmother Annie and her Mother Sushannah if anyone thinks they may know of them and would like to have a look, Kindest Regards Sandy :-)

Do not know if any of you are members of Rootschat
It is a forum only site with a dedicated Traveller/Romany/Gypsy page.

Whilst it is good to add names to this page, unless the page is continually added to or nudged it will get lower and lower down the pages.

Rootschat is Free to join and is well worth trying out.

They have lots of other dedicated pages, such a WW1/2, county, census only and burials to name just a few.

Many of us here on Genes are also on Rootschat. And the added bonus is you can actually post photos on there.

Do give it a try :-D

A very interesting subject, just read all the postings the other night, then came across a 1911 Census entry yesterday whilst checking on something else.

I put it on here for general information:

Civil Parish: Brassington (Entire) - Ecclesiastical Parish Brassington St James
Rural District: Ashbourne (Part of) - Parliamentary Borough: West Derbyshire (Part of)

Last entry (schedule) 156
Address: on Elton Road
Kind of Building etc: Gipsy Caravan
Name of Occupier: Mr Goodhead
2 males, 2 females = 4 persons

This entry is in the Brassington 1911 Summary and is the very last entry. Think Elton Road is some way outside the village.

Does anyone know of a Goodhead family?

Vicki