:-\ Romany Gypsies

[joaning]

I am interested in Romany Gypsies in the Uk.
Where did they come from, and what were the areas they frequented.
I think I may need to look at them as a possibility in my research.

Can anyone tell me any good sites to look at.
Thanks, Joan

 

[josie7644]

Hello Joan,

I just Googled "Romany Gypsies in the UK" and quite a few sites showed up! Hope you find something interesting and useful!

Best wishes,

Josie

 

[p.risboy]

I think there is a general consensus, that 'Gypsies' orginate from Northern India, many years ago, and moved westwards across Europe.

I also think the term 'Gypsies', derives from Egyptians, because of their general skin tone and look, and not because they originate from Egypt.

Quite a few labels have been attached to these people.....Travellers, Romanies, Romany....and so on.

http://www.scottishgypsies.co.uk/early.html


Steve.

 

[davelambert271]

Hi
Lee Gap fair is an old Romany fair at West Ardsley, Leeds

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=le...1I7HPEB_en&redir_esc=&ei=VqqdTpfAC4bqOZSBxcYJ

dave

 

[leefer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people

Hi Joan,this tells you what the real Romani/ys are....now they tended to stick together in early times but as times rolled on they mixed with the local Gypsies in marriage work etc.
Hawkers/Peddlars and people who travelled the country selling there wares like pegs brushes...anything made from the land were Gypsies as we would know them now and they would live in tents rather than the romantic looking wooden caravans Roman'ys used.
Nearly every family in England would have some kind of Gypsy in the family tree somewhere.
It is fair to say in times gone by the local communities and Travellers and Gypsies worked together...ie a farmer may supply milk and butter in return for work or maybe some of there wares.
Sadly that is non existent today with the proper Gypsies being badly tarnished by modern travellers who to be fair are not well liked in modern Britain.
It is nice for me on my travells i do bump into them(not literally)from time to time with there little caravan,little wood fire and Dray horse...some still have a Tarot room and many will carve incredible looking wood features.
I have talked to a few and found them charming and as interested in me as me them...alot still speak a Gypsy lingo and is spoken very quickly intermixed with English words as well as old Romany.

 

[joaning]

Thank you all for your help, I will spend some time looking at all the links.
I have narrowed the original surname I am researching down to Spanish, there's no doubt about that ,the surname is Galician,
the occupations were fruitseller/hawker.
My avatar is my gt.gt.grandmother, 1818-1906 born in Spain.
I am now curious, if they may have been Gypsies when they arrived in UK.
Thanks. Joan

 

[gibbo]

Let us know if you find anything out Joan. Interesting thread this.

 

[leefer]

Thank you all for your help, I will spend some time looking at all the links.
I have narrowed the original surname I am researching down to Spanish, there's no doubt about that ,the surname is Galician,
the occupations were fruitseller/hawker.
My avatar is my gt.gt.grandmother, 1818-1906 born in Spain.
I am now curious, if they may have been Gypsies when they arrived in UK.
Thanks. Joan

Hi Joan she could well have been,also it could be worth looking up what was going on in Spain at the time,it has a history of people leaving at certain periods in history because of the harshness of the regime at those times.
The link below though fairly simple show that in Spain the 1800's there were three civil wars and various other factors that must have given people like your GG Grandmother a green light to leave a country in turmoil...and a fine picture on your avatar it is.

http://www.tourspain.org/history.asp