Author Archives: admin
An Ancient Tribe
The Leicestershire Chronicle of 18th October 1845 reported on a case heard at the Michaelmas County Sessions where a Gypsy “complained of being illegally convicted” under the Vagrancy Act. To the amusement of many in the court the appellant claimed that his family “being a very ancient tribe” and existing … Continue reading
Untangling the Threads – the Proudleys
The Proudley family, who particularly favoured the southern counties of Sussex and Hampshire during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, are a difficult tribe to trace effectively, partly due to their constant use and re-use of family names across every generation. But, just as Francis Proudley left a will that revealed … Continue reading
A Fine Romance
Reporting on a case at the Eastbourne Sessions in May 1889, where a local wood merchant charged a young Gypsy named Andrew Dighton (Deighton/Dyton) with unlawfully eloping with his daughter, Caroline Smith, newspapers took a romantic view. ‘Mr. Smith stated that his daughter was under 18 years of age and … Continue reading
Both books on the major Smith families now available from Amazon.
Ten Major Smith Gypsy Families: Traced from the Eighteenth Century to the Twentieth PART ONE by Eric Trudgill 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 Paperback £12.99 Ten Major Smith Gypsy Families: Traced from the Eighteenth Century to the Twentieth PART TWO by Eric Trudgill 5.0 out of 5 stars 1 £12.99