Records of the Romani Gypsies of Britain can not usually be found in the
'regular' sources of genealogy research, such as census records, trade
directories, parish records and others. The author went on thinking for years
that the lives of her Gypsy ancestors had gone unnoticed, and unrecorded, but
that couldn't be further from the truth.
Gypsies of the past were (in general) unable to read or write, and as such a
greater emphasis was placed on the value of oral history. So in interviewing
Gypsies of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Gypsiologists were able to
record genealogies, customs, language use and folklore that dated back many
generations - sometimes many centuries - preserved and passed down as a
treasured heritage. The result is a vast resource of information rarely
available to non-Gypsy families of the same period.
First published in 2003, with a 2nd edition produced in 2005, this is the
authoritative work relating to gypsies in the UK and where to find records that
relate to them
Contents:
Illustrations
Foreword to the 2nd Edition
Foreword
Historical Introduction
Gypsy - or non-Gypsy? The Clues to Identity
The Social Organisation and Culture of the Gypsies and Their Impact on Family
History Research
Finding Your Gypsy Ancestors: Conventional Family History Sources
Finding Your Gypsy Ancestors: Special Sources for the Gypsy Family Historian
References in the Text
Appendix 1: Select Calendar of Legislation Affecting Gypsies in England and
Wales 1530-1910
Appendix 2: Gypsy Surnames and Their Distribution
Bibliography
Background Reading
Useful Addresses
Glossary
Index
