Posted By Cj Eastwood on 04 Jun 2008 00:26
I've just had a quick look and I think this is fantastic. It is no good travellers lying about their origin etc as we all need to know the truth about ourselves.
Roms on the continent look Indian, have Indian DNA and in the UK we are very much now a mix breed.
My amily is Eastwood and although some of us very dark. My grandfather was very dark for one and definetely had Indian appearances, there are other Eastwood's like the footballer Freddy Eastwood who is blonde. We know Freddy is not full traveller as his grandmother is Welsh hence him playing for Wales in World cup.
Amongst the family there is a tale that the original name was Oysted and that he killed a man and took the name Eastwood to get away with the offence.
I have looked into it and there is no name as Oysted. The only name is Isted which when considerring the accent of Kent travellers this is how they would pronounce Isted (we pronounce the name Cooper more like cupper as the oo is very quick and television as talavision).
The surname Isted is not a recorded Romani name and when looking on the net there is a website made by a Bruce Isted who studies the name and its origin seems to be Scandinavian coming across via the Normans as knights.
All the Eastwood travellers are mostly around NW Kent and south Essex which suggest that it is not the oldest of names otherwise it would have travelled further afield. There are many very large frame strong tall Eastwood and it would seem a common characteristic across the family suggesting the original Eastwood who killed the man was a big man.
My grandmother was a Ripley and I have heard my father mention that they were showground travellers. Many of the Ripleys are fair skinned and some are blonde. I also have cousins through marriage who are Penfold and Arnolds and I have reason to believe that these were also Showground travellers. I have cousins who are Beany's and they also are very fair skinned and have blondes.
My cousins who are Smiths like the Lees, Boswells and Coopers are usually dark in appearance. Some of the Smiths and Coopers are very dark. Interestingly these names are recorded as traditional old Romani names and amongst writers by these families (also the Woods) they mention how their older folki would refer to them as the true Romani and they would only marry from the families they were related to.
Hi CJ
I find your info on the Romany DNA very intresting (probably more than you can relize and gather from my posting). You see i am quite dark in colouring hair and eyes and have a slight tan to my skin. I have always thought how a lot of the dark featured Romanies have that descent look of the Indians. To me there is alot of similarities between us Romany folk and the Indians. A lot of are superstitions are similar and as well as the potion and lotion side of things. Also i feel a lot of Romanies are like freesprited people i always say that's what i am. The reason for my post is i really know very little about where we apparently descend from. If it is true fact that we do descend from an Indian culture can you please or someone from the board tell me more about our descents and like how we came to these lands and why?? I know it must cover such a lot of info but would appreciate any info as i am so curious about who and what i came from. I'm half Romany and half Gorgi, although my mothers side (Romany side) has many true Romanies/Gypsies, being my grandfather and grandmother were true blooded Romay/Gypsy.As for finding out family tree i think mine maybe prove to be difficult and come to a quick end if i was to persue. it.
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