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Some Special Interests => Travelling People => Topic started by: Dundonald on Sunday 11 September 11 16:42 BST (UK)
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I would greatly appreciate information about the Stevens family of Gloucestershire.
I'm not sure whether they were genuine gypsies or not but certainly were travellers and often described as gypsies. They were hawkers rather than showmen.
The members whom I am particularly interested in are:
Ambrose Stevens (b.1809 Chedworth- d.1894 in Monmouthshire) and his wife Susannah (b.1808, Nailsworth- d.1896 Monmouth); his father Robert Stevens (1764, Gloucestershire- 1840 (Chedworth)
and other members of the Chedworth family.
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hi, dundonald. a long way off from your area, but they were travellers after all. and there were/ still are traveller/romany folk, called stevens. i know many, try the lancaster, and lancashire areas, and the lanc opc site. olso yorks areas, they are still hawking stuff, and travelling. so an old romany traveller family name, that is well known. hope this is of some help. rob,
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Thanks for the info.
Derek
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Hello Derek and Rob g.
I am related to the Chedworth Stevens. My 3xGrt Grandad was Emmanuel Stevens. All th information I have is thanks to either, Don Locke or Rootschat member, Bagpuss.
Have you checked the Chedwoth website. It tells of the Stevens family involvement in the Swing Riots.
Rob knows his stuff as far as who's who, . As he says, the Stevens of today are considered as very Romany. There are also many Showmen Stevens', but many Showpeople have deep Romany ancestry.
Until family members DNA test, it is alost impossible to ascertain if a given male line was originally Romany. Sometimes a Traveller of say, English origin, married a romany woman. After a few generations, that name would be considered as a Romany name.
The descriptions available of the Stevens men during the swing riots, were typically Romany.
The family married into the Mustos, Lockes and Smiths, as well as others.
hope this helps, Vince.
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Hi, Vince
Thanks for the info.
I do have the Swing Riot information.
Emmanuel was my x3g G uncle- as I decend from his brother Joshua (of swing riot fame!).
Which of Emmanuel's twelve children (in my records) is on your direct line?
Is it possible to contact Don Locke or Bagpuss??
Derek
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Hi Derek,
If you go to the link thread here on the Traveller board, you'll see contact info for Don Lock. If not I'll pm his contact.
as for Bagpuss, she is also a member on here. If you put Stevens or Musto into the search on this forum, you'll see her posts and ber able to PM her.
My ancestor, was Eve Stevens, daughter of Manny Stevens and Eve Lock. She married my grt grt Grandfather, Guilroy Smith. Scources: Don Lock and Sue Day
According to Sue, Eve was also known as Cenementi.
There are some good photos of Stevens family members on Romany Jib.
Also my x2 grt Gran, Alice Musto, was Grandaughter of Robert Stevens.
Apparently a daughter Jane married twice. First to a non Gypsy Wheeler and after he was deported, a second marriage to a Gypsy/ Travlleller/ Tinman, Abraham Musto.
Her Daughter was Alice.
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Thanks for the new data.
I do have one query.You say that Jane married a Wheeler and later Abraham Mustoe.
I have this as Eleanor Stevens (1817, Chedworth- 1891, Dursley Workhouse) marries James Joy (also known as Joy Wheeler) on 11 Dec 1832 in Chedworth.
Joy was transported in 1835 to Tasmania- 7 years for Poaching. Convicted 1835 Apr 4, transported 1835 June 18 on the Aurora (under name James Joy). He stayed in Australia, remarried twice (to Rose Ann Milligan (1844 June 9 in Hobart) and later to Isabella Williams. He died on 25 Nov, 1882 and is buried in Gray's Bridge Cemetery, St Arnaud, Victoria.
Eleanor remarried to Abraham Mustoe, probably in 1840, and had 9 children (full details on request).
Do you think that Jane is an alternative name for Eleanor or do we have different people?
Derek
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Hello Derek,
You are absolutely right. Eleanor was indeed the wife of Joy Wheeler and Mustoe. Non researcher that I am, I've confused other family Janes.
Robert Steven's wife, may have been a Jane, and Jane Musto, daughter of Abraham, married my x2 grt Uncle, Samson Smith.
There were also connections with the Davies family. Bagpuss shared details of some of the davies relatives being taken into the workhouse as children, for hawking in the streets. Samson and Jane also had two daughters taken away in this fashion.
Thanks for your information, really interesting. sorry that mine is to say the least inacurate.
Gloucestershire is still full of all the aforementioned Gypsy families.
vince.
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Hi, My great grandmother was Elizabeth Stevens, her dad was Charles and his dad was John Stevens. They were a gypsy family. John Stevens was born in 1833 in Chadwell Heath. He was a horse dealer then a metal dealer. I have been unable to research any further back. I was wondering if these names rang any bells with anyone. I would appreciate any help that is available. Thank you.
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Hi,
Sorry for the delay in responding, have only just found your post. I too am a descendant of Joshua, through his son Edward and Grandaughter Elizabeth who married John Cove. In effect Joshua was my gx3 grandfather. I do have some history of the Stevens family, mainly dates and of course I have seen the information about the swing riots. One area I can't seem to progress is what happened to Joshua's older brother Robert after his pardon in 1836, Any ideas?
Graham
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i have a melody stevens on my dna list. does anybody have any info on her? Also I am looking for any information on a Ann Musto that would be elmira NY in 1973.thanks
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I have only just started looking into my fathers family by the name of Stevens, they were gypsie travellers/Hawkers, I do not have loads of info, I know they were well known around longwell Green Bristol, Mark Stevens, Nelson Stevens are two names I have, I do have more names but I will have to dig that out and add it, if it rings any bells with anyone please get in touch.
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I have only just started looking into my fathers family by the name of Stevens, they were gypsie travellers/Hawkers, I do not have loads of info, I know they were well known around longwell Green Bristol, Mark Stevens, Nelson Stevens are two names I have, I do have more names but I will have to dig that out and add it, if it rings any bells with anyone please get in touch.
I'm trying to find more about my family, and am stuck. My Grandad on mums side is called Nelson Stevens, born in Bristol. Do you think this could be the same person? I am not in contact with that side of my family, so 'above' my mum, only know his name, and the woman he married..which is obviously making it hard to find out more!
I know he used to be a boxer, and on that side of the family boxing seems to be a thing, from stories I was told when I was younger.
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Hi Blackhat,
I have bits and pieces and I will have to dig out the info, Nelson Stevens was my dads father and they were in the Bristol area if my memory serves me right Nelsons Father was called Mark Stevens there were four brothers Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Nelson married Hazel Welburn who after separating from Nelson married William ( Bill Lea ). I am not sure how much time Nelson spent in Bristol as it was war time and my dad was born in Tadcaster castle I think Hazel was originally from Yorkshire / Leeds. does that ring any bells it would bee great if we could find a link, I know Nelsons family were Romany gypsies I recall meeting some when I was very young. regards Paul
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Hi,
I forgot to say that yes they were boxers, what do you have on your mums side ?
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All I know for sure is that my grandad on my mums side was called Nelson Stevens, and he married Christine Booty. I am told he has (a few?) brothers (none of which I've met), one apparently called Leslie(sp) who has/had a boxing club.
Some quotes from my aunt: 'His side of the family had money from working hard doing whatever they could to make a living, From growing and selling Christmas trees to scrap metal and boxing.' Also: 'All the boys have to learn how to box as soon as they start walking. Most of them keep up with it into their adult life. Your Grandad did not box in his adult life unlike his brothers.'
My mum herself has plenty of siblings too.
From my extremely basic searching, I *think* Nelsons Mums name was Ellen Rosina Stone, and possibly his father called Sidney/Sydney Stevens, both of whom were born in Devon. I could have this completely wrong for all I know though.
EDIT: As per the above, his mothers maiden name could also be Musty or Dowe. I actually think this may be more likely, as the birth year ties a little better, and is still in Bristol.
As I said, all I know for sure is my grandparents names and that I've been told my grandad is from 'a Romany gypsy family'. It's so hard finding information when you know so little to start with!
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What I forgot to say was, he was married to my Grandmother in the 60's but easily could have been married before, as I know I have a family way bigger than I can comprehend, ha!
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Hi,
Looks like we could be related I just got this message from my aunt.
Leslie Les Stevens was a heavyweight boxer, they used to call his dad bluey ( my dad said this was because he was always pinching lead and that is a gypsie term for it, I could be wrong ) she thinks he was my dads uncle Nelson would have been my grandfather.
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Oh that's interesting!
I'm sure I've actually heard the name blue/bluey in passing at some point. I really want to trace the lineage on his (Nelson) side but I know so little that I'm not making much progress.
Sorry for my stupidity here, but Nelson would be your grandfather on your fathers side, right? I know my mum had some brothers (the only one I can remember is Tony/Anthony), so would that be the connection if we are indeed related? I only really know my aunts on that side, even then it was mostly when I was quite young.
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I have a piece of paper somewhere with names on that my dad gave me they are some of his Gypsy family and he said they were buried in Newton Abbot, I don't know if you can private message on here but we should swap emails and research some more, Yes Nelson was my dads father.
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I've sent you a PM, if you click 'my messages' on the brown bar at the top it should appear there!
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I run a Facebook group called Hanham, Longwell Green, Oldland and Bitton memories. We have a member connected with Stevens/Stephens who were travellers stopping in Longwell Green at at Epsom Derby among their regular sites. Have some photos too. JMJ9