Are they gypsies?

[sallyyorks]

... I wonder what nelwild's interest was? Does her family link into the Mayo's as well, do you know?

I think nelwild was probably just helping out.

Some more census info (from https://familysearch.org/ )below that I think are the same family.

I couldn't find a place called "Hayfield" in Sussex or an "Arfold". Maybe he meant that he was literally born in a hay field

1861 census
Lyam Road, Lambeth, Surrey
George Mayo   Head   M   25   Hayfield, Sussex - labourer
Elizabeth Mayo   Wife   F   22   Lambeth, Surrey
William G Mayo   Son   M   1   Lambeth, Surrey


Marriage
March 1859-Wandsworth
George Mayo - Elizabeth Damaris Messenger
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/


1901 census
Ockford Road, Godalming, Surrey, England
George Mayho   Head   M   64   Arfold, Sussex- Carpenter Journeyman
Damaris E Mayho   Wife   F   60   Norwood, Surrey
Jane E Mayho   Daughter   F   28   Farnham, Surrey
William A Howard   Boarder   M   33   Aldershot, Hampshire

[Paul Mayo]

Thank you Cathy, I accept your apology. However, it still remains to be seen if Mayo is a Romany name. It seems likely to be, but more research is needed. This is currently beginning to happen.
Regards,
Paul

[Paul Mayo]

Thanks Sally. All that information is very interesting. These names are still common in the family, including my own children and right down to my nephew's children, without knowing they were ancestral names.

My father had tight black curly hair and a very swarthy appearance, so I'm wondering if my ancestors might have been from the low-caste 'black-faced' gypsies. When my wife first knew me, she imagined for the first year of our relationship that I was from India, or at the very least from the southern Mediterranean, as I had long wavy dark hair and a very brown skin. However, probably the latter was simply because I was always very brown from the Sun, as I worked casually outside on farms a lot.

[Paul Mayo]

Ok, Sally, these people you list are definitely my direct ancestors.

George Mayo the wheelwright = Elizabeth Damaris Messenger were my great great grandparents.

George's father was called James Mayo, my 3x grandfather.

James' parents were John Mayho = Sarah Whitehorne. Sarah remarried Job Light after James' death. James was described as a 'chair bottomer'. They were my 4xg grandparents.

This is where my family have been unable to progress any further back. They were all illiterate and lived on the road, using carts for transport.

Regards,
Paul

[cathayb]

where was job Light born please and approx. date??I have Lights in my tree.

[Paul Mayo]

All I know is Chichester, but that may be just Job's place of residence. If I find out more I'll let you know.
Paul

[sue q]

There is a Hartfield inEast Sussex, it's near Winnie the Pooh's home, Ashdown Forest. Sue

[davem43624]

Job Light was born in Iping (Sussex) in 1806.

[davem43624]

Arfold in Sussex is Alfold, just a few miles from Godalming where most of the Mayo/Mayho family eventually settled.