summers, are they gypsy's

[social-butterflies]

hi all,
have been researching my family and have come accross the surname of ''summers''. does any-one know anything regarding this name.
ie; is it a travelling name, where might they be from, etc?

i had not come accross them before and have now seen them a few times as witness to marriages. just wondering........would be nice to know something about them.

[jeremytrewindixon]

Hi aa1webb,

The first thing I want to make clear is I am definitely not stalking you! Our interests seem to overlap, in particular I am very interested in one Sarah Ann Summers (born in Canewdon) who married a William Higby of Hawkwell (born in Eastwood) in 1861

You will remember that I am interested in alleged witches and cunning folk in the Rochford area and surrounds.

Sarah Ann's granddaughter was Lilian "Granny" Garner of Canewdon who figures in the legend of reputed witch George Pickingill. Granny Garner is reported as claiming  that her mother belonged to one of Pickingill's covens (and later she herself)....but it turns out that her mother was an incomer born in Malta. However in 1911 Granny Garner as a young woman was living with her grandparents, and my guess is that her "mother" was actually her grandmother.

The person who has done the heavy research lifting in this area is Bill the Exile who uncovered the hard facts above, without being reponsible for my speculation about the meaning of those facts. Some of the above information, and a little more, can be found on his site at:
http://www.deadfamilies.com/Z3-Others/Higby/Higby-Walter-Gen3.htm

I imagine that Granny Garner still has living relatives in the area, and that they know of reputed affiliations! It would be interesting to hear from any such!