Hello,
i have just subscribed to this list. Here are my research interests in
Flintshire.
I am researching the history of a number of Gypsy and Traveller
families who lived in and around Flintshire or passed through on their
travels down to more permanent settlement in the valleys of South
Wales. A large number of these were Irish tinsmiths who probably came
down from Liverpool and Chester.
The name central to my research is RAFFERTY/RAFTERY and I'd be most
interested to hear of any sighting of this name. The Rafferty family
were definitely in Wrexham around 1847 as Patrick Rafferty gave that as
his year and place of birth in the 1871 and 1881 census.
I don't think that i shall be able to verify this information as this
family were Catholics and I don't think that the Wrexham Catholic
registers go back as far as 1847. Also, most of these families did not
register children's birth.
It would be good to know if the family were still in the area in 1851.
Has the 1851 census been indexed?
Other Irish Traveller families I'm interested in are: MOCHAN/MOCYN,
FURY, BIRMINGHAM, BURKE, REILLY, HEANY/HEALY.
I would be interested to hear of any sightings of these names anywhere
in the county and any more general items about Irish Travellers and
Tinsmiths in Flintshire.
The names are usually well hidden in census returns due to mis-spelling!
Many thanks,
Nettie Edwards
Thanks Charles,
these are all people I'm interested in!
Very useful indeed!
Kind regards,
Nettie
On 6 Sep 2004, at 14:13, Charles Evans Gunther wrote:
Hi Nettie,
I have two references to RAFFERTYs:
1901 Census for Holywell
9 Blue Bell Yard
Bernard RAFFERTY Head male 34 Self employed Tinsmith from Nant y Glo,
Brecon
Mary RAFFERTY Wife female 36 Handler Tinplate goods from Cardiff,
Glamorgan
Mary RAFFERTY Daughter female 10 from Brynmor, Monmouth
Ethel A. RAFFERTY Daughter female 7 from Llanelly
Margaret W. RAFFERTY Daughter female 5 Holywell
Annie RAFFERTY Daughter female 3 Holywell
Ellen RAFFERTY Daughter female 2 Holywell
John B. RAFFERTY Son male 6 months Holywell
and
11 Tower Gardens Place
James RAFFERTY Head male 36 Tinsmith from Cardiff
Margaret RAFFERTY Wife female 38 from Holywell
Bernard and James lived near to my great grandfather's house in 1902 when he
committed suicide - hanged himself.
Hope this might be of some help.
Best wishes,
Charles