Tuggybear
06-10-2011, 12:16 PM
Hi there,
Not sure if this is actually the right forum for this opst so please accept my apologies if I've got it wrong.
I am searching for my grandfather's paternal family. He was always very proud of his traveller roots and often told stories such as how he and his father went walkabout to places like Mablethorpe to buy a donkey or horse and then walk it home to Leicester. Also he said that his parents (although he may have meant g/g/g/grandparents) Came over from Ireland and were fairground people who had a fairground ride onm the racecourse at Vistoria Park in Leicester.
Granddad did lots of jobs, he was a demolisher, a slater, a printer, a farm labourer, a horse dealer and was known as 'The Apple King of Leicester' when he used his horse, Nellie to pull his fruit cart around Leicester selling all kinds of fruit and vegetables at the door. He was most definitely a 'horse man' and was known to 'find' horses long before they were actually lost! He sat me on his farm horse when I was 18 months old and from that moment I have been described as 'horse mad' by the rest of my family... they aren't wrong, I set up a small sanctuary and now have 9 of these magnificent creatures. Obviously, our mutual love of horses drew me very close to granddad and I would love to trace his family back to Ireland if I can.
The Details: As I understand them.
Granddad was John Thomas Charles William Knight born in Leicester in 1894
His father was James Knight born in Leicester in 1867
His mother was Charlotte Anne North born in 1866 in Newark, Notts
James' father was William Knight born 1823 in Leicester
James' mother was Mary Ann ? also born in 1823 in Leicester
From this point i lose them and have found great difficulty in tracing granddad and his brothers, at least one of whom emigrated. I believe William was listed as a 'traveller' on at least one census.
Can anyone offer advice on how best to take this line further back assuming that William's parents were the Irish travellers who came across to England?
Many thanks for reading this.
Not sure if this is actually the right forum for this opst so please accept my apologies if I've got it wrong.
I am searching for my grandfather's paternal family. He was always very proud of his traveller roots and often told stories such as how he and his father went walkabout to places like Mablethorpe to buy a donkey or horse and then walk it home to Leicester. Also he said that his parents (although he may have meant g/g/g/grandparents) Came over from Ireland and were fairground people who had a fairground ride onm the racecourse at Vistoria Park in Leicester.
Granddad did lots of jobs, he was a demolisher, a slater, a printer, a farm labourer, a horse dealer and was known as 'The Apple King of Leicester' when he used his horse, Nellie to pull his fruit cart around Leicester selling all kinds of fruit and vegetables at the door. He was most definitely a 'horse man' and was known to 'find' horses long before they were actually lost! He sat me on his farm horse when I was 18 months old and from that moment I have been described as 'horse mad' by the rest of my family... they aren't wrong, I set up a small sanctuary and now have 9 of these magnificent creatures. Obviously, our mutual love of horses drew me very close to granddad and I would love to trace his family back to Ireland if I can.
The Details: As I understand them.
Granddad was John Thomas Charles William Knight born in Leicester in 1894
His father was James Knight born in Leicester in 1867
His mother was Charlotte Anne North born in 1866 in Newark, Notts
James' father was William Knight born 1823 in Leicester
James' mother was Mary Ann ? also born in 1823 in Leicester
From this point i lose them and have found great difficulty in tracing granddad and his brothers, at least one of whom emigrated. I believe William was listed as a 'traveller' on at least one census.
Can anyone offer advice on how best to take this line further back assuming that William's parents were the Irish travellers who came across to England?
Many thanks for reading this.