Identifying Early Traveler Families

[Kevin Casey]

A very basic question regarding the Westerling and Wallin families, and regarding all older traveler/Roma families in general: how is it that we even know certain families were members of this group several hundred years ago? Were they labeled as such in contemporary records? Any direction would be appreciated.

Kevin

[Paul Bergström]

Hi Kevin!

Well we can't know for certain. However different choices of profession gives what we could call an indirect circumstantial evidence.

For instance one common factor is that traditionally traveller famillies were not permanent residents in the agriculture och bourgeois society. They were on the move.

In the accademic research there are a few different explainations to who they were.

One is that they were early romani immigrants. Another is that they were for varoius reasons rejected famillies from the medevial swedish society. Another common explainations is that they came in as mercenary soldiers from eastern Europe (a turkish historic people is "tartar" and in the older swedish these travelling famillies were called "tattare" - a kind of lingual similarity).

The origin is perhaps a matter for a deeper DNA-analysis, but when we reach the 1700's the travellers were already an established group often specialized in travelling occupations.

Examples are "lumpsamlare" (where you travel around to collect old clothes in purpose to sell as base for paper production) or "krämare" (where you travel around to sell petty goods).

It was also quite common to get a "borgerskap" in a city to legalize your trade in variuos trade zones connected to different cities or enrolling as a soldier (especially in the artillery) since you could then legally travel the roads and do some trades on the way.

Until 1860 non uniformed soldiers (who had an officer's permit) needed to have a passport for national travelling and in those passports it were common to state conditions like "not allowed to deviate from the main road". This was particularly adressed to people like travellers (or "boråsare" that was a subcategory) not to enter villages beside the main road.

Hope this shed some light over the situation.

/Paul 

[Kevin Casey]

Thank you, Paul! In reviewing the professions of my Westerling ancestors, I see the connection now between many of their occupations.

This is very helpful for some future research. Thank you again!

Kevin

[Mats Ahlgren]

Long time since we last spole.

One of the the interesting parts of your family is that they were Skarprättare (head choopers) and that proffesion is also well doumented

[Kevin Casey]

Yes, Mats, and I hope you are well. The Westerlind family is always full of surprises, like a well that never runs dry. And I appreciate your help in starting me on this journey all those years ago.