57-474: The Gordon Boswell Romany Museum is the lifetime's work of Gordon Boswell (died 27 August 2016, aged 76), who amassed a collection of artefacts, photographs, and several examples of the characteristic Gypsy wagon or Vardo . The museum also operates a number of non- Romany vehicles, including a horse-drawn hearse. The collection is housed at Clay Lake, Spalding in Lincolnshire , England . Building bridges to
114-721: A Romani subgroup within the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world. Most Romanichal speak Angloromani , a mixed language that blends Romani vocabulary with English syntax. Romanichal residing in England, Scotland, and Wales are part of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community . Genetic, cultural and linguistic findings indicate that the Romani people can trace their origins to Northern India . The word "Romanichal"
171-491: A double wall separates the living areas from the toilet and shower. Due to the Caravan Sites Act 1968 , which greatly reduced the number of caravans allowed to be pitched on authorised sites, many Romanichals cannot find legal places on sites with the rest of their families. Today, most Romanichal travel within the same areas that were established generations ago. Most people can trace back their presence in an area over
228-625: A full pardon and was accompanied to England by a son born to an Aboriginal woman. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell 's government shipped Romanichals as indentured labourers to plantations in North America. From a later period, there is documentation of English Romanichal being enslaved by freed blacks in Jamaica , Barbados , Cuba and Louisiana . Romanichal belong to the wider community of Romani people . Important cultural celebrations include International Romani Day , commemorating
285-416: A hundred or two hundred years. Many traditional stopping places were taken over by local governments or by settled individuals decades ago and have subsequently changed hands numerous times. However, Romanichal travellers have long historical connections to such places and do not always willingly give them up. Most families are identifiable by their traditional wintering base, where they will stop travelling for
342-512: A masterpiece of woodcrafter's art. The heyday of the caravan lasted for roughly 70 years, from the mid-nineteenth century through the first two decades of the twentieth century. Not used for year-round living today, they are shown at the cultural gatherings held throughout the year, the best known of which is Appleby Horse Fair in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria , North West England. A vardo's design includes large wheels set outside
399-556: A museum in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vardo (Romani wagon) A vardo (also Romani wag(g)on , Gypsy wagon , living wagon , caravan , van and house-on-wheels ) is a four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle traditionally used by travelling Romanichal as their home. The name v ardo is a Romani term believed to have originated from the Ossetic wærdon meaning cart or carriage. It
456-552: A table. Wagons' exteriors can range from fairly plain to intricately carved, painted in bright colours, and sheathed in places with gold leaf. The Romanichal began to live in vardos around 1850. Prior to that, they travelled in tilted carts or afoot and slept either under or in these carts or in small tents. Originally Romanichal would travel on foot, or with light, horse-drawn carts, typical of other Romani groups or would build "bender" tents ; so called because they were made from supple branches which they bent inwards to support
513-463: A time, as is typical of other Romani groups. A bender is a type of tent constructed from a frame of bent hazel branches (hazel is chosen for its straightness and flexibility), covered with canvas or tarpaulin. Around the mid- to late-19th century, the Romanichal began using wagons that incorporated living spaces on the inside. These they called "vardos" and were often brightly and colorfully decorated on
570-495: A tradition which began before World War II when cotton duck was cheap and plentiful. Almost identical in size and construction of the bow top wagon, the open lot or "Yorkshire Bow" featured the same design but with a curtain instead of the door characteristic of other wagons. The wagon's entrance was covered by a curtain for privacy. Vardos were elaborately decorated, hand carved and ornately painted with traditional Romani symbols. Examples of famous Wagon Artists responsible for
627-577: A waterproof covering. The heyday of the Romani caravan was the latter part of the 19th century. Initially using cheap or castoff horses to draw their chimneyed living wagons, the Romanichal gradually created their own breed of horse. (See Gypsy horse ) Wagons were first used as a form of living accommodation (as opposed to carrying people or goods) in France in 1810 by non-Romani circus troupes. Large transport wagons combined storage space and living space into one vehicle, and were pulled by teams of horses. By
SECTION 10
#1732851213868684-419: A wooden fireplace. The wagon's interior is typically outfitted with built-in seats, cabinets, a wardrobe, bunks in the rear of the caravan, a chest of drawers, and a glass-fronted china cabinet. There are windows on the left side and rear. Some types have clerestories which let in light and air. A bracket for an oil lamp is mounted over the chest of drawers opposite the fireplace; the chest's top functions as
741-588: Is almost always in the front. The small cast-iron cooking stove was invented in America and was available there and in Great Britain from about 1830 on and is a common fixture of the wagons. A cooking stove necessitates a chimney to vent smoke. A caravan's chimney is always on its left side as viewed from its front doorway; as the caravan travels along the left side of the road, the chimney is in less danger from low-hanging tree limbs in that position. The stove rests in
798-545: Is considered unclean, or mochadi . Most sites have separate utility blocks with toilets, sinks, and electric showers. Many Romanichal will not do their laundry inside, especially not underwear, and subsequently many utility blocks also have washing machines. In the days of horse-drawn wagons and vardos, Romanichal women would do their laundry in a river, being careful to wash upper-body garments further upstream from underwear and lower-body garments, and personal bathing would take place much further downstream. In some modern trailers,
855-571: Is derived from Romani chal , where chal is Angloromani for "fellow". Nearly all Romanichal in Great Britain live in England, with smaller communities in South Wales, Northeast Wales, and the Scottish Borders. The Romanichal diaspora emigrated from Great Britain to other parts of the English-speaking world . Based on some estimates, there are now more people of Romanichal descent in
912-505: Is in Reading Museum's Riverside Museum at Blake's Lock. The characteristic design of the ledge or cottage shaped wagon incorporated a more robust frame and living area that extended over the large rear wheels of the wagon. Brass brackets supported the frame of the wagon and solid arched roof usually 12 feet high, extended over the length of the wagon to form porches at either end and panelled with tongue in groove boards. The porch roof
969-463: Is no more iconic or recognizable Romani symbol than a highly decorated Romanichal vardo, and the time of its use is often affectionately called "the wagon time" by Romanichal travellers. The vardos were typically commissioned by families or by a newlywed couple from specialist coach builders. Building the vardo took between six months to a year; a variety of woods including oak , ash , elm , cedar , and pine were utilized in its construction. Prized by
1026-407: Is pulled by a single horse in shafts, sometimes with a second horse (called a sider or sideliner ) hitched on its right side outside the shafts to help pull heavier loads or assist in pulling up a hill. The vehicle is typically highly decorated, intricately carved, brightly painted, and even gilded. The Romanichal tradition of the vardo is seen as a high cultural point of both artistic design and
1083-521: The West Midlands region of England, whilst a further 16,000 lived in bricks and mortar. Of the 13,386 caravans, 1,300 were parked on unauthorised sites (that is, on land where Romani were not given permission to park). Over 90% of Britain's travelling Romanichal live on authorised sites, where they pay full rates ( council tax ). On most Romanichal traveller sites, there are usually no toilets or showers inside caravans because in Romanichal culture, this
1140-446: The 1960s led to the disappearance of many of the casual farm jobs Romanichal had traditionally carried out. Didicoy ( Angloromani ; didikai, also diddicoy , diddykai ) is a term sometimes used to refer to a person of mixed Romani and Gorger (non-Romanichal) blood but is often considered offensive. Originally, Romanichal would travel on foot or with light, horse-drawn carts, and would build bender tents where they settled for
1197-492: The 19th century wagons became smaller, reducing the number of horses required, and around the mid-to-late-19th century (1840–1870), Romanichal in Britain started using wagons that incorporated living spaces on the inside, and added their own characteristic style of decoration. In The Old Curiosity Shop (ch. xxvii), Charles Dickens described Mrs. Jarley's well-appointed van: One half of it...was carpeted, and so partitioned off at
SECTION 20
#17328512138681254-420: The 2021 census. Historically, Romanichal earned a living doing agricultural work and would move to the edges of towns for the winter months. There was casual work available on farms throughout the spring, summer, and autumn months. Spring would start with seed sowing and planting potatoes and fruit trees, early summer with weeding, and summer to late autumn with the harvesting of crops. Of particular significance
1311-544: The Burton were unable to do. The Reading wagon is 10 feet long, with a porch on the front and back. The rear wheels were 18 inches larger than the ones on the front. At the start of the 20th century the design incorporated raised skylights. On either side of the bed space, quarter-inch thick bevelled mirrors were common, and were lavishly decorated. Cupboards and locker seats were built in to prevent movement whilst travelling. Side and back windows were decorated and shuttered, and
1368-766: The Harker family's 60-mile journey to Appleby in bow top living waggons. The British writer Roald Dahl acquired a traditional vardo in the 1960s which was used as a playhouse for his children; later he used the vardo as a writing room, in which he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World . John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce was painted in the style of a Romani gypsy wagon by artist Steve Weaver of private coach maker J.P. Fallon Ltd. Romanichal The Romanichal ( UK : / ˈ r ɒ m ə n ɪ tʃ æ l / US : /- n i -/ ; more commonly known as English Gypsies ) are
1425-409: The Romani language until the 19th century, when it was largely replaced by English and Angloromani, a creole language that combines the syntax and grammar of English with the Romani lexicon. Today, most Romanichal speak both English and Angloromani, with only a small minority believed to speak the traditional Romani language. There are two dialects of Angloromani: Southern Angloromani (spoken in
1482-470: The Romani, and later by non-Romani, including other traveller groups, for their practicality as well as aesthetic beauty, vardos can be categorized into six main styles; these being the Brush wagon , Reading , Ledge , Bow Top , Open lot , and Burton . The general design evolved over time and were named after the home's owners, for their traditional style (Ledge), for the town of its construction (Reading), or for
1539-569: The Romanichal was formed between 1660 and 1800, as a Romani group living in Britain. Hostility and discrimination against Romani people is still present in the UK. In 2008, it was reported that the Romani experienced a higher degree of racism than any other group in the United Kingdom, including asylum-seekers, and a Mori poll indicated that a third of UK residents admitted to being prejudiced against Romani. The authorities began to deport Romanichal, principally to Norway , as early as 1544. The process
1596-450: The Romanichal. Both back and front walls of the wagon were decorated in scrollwork and tongue and groove and the wagon was painted green to be less noticeable in woodland. The inside of the Bow Top also contained the same high scrollwork or Chenille fabric , with a stove, table, and double bed. The bow-top is commonly thought of as being covered in teal-coloured canvas. This is said to now be
1653-691: The Southeast, Southwest, Midlands, East Anglia, and South Wales) and Northern Angloromani (spoken in the Northeast, Northwest, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders, and Northeast of Wales). These two dialects, along with the accents that accompany them, have led to two regional Romanichal identities forming, these being the Southern Romanichal identity and the Northern Romanichal identity. Many Angloromani words have been incorporated into English, particularly in
1710-524: The United States than in Britain. In Great Britain, there is a sharp north–south divide among Romanichal. Southern Romanichal live in the Southeast, Southwest, Midlands, East Anglia, and South Wales; Northern Romanichal live in the Northwest, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders, and Northeast of Wales. The two groups' dialects differ in accent and vocabulary. The Romani people in England are thought to have spoken
1767-459: The body of the vardo itself would have originally been made from beaded tongue-and-groove matchboard, painted red picked out in yellow and green. As with other vardo, the extent of the elaborate decoration reflected the wealth of the family, boasting carved lion heads and gargoyles; these would have been painted gold or extensively decorated with gold leaf. Today, surviving Reading wagons are prized exhibits in museums or private collections. A fine one
Gordon Boswell Romany Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-481: The body, whose sides slope outward considerably as they rise toward the eaves . Beyond this characteristic, the six types of caravans differ in shape, size, placement of the wheels relative to the bed, where made, and maker. The roofs of the bow-top and open-lot types are canvas stretched over curved wooden frames; the others are roofed in wood. By the mid-nineteenth century, the designs were almost entirely standardized, and some features are common to all types. The door
1881-492: The community as 'aunts' and 'uncles', a common tradition in many Asian cultures ), and a traditionally nomadic lifestyle (although many Romanichal are now settled). Romanichal social customs have traditionally been influenced by the concept of marimé , or mochadi (ritual impurity). The majority of Romanichal in the UK are Christian, with religion often playing an integral role in their culture and celebrations. 71.8% of Romani in England and Wales identified as Christian in
1938-569: The early development of vardo art are Jim Berry, John Pockett, Tom Stevens, Tommy Gaskin, John Pickett, and modern contemporary decorators continuing to shape this colourful tradition included artists such as Yorkie Greenwood and Lol Thompson. Much of the wealth of the vardo was on display in the carvings, which incorporated aspects of the Romani lifestyle such as horses and dogs , as well as stock decorative designs of birds , lions , griffins , flowers, vines, and elaborate scrollwork. Carved details were often accented with gold, either painted or, in
1995-446: The eaves, high arched wheels, and relative light weight; there is no other vardo that epitomises the golden age of Romani horse travel. It dates from 1870 and is synonymous with the original builder Dunton and Sons of Reading from where the vardo takes its name. The wagon was highly prized by the Romani for its aesthetic design, beauty and practicality to cross fords, pull off-road and over rough ground, something smaller-wheeled wagons like
2052-407: The fact that British Romani people probably made up just 0.01 per cent of the original convict population of 162,000. However, it has been suggested that Romanichal were discriminated against under the transportation laws and may well have been undercounted. Fragmentary records suggest that at least fifty British Romani may have been transported to Australia. It has been suggested that transportation
2109-448: The family. The rest, including the wagon, was destroyed. The Romani travellers in the 1920s proudly clung to their decorative vardos, although the economics of their way of life was in upheaval due to the contraction in the horse-trading industry and the changes from their traditional crafts. In the present day, Romanichal are more likely to live in caravans . It was estimated that by 1940 only about 1% of Romani travellers still lived in
2166-472: The form of British slang . The Romani have origins in northwestern India , specifically Rajasthan , and are believed to have begun migrating westwards sometime between the 6th and 11th centuries. Travelling through Western Asia and the Balkans , they migrated through regions such as Armenia and Turkey , before reaching modern-day Bulgaria , Serbia , and Romania in the 14th century. Due to conflicts in
2223-447: The further end as to accommodate a sleeping-place, constructed after the fashion of a berth on board ship, which was shaded, like the windows, with fair white curtains... The other half served for a kitchen, and was fitted up with a stove whose small chimney passed through the roof. It also held a closet or larder, several chests, a great pitcher of water, and a few cooking-utensils and articles of crockery. These latter necessaries hung upon
2280-581: The inaugural World Roma Congress, held in London in 1971. Romanichal in the United Kingdom have a distinct ethnic and cultural identity apart from the non-Romani population, whom they refer to as Gorjas , or country people . Prominent features of Romanichal culture include emphasis on the importance of family and extended family, adherence to traditional gender roles, birth and death rituals, emphasis on hygiene and household cleanliness, respect towards their older generations (including by referring to older members of
2337-519: The inside and outside. In the present day, Romanichal are more likely to live in houses or caravans . Over 60% of 21st-century Romanichal families live in houses of bricks and mortar, whilst the remaining 40% still live in mobile homes such as caravans, static caravans, or trailers (with a small minority still living in vardos ). According to the Regional Spatial Strategy caravan count for 2008, there were 13,386 caravans owned by Romani in
Gordon Boswell Romany Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-430: The local population. Despite this new option, the Romani were forced into a marginal lifestyle and subjected to discrimination by the authorities and by many non-Romani. In 1596, 106 men and women were condemned to death at York for being Romani, and nine were executed. Samuel Rid wrote two books about them in the early 17th century. From the 1780s onwards, the anti-Romani laws were gradually repealed. The identity of
2451-468: The most expensive wagons, the use of between 4–15 books of gold leaf applied as decoration. Many individual makers were identified by their particular designs. The Romanichal funeral rite during the wagon time of the 19th and 20th century included burning the wagon and belongings after the owner's death. The custom was that nothing whatsoever would have been sold, though some of the deceased's possessions, jewellery , china , or money would be left to
2508-428: The name of the builder. Popular with Romani, as well as Showmen families and circus people, the Burton wagon is the oldest example of a wagon used as home in Britain. Originally undecorated, the Burton wagon evolved into an elaborate Romani vardo, but due to its smaller wheels it was not suited for off-road use. The Brush or fen wagon as it was also known, consists of a standard Romani vardo, with straight sides and
2565-578: The non-Romany community was a tradition in Boswell's family. His great-grandfather had been an important source of information on Romany traditions and language for Victorian academics including George Borrow . Gordon Boswell's father Sylvester published in 1970 a best-selling autobiography, "The Book of Boswell", which portrayed the Romany life. Gordon Boswell gradually collected waggons, carts, and other artefacts of Romany life over many years. The museum that resulted
2622-411: The outside frame and chase of the wagon allowing the owner to carry trade items like brushes, brooms, wicker chairs, and baskets. Additionally, three light iron rails ran around the entire roof, used for stowing bulkier goods, and sometimes trade-name boards. The wagons were elaborately and colourfully painted. The Reading or kite wagon is so named due to its straight sides that slope outwards towards
2679-672: The region, particularly during the Ottoman conquest of Southeastern Europe , they continued their migration farther north and west, arriving in England by the early 16th century. There are also records of Romani people who migrated from Spain to Scotland before arriving in England in 1512. During the reign of Henry VIII , the Egyptians Act 1530 banned Romani from entering the country and required those already living there to leave within sixteen days. Failure to do so could result in confiscation of property, imprisonment, and deportation. During
2736-508: The reign of Mary I , the Act was amended by the Egyptians Act 1554 , which removed the threat of punishment if Romani people abandoned their "naughty, idle and ungodly life and company" and adopted a sedentary lifestyle, but increased the penalty for non-compliance to death. In 1562, a new law offered Romani born in England and Wales the possibility of becoming English subjects if they assimilated into
2793-409: The traditional horse-drawn vardo. Today's Romanichal still attend horse fairs, the best known of which is Appleby Horse Fair in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria , North West England. Some attendees of the fairs travel there in the traditional manner via horse-drawn vardos. American photographer John S. Hockensmith documented such a journey in 2004, travelling with and photographing
2850-493: The walls, which in that portion of the establishment devoted to the lady of the caravan, were ornamented with such gayer and lighter decorations as a triangle and a couple of well-thumbed tambourines. These smaller wagons were called "vardo" in the Romani language (originating from the Ossetic word vurdon ) for cart. The Romani vardo evolved into some of the most advanced forms of travelling wagon, and are prized for their practicality as well as aesthetic design and beauty. There
2907-462: The wheels located outside the body. The Brush was similar in construction to the Reading vardo, but unlike other styles, the brush wagon had two distinct features: a half-door with glazed shutters, located at the back of the vardo, with a set of steps, both set around the opposite way from other wagons and lacked the mollycroft (skylight) on the roof. The exterior is equipped with racks and cases fitted on
SECTION 50
#17328512138682964-596: Was continued and encouraged by Elizabeth I and James I . The Finnish Kale , a Romani group in Finland, maintain that their ancestors were originally a Romani group who travelled from Scotland , supporting the idea that they and some of the Scandinavian Travellers/Romani are distantly related to Scottish Romani and English Romanichal. In the years following the American War of Independence , Australia
3021-454: Was further supported by iron brackets, and the walls were highly decorated with ornate scrollwork and carvings across the length of the wagon. Based on the design of the Ledge wagon, the Bow Top is significantly lighter, and less likely to turn over in a strong wind. The design incorporated a lightweight canvas top, supported by a wooden frame: a design reminiscent of the older “bender tents” used by
3078-459: Was opened on 25 February 1995. The museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from, roughly, Easter (Good Friday) to the last weekend in September each year. There is access to all exhibits for the disabled. An admission fee is charged. The museum uses one of the wagons for organised trips in the nearby Fenland . This article relating to
3135-419: Was particularly harsh for Romanies: For Romani convicts, transportation meant social and psychological death; exiled, they had little hope of returning to England to re-establish family ties, cultural roots, continuous expression, and validation that would have revived their Romani identity in the convict era. At least one Romani returned from Australia to England: Henry Lavello (or Lovell) was repatriated with
3192-541: Was the hop industry, which employed thousands of Romanichal both in spring for vine training and for the harvest in early autumn. Winter months were often spent doing casual labour in towns or selling goods or services door to door. Traditional economic activities include gardening, fortune telling, hawking, selling, and collecting scrap. They have also produced notable boxers such as Henry Wharton and Billy Joe Saunders , as well as some notable footballers like Freddy Eastwood . Mass industrialisation of agriculture in
3249-568: Was the preferred destination for penal transportation of Romanichal. The exact number of Romanichal deported to Australia is unknown. It has been suggested that three Romanichal were carried by the First Fleet , one of whom is thought to have been James Squire , who founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798, and whose grandson, James Farnell , became the first native-born premier of New South Wales in 1877. The total Romani population of Australia seems to have been extremely low, reflecting
#867132