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* From In the Life of a Romany Gypsy* by Manfri Fred Wood*
In the Life of a Romany Gypsy
I have been asked many times, would I like to live in a house? This is something I just can’t explain to other people or make people understand, as living in a house is not my idea of life at all. I have lived in caravans – horse drawn and trailer – all of my life.
I am a man of the wilds, of the open air, of the fields and the woods, and I could not be this if I lived in a house. When I live in a caravan, I can sometimes see the branches of a tall tree through the skylight, and it is not always the same tree. I can hear all the sounds of nature clearly - like in the open - when I lie abed at night; the sounds of nature that I would only hear in the distance, and muffled, if I lived in house.
When I step out of my caravan I like to feel the green grass under my feet; and I like to see the birds flitting in and out of hedgerows; and after a day’s work I like to have a good wash and sit beside my fire on the ground to have a meal of natural food - this wish is nowadays not always fulfilled - and to have a drink of tea with the smell of the wood fire in it. I like to listen to the last song of the blackbird in the evening, and as it begins to get dark I like to watch the stars come out and the moon come up, all in their natural full glitter.
I like to listen to the song of the nightingale and the hooting of the owls, and the screeches of the bat as he rushes through the air catching insects. I like the beating of the rain on the roof of the wagon and the singing of the wind through the treetops - the feeling of relief when you come to a stopping place and out of the gloom and the doom of a bad spell.
I like to listen to the grunt of the badger in the undergrowth and the clicking of a cricket in the thicket; and at the right time of the year I like to hear the cry of the vixen and the dog fox. I like to listen to the buzzing of the bees as they fly from bloom to bloom along a hedgerow, and I like to see the colours on the wings of the butterflies.
I even like the constant change from extreme comfort to extreme discomfort that is an essential part of living a good healthy life, and I like the feeling of uncertainty, of never knowing quite what lies around the corner, though I might know the area well. I like the feeling that, come what may, I will be able to win through in all circumstances, as long as I rely on myself and remain a Romany. These are the things that make up my life; I would like to have all of them and many more that I have not mentioned, all in their season, all of the time – and I could only have the smallest fraction of them if I settled down in a house.
Manfri Wood was son of Matthew Wood who in turn was son of Henry Wood
Below are Census records of family:
*******************
1861 Wales Census Llanwddyn Montgomeryshire Wales
Henry Wood......... 40 b 1821 Llangollen Denbighshire Harper
Mary ...............39 b 1822 Llangollen Denbighshire Harper's wife
Matthew ............21 b 1840 Llanefyl Montgromeryshire Harper
Ebry (F)........... 19 b St Asph Flintshire
Howel.............. 13 b 1848 Bettws-Y-Coed Denbighshire
Ellinor .............7 b 1854 Cilcen Flintshire
Elizabeth ...........4 b 1857 Montgromeyshire
Maria ...........2mths b Llanfair Talhaiar Denbighshire
1891 Census Llandfhangel v Pennant Merionethshire * outside in Tent*
Matthew Wood .............44 b 1847 Llanerfil Montgromeyshire widowed/labour
Henry ....................18 b 1873 Aberystwith Wales violin player
Manphrey ................ 15 b 1876 Angelsey violin player /music
Howell ................... 8 b 1883 Penrhyndeudaeth
James..................... 5 b 1886 Newcastle In Emlyn Cardiganshire
Mary Wood ............... 70 b 1821 Cymedda Oswestry Montgromeyshire Mother/widowed
1901 Llandderfei Llawr y Bettws St James the Greater Bala Merionthshire * Tent*
Matthew Wood ..........44 b 1857 Montgromeyshire Wales widowed/worker * no occupation given*
Manfri ............... 23 b 1878 Angelsey Wales Son /worker
Winnie ................34 b 1867 Denbigshire Wales Daughter in law
Janet................. 18 b 1883 Denbigshire Daughter
Matthew Wood died Q1-Jan-Feb-Mar 1929 Bala Merionethshire -aged 86 11b 527
1901 Census Corwen Merionethshire * says old Lock up ? Lodgings
Jane Williams ........ 59 b 1842 Llanfylin monmouthshire housekeeper/widowed
Robert Roberts ....... 56 b 1845 Ruabon Denbighshire lodger/general labour
John Palmer .......... 37 b 1864 Newcastle under lyme Staffordshire lodger /worker
Dorothy Parke ........ 41 b 1860 Dolgelley Wales lodger/hawker
William Parke ........ 14 b 1887 Wrexham wales lodger /hawker
John Clarke........... 35 b 1866 Walsall staffordshire pedlar
Emiley Clarke ........ 34 b 1867 Birmingham
Elsy Clarke ....... 7mths b 1900 Cheshire
Mary Wood ......... 83 b 1818 Montgromeryshire Hawker
James Jackson .........67 b 1834 Scotland Hawker
Patrick Doyle .........40 b 1861 Ireland Hawker
James Keley ...........36 b 1865 Ireland Hawker
John Jones ............50 b 1851 Wales Hawker
Edward Roberts ....... 53 b 1848 Wales Labourer
James Stuart ..........38 b 1863 Scotland Hawker
I think Mary Woods on here is Matthew Woods mother, in lodgings
I have been asked many times, would I like to live in a house? This is something I just can’t explain to other people or make people understand, as living in a house is not my idea of life at all. I have lived in caravans – horse drawn and trailer – all of my life.
I am a man of the wilds, of the open air, of the fields and the woods, and I could not be this if I lived in a house. When I live in a caravan, I can sometimes see the branches of a tall tree through the skylight, and it is not always the same tree. I can hear all the sounds of nature clearly - like in the open - when I lie abed at night; the sounds of nature that I would only hear in the distance, and muffled, if I lived in house.
When I step out of my caravan I like to feel the green grass under my feet; and I like to see the birds flitting in and out of hedgerows; and after a day’s work I like to have a good wash and sit beside my fire on the ground to have a meal of natural food - this wish is nowadays not always fulfilled - and to have a drink of tea with the smell of the wood fire in it. I like to listen to the last song of the blackbird in the evening, and as it begins to get dark I like to watch the stars come out and the moon come up, all in their natural full glitter.
I like to listen to the song of the nightingale and the hooting of the owls, and the screeches of the bat as he rushes through the air catching insects. I like the beating of the rain on the roof of the wagon and the singing of the wind through the treetops - the feeling of relief when you come to a stopping place and out of the gloom and the doom of a bad spell.
I like to listen to the grunt of the badger in the undergrowth and the clicking of a cricket in the thicket; and at the right time of the year I like to hear the cry of the vixen and the dog fox. I like to listen to the buzzing of the bees as they fly from bloom to bloom along a hedgerow, and I like to see the colours on the wings of the butterflies.
I even like the constant change from extreme comfort to extreme discomfort that is an essential part of living a good healthy life, and I like the feeling of uncertainty, of never knowing quite what lies around the corner, though I might know the area well. I like the feeling that, come what may, I will be able to win through in all circumstances, as long as I rely on myself and remain a Romany. These are the things that make up my life; I would like to have all of them and many more that I have not mentioned, all in their season, all of the time – and I could only have the smallest fraction of them if I settled down in a house.
Manfri Wood was son of Matthew Wood who in turn was son of Henry Wood
Below are Census records of family:
*******************
1861 Wales Census Llanwddyn Montgomeryshire Wales
Henry Wood......... 40 b 1821 Llangollen Denbighshire Harper
Mary ...............39 b 1822 Llangollen Denbighshire Harper's wife
Matthew ............21 b 1840 Llanefyl Montgromeryshire Harper
Ebry (F)........... 19 b St Asph Flintshire
Howel.............. 13 b 1848 Bettws-Y-Coed Denbighshire
Ellinor .............7 b 1854 Cilcen Flintshire
Elizabeth ...........4 b 1857 Montgromeyshire
Maria ...........2mths b Llanfair Talhaiar Denbighshire
1891 Census Llandfhangel v Pennant Merionethshire * outside in Tent*
Matthew Wood .............44 b 1847 Llanerfil Montgromeyshire widowed/labour
Henry ....................18 b 1873 Aberystwith Wales violin player
Manphrey ................ 15 b 1876 Angelsey violin player /music
Howell ................... 8 b 1883 Penrhyndeudaeth
James..................... 5 b 1886 Newcastle In Emlyn Cardiganshire
Mary Wood ............... 70 b 1821 Cymedda Oswestry Montgromeyshire Mother/widowed
1901 Llandderfei Llawr y Bettws St James the Greater Bala Merionthshire * Tent*
Matthew Wood ..........44 b 1857 Montgromeyshire Wales widowed/worker * no occupation given*
Manfri ............... 23 b 1878 Angelsey Wales Son /worker
Winnie ................34 b 1867 Denbigshire Wales Daughter in law
Janet................. 18 b 1883 Denbigshire Daughter
Matthew Wood died Q1-Jan-Feb-Mar 1929 Bala Merionethshire -aged 86 11b 527
1901 Census Corwen Merionethshire * says old Lock up ? Lodgings
Jane Williams ........ 59 b 1842 Llanfylin monmouthshire housekeeper/widowed
Robert Roberts ....... 56 b 1845 Ruabon Denbighshire lodger/general labour
John Palmer .......... 37 b 1864 Newcastle under lyme Staffordshire lodger /worker
Dorothy Parke ........ 41 b 1860 Dolgelley Wales lodger/hawker
William Parke ........ 14 b 1887 Wrexham wales lodger /hawker
John Clarke........... 35 b 1866 Walsall staffordshire pedlar
Emiley Clarke ........ 34 b 1867 Birmingham
Elsy Clarke ....... 7mths b 1900 Cheshire
Mary Wood ......... 83 b 1818 Montgromeryshire Hawker
James Jackson .........67 b 1834 Scotland Hawker
Patrick Doyle .........40 b 1861 Ireland Hawker
James Keley ...........36 b 1865 Ireland Hawker
John Jones ............50 b 1851 Wales Hawker
Edward Roberts ....... 53 b 1848 Wales Labourer
James Stuart ..........38 b 1863 Scotland Hawker
I think Mary Woods on here is Matthew Woods mother, in lodgings
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| beautifulbaby123 | ... | 1 | Yesterday, 8:29 AM EDT by ballymor | ||
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Thread started: Sunday, 5:38 PM EDT
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Manfri Wood who wrote this book only marryed once to Joan Cook!
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| herringLee | From In The Life Of A Romany Gypsy. By Manfri Wood (page: 1 2 3 4 5) | 95 | Mar 18 2013, 2:54 PM EDT by WilliamLee47 | ||
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Thread started: Nov 30 2009, 7:09 PM EST
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I get confused every time I see the name Manfri Wood. Is it the same Manfri Wood that was married to my grand aunt
Minnie Lee. His father was Mathew Wood whos sister was Alice Lee nee Wood, who was my great grandmother. If its the same Manfri Wood he did live in a house in Bala in Wales. Bokt William.
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