The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #162313   Message #3862444
Posted By: Senoufou
23-Jun-17 - 03:28 AM
Thread Name: BS: Theresa May's astonishing dad
Subject: RE: BS: Theresa May's astonishing dad
In Jack's article, the word 'traveller' years ago didn't have the same meaning as it does nowadays. Then, it denoted a man (no women had this job) who travelled about the country as a representative of a business, carrying samples and so on. A 'business rep' I suppose.

Travellers who had no fixed abode and moved about with their families in a caravan were only ever called gypsies (I remember when they were all horse-drawn!).

The word 'pikey' existed then, but it denoted itinerant, homeless men and occasionally women who trudged from one turnpike to another and consequently from one 'Ward' to another, to qualify for 'Relief' or a handout from public funds. They had to keep moving or they'd have been arrested for vagrancy.