Who are Travellers?

Gypsies and Travellers may be the largest ethnic minority in rural East Sussex and fall into three groups.

Gypsies

Gypsies have been one of Britain’s ethnic groups for 500 years. They are descended from nomadic tribal groups who left Northern India around 1,000 years ago and moved westwards across Europe, some groups remaining and settling in each country through which they passed. The Romany language spoken by many Gypsies has its roots in Sanskrit. An anglicised form is still used by Travellers in East Sussex and across England.

Throughout their history Gypsies have followed a distinctive way of life as a nomadic people. They have remained separate from the house dwelling community, whilst maintaining links with it as a resourceful and versatile mobile work force.

Gypsies/Travellers were traditionally welcomed in East Sussex as useful seasonally available rural work force. In East Sussex the rural tradition of stopping places continues with Gypsy encampments in the county occurring in rural locations outside of the urban conurbations.

Gypsies usually marry within their own group, but they have, over the centuries, linked in with other travelling groups such as various traders and craftsmen, entertainers, Irish Travellers and Scottish Travellers. The family is of central importance in Gypsy culture.

Their transport, living accommodation and means of earning a living have changed with the times, as house dwellers have also changed. Some have settled in housing; on private family sites; or on Council owned sites. They may travel a lot less than before, perhaps only seasonally over the spring and summer months. There are as many differences between individuals in families and extended family groupings as there are in any community.

Gypsies have been recognised as a specific ethnic minority since 1988 for the purposes of the Race Relations Amendment Act.

Irish Travellers

This group are an indigenous nomadic ethnic group in Northern and Southern Ireland and Britain. They have been part of British society for many centuries, pursuing traditional agricultural roles in rural Britain.

Employment patterns have now shifted to casual forms of building work, gardening, and scrap metal collection. The shift in employment patterns has meant that Irish Travellers have migrated to urban areas. In East Sussex, the majority of Irish Traveller unauthorised encampments occur in Brighton & Hove, with the occasional appearance in parts of Wealden (mainly Uckfield) and Eastbourne.

There are similarities with the Gypsy culture, and a shared nomadism, but Irish Travellers are a distinct and separate group and recognised as such since 2000 for the purposes of the Race Relations Amendment Act. As in Gypsy culture, the extended family is the central organising unit. Their own language, Gammon or Cant, is still spoken. There is a reluctance to divulge this language to outsiders.

The age profile of Irish Travellers is very young, they tend to marry early. They have large families (average of 8 children). Irish Travellers are usually Catholic. Their faith is an important part of their culture and family life.

New Travellers

Since the 1960’s a number of young people have moved from houses and started to live on the road in an assortment of caravans, buses, vans and trucks. Their reasons for taking up the nomadic life are many and various.

Some are very positively choosing to live a less materialistic and ‘greener’ way of life. Others feel that it is a better way of life than a bed sitter existence in an inner city. Some are forced onto the road through economic circumstances, perhaps exacerbated by a substance misuse or mental health issue. They may be escaping from abuse. Each Traveller has a different story. But they are supportive of, and welcoming to each other and form a distinct Traveller group in East Sussex, with the majority of New Traveller encampments occurring in Brighton & Hove, with a smattering elsewhere. Not all New Travellers remain on the road all their lives, but a number now have children travelling with them who have known no other life.