Book Reviews and Buyer Feedback
Gypsies in Tudor England
Richard Edmunds' book shows clearly there was an immigration [of Gypsies to England in the 16th century] whose progress can be traced. Gypsies in Tudor England quotes all documents in full and ends by listing 17th century Gypsy references, carrying the story to the verge of recorded family history. Edmunds' maps show how, as decades passed, traveling routes spread out from the coastal ports over the whole country. This is an important book for the Gypsy historian [...] a challenging take on an important subject - Quoted from Jeremy Harte, Romany Routes the Journal of the Romany and Traveller Family History Society, December 2018.
For full review see blog entry - https://www.richedmunds.co.uk/blog/book-review-december-2018
The author should be commended on this impressive, well researched and thoroughly engaging work. Throughout a wealth of information, much of it newly discovered, is presented to the reader in a clear way, through an accessible chronological narrative. The extensive notes, and comprehensive surname and place name indexes are particularly useful additions to the main text. Edmunds' identification of the deepest ancestry of the Romany people in the nomadic tribes of ancient Scythia, is controversial, but he makes a compelling and convincing case to back this view. [...] Overall, this book is a welcome and exciting addition to the ever-growing body of knowledge on Europe's largest non-indigenous ethnic minority - Quoted from Alan Osbourne-Evans, Genealogical Review, October 2018
Well researched and thoroughly readable, as good as his last publications on Gypsies! - Five Star reader review, Amazon.com, 18th July 2018.
A good account, very pleased with my purchase. Thank you. - Buyer review, ebay, June 2018.
Wow! Amazing finds. - Buyer review, June 2018.
An impressive work by the author, a valuable and important contribution to the study of Romany and Traveller History in the U.K. - Buyer review, direct sale, May 2018.
I have enjoyed your Tudor Gypsies book. I look forward to purchasing several of your books to help me in my own family history research. – Buyer review, email correspondence 2018.
Great book, great service and very fast delivery - recommended. - Buyer review, ebay, April 2018.
Terrific book, very interesting, thanks Richard. - Buyer review, ebay, April 2018.
Early Romany Boswells, Part 1
Amazing book, unparalleled in its scope and originality. Perhaps most exciting of all are Richard Edmunds discoveries of the earliest known record of Romany Boswells in England, the 1670 marriage of Elizabeth Boswell, a ‘Gypsy’, at Stamford Baron, Northamptonshire, and the baptisms of the famed early family patriarch, Shadrach Boswell, and that of his father, Robert Boswell, in the early part of the 18th century. With this information the origins of the Romany Boswell family are clearer than ever before. Terrific Work. - Genealogical Reviewer, Winter 2017
Your Bowells books are an important asset to the RTFHS publications collection. Our Facebook stats show news about the book has reached nearly 21,000 people already. That’s an amazing figure – many thousands more than we normally reach with our posts on our FB page. Thank you for offering the two books to us. They may inspire many more to think about joining the RTFHS. - S.Heppell, Publications Editor, Romany and Traveller Family History Society, email correspondence with author, Winter 2017/8
Heartiest congratulations on your excellent debut as a Gypsy genealogist. Your discovery of Shadrach Boswell's baptism is a real breakthrough. Delighted that you've burst on the scene & am sure you will doubtless delight further with more discoveries. - Eric Trudgill and Anne-Marie Ford, Romany Genealogists, email correspondence with the author , March 2014
Many congratulations on your Boswell discoveries, what an excellent and exciting break-through. - Bob Dawson, President of the Romany and Traveller Family History Society, email correspondence with author, November 2013
Have just ordered Part Two. The first volume was excellent. – G. E, online review, March 2018.
I read the book with great interest and it became clear to me that the author had more to say about the origins of the Boswells than one would hear from most. I have already enquired into ordering the second volume on the Boswells and I am very much looking forward to it. - Reader review, March 2018.
Early Romany Boswells, Part 2
Great job of locating these old records! Blows my mind. - Review, Facebook, 2018
From your research, I now know that I have Blewitt blood: I owe you great thanks for identifying a Blewitt/Smith marriage that pushes back my ancestry a further two generations on a somewhat dormant line that I had put aside a couple of decades ago through lack of progress. - Email, 2018
Went ahead and purchased your two Boswell books today. I respect your research and writing too much to miss out on reading them. Excellent Work. - Email, November 2018
I just wanted to write and say how much I've enjoyed your first two books on the early Boswells. I will most certainly be purchasing the rest of the books in the series. - Email, Spring 2018
Your one good detective, hope you find more and people remember you, well done Rich, people will learn great things from you. - A Boswell, internet forum, 2017
Early British Gypsy Families, Vol 1
Have received my copy of your latest book - thank you. I’ve only had a chance to skim read it and I love it already. - Customer by personal email, November 2018
Excellent service, communication and packaging. Perfect. - Ebay Customer, Spring 2019
Early British Gypsy Families, Vol 2
Richard Edmunds' study explores a wide range of historical records in relation to two major Gypsy and Traveller families - the Hearns and the Stanleys.
The book presents a fascinating collection of materials, detailing baptisms, marriages and burials, court records and newspaper articles, all of which combine to describe the rich tapestry of the lives and times of these significant two families.
The section on the Hearns dating from as early as the 16th century offers a wide-ranging discussion on sightings of the family. The exploration of connections with other key families is often compelling and thought-provoking.
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The second part of the study, centred on the Stanleys, also focuses on historical materials from the 16th century [onwards] and examines familial links, especially in terms of marriages and travelling groups. Edmunds research skills bring evidence to bear on close ties that are often revealing and sometimes surprising.
The text is extremely informative and appealingly peppered with images from historical records, as well as some wonderfully coloured prints of Gypsy people. - From a review printed in Romany Routes, the Journal of the Romany and Traveller Family History Society, Vol 14 No 3, June 2019, by Anne Ford of www.gypsygenealogy.com.
Really good book. - Ebay Customer, April 2019
Excellent account as always Richard, you have discovered so much great information, many thanks to you. - Website Customer, April 2019
Early British Gypsy Families, Vol 3
An excellent reference book to the Smiths, [that] is also also very readable. [The author] explains his reasoning about the events he has found and the connections between them. He also includes general historical information to set the family data into context. While much of the information is from parish registers, the book also includes interesting newspaper articles to expand on the stories and the text is nicely broken up into chapters covering different periods or topics and is illustrated with photos, paintings and engravings, many of them in colour. A huge amount of work has gone into researching this volume and Richard must be thanked for bringing the information it contains to a wider audience, and I hope others may also find the missing pieces of their Smith jigsaw in its pages. - Taken from a review by Dianne Sutton, Treasurer of the Romany and Traveller Family History Society, printed in Romany Routes, Vol 14 No 9, September 2019.
It takes a very courageous- and a very experienced - Romany family historian to attempt to research and write a book about the Smiths: one of Britian's most common and widely spread Romany surnames. But this is the enormous challenge that Richard Edmunds has tackled - and accomplished - in this well researched book. My own special interest is the Smith family of East Anglia and to my delight Richard devotes a complete chapter to them. I have been studying these Smiths intensively for three decades but Richard has presented me with a number of intriguing discoveries on associated lines that have set me off on welcome new paths. What's more, there can be few Romany families in the past who didn't intermarry with or travel with a Smiths or two at some time. This book is therefore an asset that I can happily recommend to everyone, no matter what surnames they are interested in. - Sharon Heppell, Editor of Romany Routes, the Journal of the Romany and Traveller Family History Society. September 2019
Excellent work as always - Ebay Customer July 2019
Very pleased with the book. - Ebay
Customer June 2019
Perfect A+ 5⭐ would definitely recomend thanks 😉👍- Ebay
Customer May 2019
Excellent Seller, Fast Delivery A+++++ - Ebay Customer May 2019
Wasn’t expecting the book so soon in the post, very prompt!- Ebay Customer May 2019
Early Silk Weavers of London and Spitalfields
Excellent, thanks. - ebay
Good account. Received fast as described. Delighted! - ebay
Congratulations what an effort! - French Huguenot Genealogy Group Facebook.
Well done. Fabulous. - French Huguenot Genealogy Group Facebook.
The book arrived and it is fantastic! You have explained the whole background to the weaving industry so clearly and it is full of interesting information and pictures! Really enjoying it, and hope it gets the success it deserves. - French Huguenot Genealogy Group Facebook.
I was so looking foward to reading your book. Really enjoyed it. It has added to my knowledge of events.
- French Huguenot Genealogy Group Facebook.
Great service and really interesting book. Thank you so much. - ebay Customer 2019
Inside the Kray Family Tree
Brilliant book, thank you Richard. Highly recommended. - 23.02.2018
Great book, really pleased with it and the super fast delivery. - 25.02.2018
Great product and delivery. - 27.02.2018
Really interesting, thank you. - 24.03.2018
Would recommend this book. Perfect transaction. Many thanks. - 04.04.2018
Very interesting. Received with thanks. - 14.04. 2018
Excellent service. Fast Delivery. Thank you. - 21.04.2018
Great buy and fast delivery. A***** 10.05.2018
Brilliant in every aspect. 25.05.2018
THANK YOU for the book, it arrived in perfect condition. 20.06.2018
Fantastic addition to my collection of Kray books. The author knows his stuff and has obviously done his research. Delves right into history. 10.06.2019