University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Scope and Contents

"Simple and immoral, attractive but had no brains. Much younger than her husband. One child a piccaninny."

Husband: 6.21, son: 6.22

Scope and Contents "This girl is described by the teacher as definitely simple. She steals and thieves, has a funny eye and is very dirty. Goes about with a sack over her shoulders. She thinks she can sing. Her parents are tinkers and go about in a caravan all summer, living in a cottage in the winter. Father a horse dealer and dealer in old clothes. Mother, aged about 40, brazen type, looks like a Gypsy. Deals in old clothes, always having babies, personally dirty. The family are at present living in a...

Scope and Contents

"Promiscuous and immoral. Feckless, but can look nice. Mother dead. Sergt. - a proper gyp, a dead wrong one. No PA, was offered indoor relief but refused it. Known to RSSPCC. Nurse: A problem woman, dirty, soft and MD. Labour exchange - working as a char, a bad lot."

Relatives in survey: children 28.14, 28.15

Scope and Contents

"A terrible woman, assaults her husband, drinks. Nurse confirms - insane temper, quarrelsome, not clean. Dr says this woman is of gypsy stock, has dragged her husband down. He once nearly murdered her."

Relatives in survey: Husband 16.238; children 16.241, 16.240

Scope and Contents "This is one of the local characters, will neither work nor want, has been on PA all his days. Labourer really. Married, six children. [Female informant]: Gipsy type, awful poacher, dull too. Dr confirms - asthma and poaching. Very nice family, have done well. One son had neurosis after Dunkirk and was discharged from the army. LE: Unsteady work record, O.O.W just now, nobody will employ him. Was on U.A.B for a time before the war. Was fined for having government property in his...

Scope and Contents

"The police inspector says her husband is all right, a fine fellow, now a farm worker. His wife was always queer and made trouble with his mother, when through all his money etc. She is English, "an old tinker"."