Travelers...who, what and where are they?

[Conservababe]

Since the news and tape of Madelyne Gorman/Toogood's beating of her child has been made public, there seems to be much interest in posters that the mother was an Irish Traveler. I, myself, have done searches on the net to learn more of the Travelers or Gypsies in the USA. I have not found anything that is more interesting than that of the posters who have given their individual experiences with these people. But, it is so much fragmented in many threads. I am hoping that by starting this thread, Freepers can relate their experiences and knowlege of these people, the Travelers. I wish it not to discuss the mother or her actions, necessarily, but to discuss the nature of the clan or cult or whatever or whoever is the Travelers.

[Conservababe]

Feel free to comment on this interesting subject, to me, at least.

[Lloyd227]

and now I'm intrigued, what the heck are "The Travelers"?

[A CA Guy]

Travelors used to be a pretty big insurance company.

[Conservababe]

That is what I am hoping to find out, Lloyd. Evidently, the mother was of an Irish clan of Travelers.

[lelio]

Here's a post about them. The book "Scam!" is about The Travelers.

[Conservababe]

Thank you. I have read that thread. I am hoping to gather personal experiences with the Travelers/Gypsies to this thread. So many Freepers across the USA have encountered them in one incident or another.

[Abcdefg]

I think her mother is an Irish Setter.

[Black Cat]

They're gypsies who travel around the country doing handyman work. Unfortunately, they're also con men. They say they'll do something and then either do a crummy job or just skip out altogether. Their MO is stuff like going up to a target house -- usually the elderly -- and saying they were just driving by and noticed that they have a bad roof/chimney/whatever and "since they happen to have some materials left over from a job they just finished," they'll do the job cheap. Oh, and could you pay up front please.

The police look on them with extreme disfavor around here. They blow in en masse about once every five years or so, scam whoever they can and disappear without a trace...

[Conservababe]

Yes, I have heard that the Travelers are expecially expert in roofing and repaving jobs, that are never finished or are poorly done, if at all.

[hole_n_one]

Traveler

KSU 27 USC 20 :-(

[varina davis]

Feel free to comment on this interesting subject, to me, at least.

I've read they date back to the Williamson clan, a huge extended family that travels almost continuously doing various temporary work that sometimes results in scams.

[Conservababe]

Has anyone ever heard the Travelers talk in "cant", their secret language?

[LibWhacker]

I KNEW it! Said so the other day as soon as I got a look at the mom's face. The Traveler's are gypsy con men, contractors usually. They take your money and run. They're big on beauty paegants for 4 and 5 year old girls, and marrying their daughters off early. It's also no coincidence the mom was involved in shop lifting. That's another one of their specialties, as is insurance fraud. Not nice people. Poor girl.

[Conservababe]

Please, who and when were or are the Williamson clan?

I am wondering how Travelers can be nomadic in their SUVS, really. I mean, this is the modern world and they do not drive buggies as the Amish.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Who gives a Tinker's Damn about the Travelers

[Conservababe]

Nice observation on your part. I have heard that the children of Travelers are trained at an early age to become proper theives.

[rellimpank]

--the Williamsons were nationally notorious 45-50 years ago as gypsy travelling con artists--there was a major article on them in the old Saturday Evening Post in the mid fifties--

[Conservababe]

I do. LOL I am of Irish people, Cork County. I know that my grandmother and grandfather, second generation Americans, used to refer to the peddler of salves and ointments who knocked on their door, as a "tinker". I am curious now as to who the man really was and what did they think of him, really. Dang, I was too young to know to ask. LOL

[Conservababe]

Ah ha, thank you so much for the information.

[Age of Reason]

60 Minutes did a segment on the Travelers about five or so years ago.