Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies) (2nd ed.)

Originating in India, gypsies came to Europe around the fourteenth century, the term having originated from “Egyptian” because, when the Romanies were first encountered, it was wrongly thought that they had come from Egypt. It is estimated that the first gypsies to come to Britain arrived at the turn of the fifteenth century, with the first written records referring to fortune‐tellers in Lambeth. This is significant, since fortune‐telling provides a useful first or second income, especially for Kalderash and Sinti families who, in Western Europe, use palm‐reading techniques. The first gypsy migration to the USA included farm workers, blacksmiths and...