Papers of Jenny Smith, (Gypsy and Traveller Rights Campaigner)
Contains records with digital mediaPlease note
The catalogue titles or descriptions in this collection may contain terminology and phrases that would now be considered unacceptable. Where present these original terms continue to be included to preserve historical accuracy and provide social and historical context.Users are advised that the content in this collection may include accounts of discrimination and the expression of opinions and/or terminology that would now be considered unacceptable.
See the Access and usage section below for further details.
Details
Type of record: Archive
Title: Papers of Jenny Smith, (Gypsy and Traveller Rights Campaigner)
Classmark: MS 2064
Creator(s): Smith, Jenny()
Date(s): c.1985 - c.2017
Language: English
Size and medium: 91 boxes; manuscript papers, typescript papers, pamphlets, volumes; newspaper cuttings; 3-1/2 inch floppy disks; 5-1⁄4 inch floppy disks; dictaphone tapes; cassette tapes; facsimiles; magazines
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/611487
Collection group(s): Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Collections
Description
Papers created and reference material collected in the course of Jenny Smith's work campaigning on behalf of Gypsies and Travellers in Bristol area and nationally (UK).
Concerns various UK laws, (particularly the Criminal Justice Act 1994), individual cases and local/national/European policies and their impact on the lives of Gypsies and Travellers.
There is a particular focus on New (Age) Travellers [non-ethnic Travellers who adopt a nomadic lifestyle]. Includes reference to campaigns and protest movements around the subject of Gypsy/Traveller rights and associated/wider issues such as the (free) festivals; those seeking alternative lifestyles; squatting movements; Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, right to access Stone Henge and various environmental campaigns.
Includes Acts of parliament, correspondence, research material, minutes,(national and local committee/council meetings) publicity material, notices, press cuttings newsletters, reports, briefing papers, statistics, drafts, case files and legal/court records.
Biography or history
Jenny Smith actively campaigned for the rights of [Gypsies and]'Travellers' in the course of her work as a councillor in the Bristol/Avon area, (1985-2016) as an employee of Shelter (housing and homelessness charity) and her activities as a Quaker.
In a period where the UK's legal definitions of different nomadic communities was still evolving, Jenny championed the rights of all 'Travellers,' whether ethnic (Gypsies/Romany Travellers) or non-ethnic (Travellers).
Working in the Bristol area meant that much of her work was on behalf of New (Age) Travellers that lived and travelled within the region.
Jenny Smith served as Labour Councillor for 31 years (Henbury 1985-1993 and 1993-2016 Southmead) in the Bristol/Avon area. [In 1996 Avon County Council was abolished and replaced by four unitary authorities; 1)Bristol; 2)Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) including Bath and Wansdyke districts; 3)North Somerset (including Woodspring); 4) South Gloucestershire (including Kingswood and Northavon].
During this time she was on various committees, (including Social Services, Housing Environment, Rights of Way,) and served as the Labour Lead for the (Avon) Gypsy and Traveller committee.
Her work spanned a pivotal period in the history of the State's relationship with Gypsies and Travellers including the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act in 1994, (repealing the provisions of the 1968 Caravan Sites Act).
During this time, Jenny Smith also became active at a national level, becoming a leading member (chair/membership secretary) of the Labour (Party) Campaign for Travellers Rights (LCTR). LCTR was founded in 1986 in response to increasing concerns about the lack of legal site provision, infringements of the rights of Travellers and hostile attitudes towards them.
Jenny also worked for Shelter as a housing aid worker (1981-1997) and later worked on a dedicated Shelter project "Travelling Peoples Project" working with Gypsies and Travellers. She also researched and authored an EU funded guide book, "A right to Travel and never stop."
Jenny Smith retired as councillor in 2016.
Provenance
Jenny Smith began depositing material in 1997 and this is still ongoing. The focus of the deposits here at University of Leeds is her work with Gypsy and Traveller Rights. [Please see related material for evidence of her work outside this subject].
Catalogue created as part of the, "Collectors & Activist" Project, (with support from the National Cataloguing Grants Programme 2016/17).
System of arrangement
Files have been arranged as per the original order that Jenny Smith created [as per handlist that accompanied the 1st deposit]. Most titles of series/sub-series are as per the original titles as listed at deposit. [There are some minor amendments to titles to better reflect contents and these appear in brackets. Those that were original will also have an alt ref A-G pre-fixed number].If no 'alt ref' exists then this series/sub-series has been an addition by the archivist. These are broken down into subject/type of records rather than the (creating) organisation that Jenny was representing when creating/using this material.It is likely that much of the material was used to inform Jenny Smith's work across her different roles, (employee of Shelter/Councillor/member of Labour Campaign for Traveller Rights).
Access and usage
Reproduction
Access
This collection is subject to various access conditions. Please see individual catalogue descriptions for further details on access.
The catalogue titles or descriptions in this collection may contain terminology and phrases that would now be considered unacceptable. Where present these original terms continue to be included to preserve historical accuracy and provide social and historical context.
View the Cultural Collections sensitivity policy
Notes on terminology and spellings
Please note that there may be differences in the terms used to describe the particular communities represented in this collection, many of which have changed over time and may continue to change.
At the time this catalogue was created there are many definitions that identify different cultural and ethnic groups with their varied histories, traditions and associations with a travelling life.
These can include but are not limited to those that have been recognised in UK law as ethnic groups; English and Welsh (Romany) Gypsies, Irish and Scottish Travellers; and non-ethnic groups that consider themselves distinct even if these have not been recognised in UK law, e.g. New Travellers, Showmen and Bargees. Outside of the UK 'Gypsy' may also be considered offensive and ‘Roma’ is often used instead as the universally preferred term although this term also represents a wide range of distinct groups, (e.g. Sinti, Manouche).
It is our intention to respectfully and (where possible) accurately refer to these different communities in the catalogue. For this reason we ask you to note the following with regards to the descriptions in this catalogue that have been based on these current definitions:
1) As many of these definitions have only come into being since the collection was created/1st catalogued, please be aware that original descriptions may not accurately reflect the group to which it refers, (e.g. the word 'Gypsy,' may have been used to describe those now recognised as Irish Travellers/Roma). Therefore it is worth searching under various terms, e.g. 'Romany' and 'Traveller,' to broaden the scope of search results as well as using the alternative historical spellings, 'Gipsy,' 'Gipsie,' or ‘Romani.’
2) Where no original description exists and it is not possible to properly identify a distinct group they will be described as "Gypsy Traveller" (within UK setting), "Roma" for those living/recently originating outside the UK or "Gypsy, Traveller, Roma " for origin/locations unknown. References to any non - ethnic groups will similarly be capitalised to respectfully acknowledge all groups.
Some material in this collection has protected access by donor agreement. You will need to complete a data protection access form and return it to Special Collections for review by staff before access can be granted
Users are advised that the content in this collection may include accounts of discrimination and the expression of opinions and/or terminology that would now be considered unacceptable.
Material in this collection may remain in copyright but further details are unknown. Photocopies or digital images can only be supplied by the Library for research or private study. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder's permission to reproduce for any other purpose. Guidance is available for tracing copyright status and ownership.
Physical and technical conditions
Among the papers there are a number of faxes/fax copies [facsimiles] where the inks are fading [in some cases significantly] and this may make some difficult to read.