Eldra Mary Jarman born Eldra Mary Roberts (4 September 1917 – 24 September 2000) She had

south Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

heritage as she was a

Kale (Welsh Roma) The Kale (also Kalé, Kalá, Valshanange; ) are a Romani subgroup predominantly found in northwestern Wales, specifically in the Welsh-speaking areas. Roma have been present in Wales since the 16th century. The Kale were traditionally renowne ...

harpist and author. She is known for the books she researched on the Welsh Romani heritage and her knowledge of the triple harp. Her memoirs were made into a film.

Early life

Jarman was born in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

in 1917. Her parents were Edith and Ernest France Roberts. Her family lived in a house, but both of her parents had

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

heritage. The family had started to integrate and become "house gypsies". Her mother, Edith (born Howard), had not lived in a house until she was ten. Jarman had a special childhood, as her playmate was her brother who was ten years older and she did not mix with other children. She learned about fishing, ferrets, dogs and how to net rabbits. Her mother was the source of oral traditions with stories. Her grandfather, Reuben Roberts, had been a harpist, while her father was employed as the regimental harpist for the

South Wales Borderers The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. In ...

. He was a talented harpist who was trusted to do his own arrangements. Eldra learned how to play by watching him.

Career

She married Alfred Owen Hughes Jarman in 1943. He was a Welsh speaker and she learnt that language. She had always identified as Roma, but she joined the Welsh nationalist party. By 1949 they were living in Cardiff and Jarman used her time to research her heritage. Work done by Romani scholars John Sampson and Dora Esther Yates. She added her own family's knowledge. In 1979 they published ''Y Sipsiwn Cymreig ''. She credits her husband and co-author for pulling all the work together. Jarman knew many harp tunes. She worked with Bryn-mawr Dancers who had formed in 1952 and she found the ideal tune for them. None of her children learned to play the harp, but they all learned to speak Welsh. In 1989 she published stories in Welsh for children in a Roma Style titled ''Y gof a'r Diafol,'' illustrated by Suzanne Carpenter. In 1991 she and her husband published ''The Welsh Gypsies: Children of Abram Wood''. This was like ''Y Sipsiwn Cymreig'', but in English and added detail.

Death and legacy

Jarman died in Pontypridd Cottage Hospital in 2000. In 2003, ''Eldra'' ''wa''s screened, S based on her life and her memoirs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarman, Eldra 1917 births 2000 deaths Writers from Aberystwyth Welsh women writers Welsh harpists Welsh Romani people 20th-century Welsh historians Welsh women historians