Chris, you've absolutely made my day. I came across you by fluke, thank you so much, mate. I grew up in the black country and still live here in Aldridge near Walsall. Your visit to the Hawthorns blew my mind that you're an Albion fan! As my family & I are life lifelong supporters (Albion till we die) on match days we all sing " 🎶The Black Countries Ours🎶" It's a shame I didn't know of your visit, my cousin is also a die-hard Albion fan & head of security at the hawthorns, Im sure he may have been able to pull a few strings for you? Oh well, maybe another time? Thanks again Chris, this was a truly wonderful experience to share your family history, God bless mate (Ay It) ❤
This was a very personal part of YOUR history and I thank you for taking us with you on this journey. What an absolutely strong feeling it must've given you to, after all these years, be able to visit these places. Just because this felt so personal this video was also a bit emotional for me. I hope to see more of your videos from the UK!
The people of tipton and dudley use words that are unchanged from Old english/Anglo Saxon. One of, if not the oldest dialect of english today, that and the west country and Cumbria in the North.
Chris, it's so funny that you were excited about UK train travel. We complain about train inefficiency all the time, late/cancelled trains and then add the industrial dispute between the companies and their drivers. On the cemetery's, I'm sorry to say we don't give much love to them here which is why the stones are at funny angles. I visit my mum/dad and grandparents (these are the ones listed in that book I had sent to you) grave about 4 times per year, if only to tidy up the patch Infront of our grave
I'm related to some Lamberts from West Bromwich on my Mom's side. They actually lived in a road named after them - Lamberts End to the west of the town. For a good description of the Black Country in the mid-19th Century, do a search for the online book "Rides on Railways" by Samuel Sidney (it's free!). The author travelled along all of the UK railways and wrote about his experiences. The section on the Black Country is very "descriptive"!
Don’t post too much of Birmingham it’s my beautiful home city and it has a reputation to be a dump. I like it that it’s a secret that it’s so green and nice. Great video I’m glad you got over here I love all your videos
I went to school at Keresly High School which is a village just outside of Coventry . As i believe i have told you before my dad was a sergeant in the Lancashire Fusiliers in WW1 and served at the Somme .
This reminded me so much of my first journey in the footsteps of my ancestors years ago. Very moving, and everyone I spoke to treated me like a long-lost daughter. Please do more of this kind of content!
My g grandfather moved from W Brom in 1901 to Sheffield, as a child my grandfather always took me to watch W Brom play the Sheffield teams, he had left WB at 1 year old but family loyalties run deep. Like you that thread to the past still runs down to my grandchildren and West Brom FC
This actually brought a tear to my eye. I'm originally from West Bromwich and live in Dudley now. I've still got family in West Bromwich and I know All Saints Church (or 'the old church') very well. I was born at Hallam Hospital, literally just up the road (All Saints Way) from the church, and briefly worked there as cover for staff sickness a few years ago. A very strange experience working at the same hospital where I was born, and also had visited family members previously. I know Coseley, Tipton and Wednesbury very well. Still very proud of my roots and a proud West Bromwich Albion supporter. I could see in your video how much it meant to you to visit the home of your ancestors. Such familiar places to me, but so special to both of us.
What an absolutely brilliant video and somewhat a surprise. I live about 200 yards from All Saints Church in West Brom (it's locally known as Old Church). My parents and grandparents also got married their. Across the road from me is another cemetery which is bigger than All Saints. Many of the gravestones are at an angle because of some subsidence due to former mining of the area. All of my deceased mother's side of the family come from this part of the Black Country (West Brom, Tipton, Great Bridge, Dudley, etc). We've traced our family tree back to about 1750 but I can't remember any of your family names overlapping with ours. I'll pop down later and look at the Lambert's gravestones. I'm 71 now and have been a Baggies fan all of my life (very stressful!). I hope you enjoyed your time here and thank you for posting this.
Your family Whittaker were Black Country folk, it has a rich history like the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. I hope you have managed to find more of the history of the BC, my own family have connections to the Black Country and the Jewellery Quarter. My three times Great Grandfather was a Goldsmith in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and had his own hallmark. It was so nice to see your reaction to arriving in Tipton. The Black Country is interesting not the most beautiful in the country but when you have family connections it is very different you feel a connection. It was a very different place in those times.
As your ancestors hail from the Tipton area, in the Brummie vernacular that would make you a "Daewe"...... from the habit in that area of adding the words "dae we" (didnt we) at the end of sentances.......
That was such a wonderful video thank you so much. Tipton and West Bromwich comes under what is still known and 'Black Country.' If you had had time, a walk up Sedgley Beacon, you would have seen all the old industrial Black Country in front of you almost stretching to Birmingham. And turn around you would have seen almost to the Shropshire Hills. Sedgley Beacon is the second highest point in the West Midlands.
It's great that you were able to share this Chris. It's amazing seeing you experience this stuff for the first time. Honestly, next time you are over here, you have to let me know beforehand, and we can sort out Westminster and a few other bits.
Interesting vid. Tipton and West Bromwich and tough old, working class towns. No glamour attached to them, but there's a lot of local pride. West Bromwich has been a very diverse town for years now, with ppl coming from Asia, the Caribbean in particular. It's good you're outside of London, these are places that properly reflect the industrial heritage of England. It's no wonder quite a number left to go abroad, given the awful working conditions they faced in the industrial revolution.
nice video , so nice that you came all this way to see where you ancestors came from , has given me the thought that i should do the same and go to london and do the same
I live less than a mile from Coseley in Bradley. You should have popped in for a cuppa. I’m originally from a place called Brownhills…between Walsall and Cannock.
I love our old cemetaries , they have an atmosphere about them i can't explain . My local church was built 1100s its pretty old , i often walk around just reafing the head stones .
Lots and lots of older houses and pubs in rural areas , my local pub is from the 1500s , you will see old pubs in cities and homes as they will be listed buildings and protected . And don't forget the bombings in a lot of cities during the second world war.
Love this Chris! My Mom and her side are all from the Dudley/Netherton area - just a stones throw from yours haha. Next time you go over try giving Harvington Hall a visit, super fascinating place. Also the Plough Inn Bathams, a pub my grandfather frequented and supposedly was owned by John Bonham. My Grandfather used to drink with Bonham often at a pub near there called The Chequers near Cutnall Green - worth checking that out too! Peace from Oklahoma ✌️
Chris I served a two year mission for my church and where you were is where I spent my first 5 months. I used to wait outside cosely station for the bus to take us to our flat in Sedgeley. I love this section of the West Midlands so much.
So cool. Happy for you sincerely. Were both of your maternal grandparents aware of their familial ties tonthe same church? Or did you discover that for them?
Hi ,I am born and bred black country in bilston 2mile from Tipton,some people knock these areas because they look and are rough and grey and rundown but as you look back at your history you will find that these people virtually built this country throu the centuries of hard work but you only have to talk to anybody and they will engage in banter with you and do anything to help you unlike other places s I have been to that are nice ares but people not the same gravy as black country folk so be very proud of your heritage. one thing Tipton in the black country NOT brum, so your family is split,but not the same you
They were both from Harborne originally. Cpl Joseph Hodges 1st Canadian Railway Troops died of pneumonia in Jan 1919 and Pte Walter Harold Stevenson MM 10th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regt) died 24 October 1916.
Amazing video, really enjoyed it! What really amazes me is how old many of the graves are in the UK and that apparently many original headstones are still standing. It would be great if someone in the area were to clean them up and restore them to a better condition. Please do more of these videos if you have time while in the UK :)
All Saints Church is my church where I attend every Sunday. I know you were there for your relatives but did you see the grave of William Eaton? He had the honour of sending Admiral Nelson's message to the fleet at Trafalgar of: This day England expects that every man will do his duty. Great to see you visiting The Shrine of The Hawthorns. I am there every home game with my mate suffering more often than not but still loving the good moments. Good luck to you.
Very interesting that you actually found the two graves of your ancestors. Interesting that W.B.A. was a founder member of what is the most popular sport in the world .
This may be too long of a answer for RUclips, but how can I find information as to what region of a country my family came from? I have a good idea of region and specific country, but not specific cities.
If they come from the UK, 1841 is the first census. Then every 10 years. So have a look on Ancestry which you have to pay for but is good. Or freereg or freecen which are free for census returns or registrations of birth, marriage, death but a bit more hit and mix.
@VloggingThroughHistory the zoo and the canal boats rides aren't part of the museum but definitely worth it as the canal you see the tunnel and fossils and the zoo you get to see the castle as well
How weird. My Gt Grandad was baptized in All Saints and married in St Martins 1899. Also family on other side are buried in Warstone Lane and i have family in Tipton. I was born in West Brom.
I am please that as an American you have taken the trouble to find and visit your heritage. More interestingly that you dont use a car? I did notice that apart from pubs, (mainly used for cock fights), you dont mention the history of the area, and I noted you dont use the local name of where you visited which is as I am sure you know, is called the Black Country. Also the dialect of English used there, which is a mix of Welsh and Yorkshire. People from the Black Country are called YAM YAM`s. It may be wise at this point to advise you not to call the area Birmingham, this is a great insult to yam yams. People from Birmingham are called Brummies. Yam Yams hate Brummies with a passion, I dont know the reason for this, but it is true. Well, there is much to type here, I could almost write a book, but I do hope you will visit Dudley Castle, Dudley also owned Kenilworth Castle and was known as the king maker. Kenilworth is also the spot where Henry the V had an arrow taken out of his face, and the place where an attempt on Queen Elizabeth 1st` life was made. You are seeing the black country after it was cleaned up, it was a very unhealthy place to live as most people came from the countryside to the towns to become miners and also work in the smelting industry to make pig iron. You where lucky to make it past 35 years of age in those days. But, I am sure you know all this already. If you can add some history in your next visit to the black country, then I am sure a lot of people would enjoy it. Oh, by the way, I was most impressed with your pronunciation of "West Bromwich" a good effort. Enjoy your walk about. 👍
Good you were able to get over to this side of the pond and find your roots. Brum has probably one of the most awful accents here in England. Hope you could understand folks. Just think, if your relatives hadn’t migrated you’d have a funny accent…..! 😅 Glad you got to where you wanted to. uk
The people of tipton and dudley use words that are unchanged from Old english/Anglo Saxon. One of, if not the oldest dialect of english today, that and the west country and Cumbria in the North.
Loving these U.K. vlogs, your knowledge of the U.K. is actually incredibly impressive. Hope to see more UK trips in the future.
I hope to get back there as often as I can!
Awesome, I live in Wednesbury too!
Chris, you've absolutely made my day. I came across you by fluke, thank you so much, mate. I grew up in the black country and still live here in Aldridge near Walsall. Your visit to the Hawthorns blew my mind that you're an Albion fan! As my family & I are life lifelong supporters (Albion till we die) on match days we all sing " 🎶The Black Countries Ours🎶" It's a shame I didn't know of your visit, my cousin is also a die-hard Albion fan & head of security at the hawthorns, Im sure he may have been able to pull a few strings for you? Oh well, maybe another time? Thanks again Chris, this was a truly wonderful experience to share your family history, God bless mate (Ay It) ❤
Going to see my first game at the Hawthorns on Feb 14th vs. Cardiff City. Can't wait!
This was a very personal part of YOUR history and I thank you for taking us with you on this journey. What an absolutely strong feeling it must've given you to, after all these years, be able to visit these places.
Just because this felt so personal this video was also a bit emotional for me.
I hope to see more of your videos from the UK!
The people of tipton and dudley use words that are unchanged from Old english/Anglo Saxon. One of, if not the oldest dialect of english today, that and the west country and Cumbria in the North.
Chris, it's so funny that you were excited about UK train travel. We complain about train inefficiency all the time, late/cancelled trains and then add the industrial dispute between the companies and their drivers.
On the cemetery's, I'm sorry to say we don't give much love to them here which is why the stones are at funny angles. I visit my mum/dad and grandparents (these are the ones listed in that book I had sent to you) grave about 4 times per year, if only to tidy up the patch Infront of our grave
I literally live half a mile from Christ Church in Coseley. I can see the tower from my bedroom window. I went to the primary school across the roa.
I'm related to some Lamberts from West Bromwich on my Mom's side. They actually lived in a road named after them - Lamberts End to the west of the town.
For a good description of the Black Country in the mid-19th Century, do a search for the online book "Rides on Railways" by Samuel Sidney (it's free!). The author travelled along all of the UK railways and wrote about his experiences. The section on the Black Country is very "descriptive"!
Don’t post too much of Birmingham it’s my beautiful home city and it has a reputation to be a dump. I like it that it’s a secret that it’s so green and nice. Great video I’m glad you got over here I love all your videos
I went to school at Keresly High School which is a village just outside of Coventry . As i believe i have told you before my dad was a sergeant in the Lancashire Fusiliers in WW1 and served at the Somme .
Love to hear people talk about their family history!
How cool that you were able to do this.... most genealogist don't get to visit their roots overseas. Very nice video, thank you for bringing us along.
This reminded me so much of my first journey in the footsteps of my ancestors years ago. Very moving, and everyone I spoke to treated me like a long-lost daughter.
Please do more of this kind of content!
My g grandfather moved from W Brom in 1901 to Sheffield, as a child my grandfather always took me to watch W Brom play the Sheffield teams, he had left WB at 1 year old but family loyalties run deep. Like you that thread to the past still runs down to my grandchildren and West Brom FC
This actually brought a tear to my eye. I'm originally from West Bromwich and live in Dudley now. I've still got family in West Bromwich and I know All Saints Church (or 'the old church') very well. I was born at Hallam Hospital, literally just up the road (All Saints Way) from the church, and briefly worked there as cover for staff sickness a few years ago. A very strange experience working at the same hospital where I was born, and also had visited family members previously. I know Coseley, Tipton and Wednesbury very well. Still very proud of my roots and a proud West Bromwich Albion supporter. I could see in your video how much it meant to you to visit the home of your ancestors. Such familiar places to me, but so special to both of us.
What an absolutely brilliant video and somewhat a surprise. I live about 200 yards from All Saints Church in West Brom (it's locally known as Old Church). My parents and grandparents also got married their. Across the road from me is another cemetery which is bigger than All Saints. Many of the gravestones are at an angle because of some subsidence due to former mining of the area. All of my deceased mother's side of the family come from this part of the Black Country (West Brom, Tipton, Great Bridge, Dudley, etc). We've traced our family tree back to about 1750 but I can't remember any of your family names overlapping with ours. I'll pop down later and look at the Lambert's gravestones.
I'm 71 now and have been a Baggies fan all of my life (very stressful!).
I hope you enjoyed your time here and thank you for posting this.
Your family Whittaker were Black Country folk, it has a rich history like the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. I hope you have managed to find more of the history of the BC, my own family have connections to the Black Country and the Jewellery Quarter. My three times Great Grandfather was a Goldsmith in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and had his own hallmark.
It was so nice to see your reaction to arriving in Tipton. The Black Country is interesting not the most beautiful in the country but when you have family connections it is very different you feel a connection. It was a very different place in those times.
Looks like a movie set
As your ancestors hail from the Tipton area, in the Brummie vernacular that would make you a "Daewe"...... from the habit in that area of adding the words "dae we" (didnt we) at the end of sentances.......
That was such a wonderful video thank you so much. Tipton and West Bromwich comes under what is still known and 'Black Country.' If you had had time, a walk up Sedgley Beacon, you would have seen all the old industrial Black Country in front of you almost stretching to Birmingham. And turn around you would have seen almost to the Shropshire Hills. Sedgley Beacon is the second highest point in the West Midlands.
Love this u are doing what i would love to do..my maternal side came from England and Ireland
It's great that you were able to share this Chris. It's amazing seeing you experience this stuff for the first time. Honestly, next time you are over here, you have to let me know beforehand, and we can sort out Westminster and a few other bits.
Will do! This was back in January.
Interesting vid. Tipton and West Bromwich and tough old, working class towns. No glamour attached to them, but there's a lot of local pride. West Bromwich has been a very diverse town for years now, with ppl coming from Asia, the Caribbean in particular. It's good you're outside of London, these are places that properly reflect the industrial heritage of England. It's no wonder quite a number left to go abroad, given the awful working conditions they faced in the industrial revolution.
nice video , so nice that you came all this way to see where you ancestors came from , has given me the thought that i should do the same and go to london and do the same
I live less than a mile from Coseley in Bradley. You should have popped in for a cuppa. I’m originally from a place called Brownhills…between Walsall and Cannock.
I love our old cemetaries , they have an atmosphere about them i can't explain . My local church was built 1100s its pretty old , i often walk around just reafing the head stones .
I always find it such a shame how much of the older houses and pubs in a lot of englands big cities were replaced in the 1930s-1960s.
Lots and lots of older houses and pubs in rural areas , my local pub is from the 1500s , you will see old pubs in cities and homes as they will be listed buildings and protected . And don't forget the bombings in a lot of cities during the second world war.
the bombing didnt much help, the country was so broke in the 50's and so many people needed housing that it was the best solution at the time.
Love this Chris! My Mom and her side are all from the Dudley/Netherton area - just a stones throw from yours haha. Next time you go over try giving Harvington Hall a visit, super fascinating place. Also the Plough Inn Bathams, a pub my grandfather frequented and supposedly was owned by John Bonham. My Grandfather used to drink with Bonham often at a pub near there called The Chequers near Cutnall Green - worth checking that out too! Peace from Oklahoma ✌️
Please keep up these videos they are exactly the kind of quality content we need more of on this site!
Such a cool journey, Chris! Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
Chris I served a two year mission for my church and where you were is where I spent my first 5 months. I used to wait outside cosely station for the bus to take us to our flat in Sedgeley. I love this section of the West Midlands so much.
Incredible vlog mate 👏
Nice to see you walking in your ancestors footprints. Rather an overcast cold day, our winters are rather grey. Thank you for sharing.
So cool. Happy for you sincerely. Were both of your maternal grandparents aware of their familial ties tonthe same church? Or did you discover that for them?
They had no idea until I discovered it. And just last week I discovered that one of my paternal grandparents has ancestral ties to Wednesbury as well.
Hi ,I am born and bred black country in bilston 2mile from Tipton,some people knock these areas because they look and are rough and grey and rundown but as you look back at your history you will find that these people virtually built this country throu the centuries of hard work but you only have to talk to anybody and they will engage in banter with you and do anything to help you unlike other places s I have been to that are nice ares but people not the same gravy as black country folk so be very proud of your heritage. one thing Tipton in the black country NOT brum, so your family is split,but not the same
you
This was so cool - thank you for sharing this moment!
In Harborne cemetry there are two Canadian war graves. Cant remenber the names. Both died in 1919. Ive always wondered why theyre there.
They were both from Harborne originally. Cpl Joseph Hodges 1st Canadian Railway Troops died of pneumonia in Jan 1919 and Pte Walter Harold Stevenson MM 10th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regt) died 24 October 1916.
Very beautiful to share your history with us. Great vlog series
Thanks so much for taking us on this journey with you. This was fantastic!!
Amazing video, really enjoyed it! What really amazes me is how old many of the graves are in the UK and that apparently many original headstones are still standing. It would be great if someone in the area were to clean them up and restore them to a better condition.
Please do more of these videos if you have time while in the UK :)
Hi, Chris, that was brilliant and so interesting, hope youll be doing more.
All Saints Church is my church where I attend every Sunday. I know you were there for your relatives but did you see the grave of William Eaton? He had the honour of sending Admiral Nelson's message to the fleet at Trafalgar of: This day England expects that every man will do his duty. Great to see you visiting The Shrine of The Hawthorns. I am there every home game with my mate suffering more often than not but still loving the good moments. Good luck to you.
❤
This is a wonderful video, and I enjoyed watching it very much. I hope you will make more of these in the future.
Very interesting that you actually found the two graves of your ancestors. Interesting that W.B.A. was a founder member of what is the most popular sport in the world .
welcome
This may be too long of a answer for RUclips, but how can I find information as to what region of a country my family came from? I have a good idea of region and specific country, but not specific cities.
If they come from the UK, 1841 is the first census. Then every 10 years. So have a look on Ancestry which you have to pay for but is good. Or freereg or freecen which are free for census returns or registrations of birth, marriage, death but a bit more hit and mix.
Vth went to my home town dam the church has lot of history in Coseley did you visit the black country museum and go on the cut
I went past the museum but definitely plan to go there next time.
@VloggingThroughHistory the zoo and the canal boats rides aren't part of the museum but definitely worth it as the canal you see the tunnel and fossils and the zoo you get to see the castle as well
God bless you man. 🙏 Thank you....well except for making me stream with tears like a girl!🥺 😂
How weird. My Gt Grandad was baptized in All Saints and married in St Martins 1899.
Also family on other side are buried in Warstone Lane and i have family in Tipton. I was born in West Brom.
I am please that as an American you have taken the trouble to find and visit your heritage. More interestingly that you dont use a car?
I did notice that apart from pubs, (mainly used for cock fights), you dont mention the history of the area,
and I noted you dont use the local name of where you visited which is as I am sure you know, is called the
Black Country.
Also the dialect of English used there, which is a mix of Welsh and Yorkshire.
People from the Black Country are called YAM YAM`s.
It may be wise at this point to advise you not to call the area Birmingham, this is a great insult to yam yams.
People from Birmingham are called Brummies.
Yam Yams hate Brummies with a passion, I dont know the reason for this, but it is true.
Well, there is much to type here, I could almost write a book, but I do hope you will visit Dudley Castle, Dudley also owned Kenilworth Castle and was known as the king maker.
Kenilworth is also the spot where Henry the V had an arrow taken out of his face, and the place where an attempt on Queen Elizabeth 1st` life was made.
You are seeing the black country after it was cleaned up, it was a very unhealthy place to live as most people came from the countryside to the towns to become
miners and also work in the smelting industry to make pig iron.
You where lucky to make it past 35 years of age in those days.
But, I am sure you know all this already.
If you can add some history in your next visit to the black country, then I am sure a lot of people would enjoy it.
Oh, by the way, I was most impressed with your pronunciation of "West Bromwich" a good effort.
Enjoy your walk about. 👍
Typical miserable grey day in Birmingham
Good you were able to get over to this side of the pond and find your roots. Brum has probably one of the most awful accents here in England. Hope you could understand folks. Just think, if your relatives hadn’t migrated you’d have a funny accent…..! 😅 Glad you got to where you wanted to. uk
I hope you realise that there are much prettier parts of England than industrial Birmingham.
I hope you realize that Birmingham is a very green city compared to most - but it sounds as if you have unwarranted misconceptions.
@@johnfinister5011 I live only 50 miles away in Gloucestershire. A different world entirely.
The people of tipton and dudley use words that are unchanged from Old english/Anglo Saxon. One of, if not the oldest dialect of english today, that and the west country and Cumbria in the North.