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Black Patch

R

RobertS

master brummie
It is interesting to note two references on the forum to Black Patch, referring to land infill/reclamation with slag ash or something similar.

Mariew in the 'Old Book' theme shows and encampment on a Black Patch.

The Balsall Heath theme also mentions a similar Black Patch used for football on the banks of the Rea.

In both of these cases these areas don't appear thus marked on maps just in memory.

Wonder if there are any others with this name (rather than just a description.)?
 
RobertS

Of the black patches you mention, of the one from Mariew's book I know nothing. In Balsall heath the one on the banks of the Rea became part of Calthorpe Park and became a football pitch.

There was one in Balsall Heath Rd that was used for motor bike scrambling at times,

There was one in Alfred Rd Sparkbrook that was used for cycle races, and there was one on the corner of Windsor St anfd Francis St Nechells that was just a park with a few swings and a roundabout.

These are just a few that I remember, but I am sure there were very many more.

pmcq947
 
I think that during the war it might have been seen as a quick way of dealing with bomb sites once they were cleared. Once covered with about 3 inches of ash of which there was no shortage of supply. The site would remain weed and shrub free.

pmc1947
 
There was also a well documented one in Handsworth/Winson Green, Oisin wrote a wonderful article sometime ago about his escapades as a child. If you type Black Patch in the Search Box above you will find it.
 
Coleman Street, Black Patch.

pmc1947. I started reading these posts and as I read I was thinking covering of black ash or crumpled tarmac, which would give the meaning of " Black Patch "then I see your post.
After I left Coleman Street one part had been leveled and ash or whatever was put on and the kids played football on there. I guess that was the Black Patch of Coleman Street but did not realise until now. I have certainly seen clinker used for this type of thing.
 
Black Patch Park

I am a descendant of the Smith Gypsies who camped for years on Black Patch Park in Handsworth until they were evicted in about 1905 - Esau and Sentinia (known as Henty) Smith - King and Queen of the Gypsies.
 
Hello Gypsysue I did post a picture of black patch in handworth, I can't remember which post it is but someone here will be able to direct you to it, you must be so pround your descendents being gypsy king and queen.
 
I found it gypsysue if you go to the search bar and type in old book you will find it there.
 
Gypsies on Black Patch Park Handsworth

Getting used to the site but I hope you can see this photo!
 
Thanx John - I will have a look at the links you have given
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Interesting

Hello Gypsysue,
:)How interesting, can you tell us more.?...Cat
 
John I tried typing old book into the search bar but it just keeps going to todays posts, the only way I can get to it is by going to my list of susciptions, is this why sue cannot find it?
 
gypsysue,
As a matter of interest, the Loveridges and other Romany defendants still lived around Black Patch park in Merry Hill, Smethwick, bordering Winson Green (NOT Handsworth), when I was a kid. The park got its name from the black patches left by the Romany camp fires.
 
The Black Patch

Hi, All, Yes, Oison I know Black Patch is in Winson Green but I'm new to this site and I was not sure if Winson Green, being quite a small area, would mean much to people who live further afield - I thought they would recognise Handsworth more - I should stick to the facts!

The Black Patch may well have derived it's name originally from the patches burnt out of the grass by campfires when the area was still meadows but I think the name came into its own during the Industrial Revolution as it was used as a dumping ground for years by the surrounding factories. With Hockley Brook - which I understand was used to provide water power to 'Boulton & Watt's Soho Manufactory' - and a couple of contributory streams it was an ideal place to winter but gradually the streams were polluted by the factories. A lot of the Gypsies would up sticks and journey to Wales to spend the summer. As a child my mother (now seventy-five years young) would visit the site and sit in her gran's vardo (caravan) and listen to Welsh being spoken as her gran didn't speak any English.

I believe originally there had been a farm in the vicinity and the farmer had informally rented to land to the Gypsies. But the farm disappeared and the Gypsies had no papers or deeds to the land and as the whole area was developed for housing and more industry the land (who it seems everyone but the Gypsies had forsaken) became valuable. The tribe thought they had gained 'squatters' rights with being there so long (even having built a 'chapel') but unfortunately it was not to be and the majority were evicted in the early 1900's leaving Queen Henty (real name Sentinia) with a few of the Smiths living there until her death in 1907 at the age of ninety-seven.

The Gypsies were fiercely independent and earned a living from the making and selling of woven baskets, clothes pegs and tin goods like butchers meat skewers which the women hawked from door to door doing a bit of palm-reading and giving advice on the treatment of children's ailments. They were expert at repairing tin with solder. Gypsies are renowned for their horses and would journey for miles to visit horse fairs swapping horses, goods and news - I suppose you'd call it networking! But there are incidences of them pinching clothes off clothes lines as court records show!:D
 
I remember my mom saying that her mom would never turn a gypsy away and would always buy the pegs or lucky heather, I can't remember if she said it was bad luck to turn them away or they would put a curse on her?
 
Gypsies

I suppose the Gypsies were (and still are) a bit of an unknown quantity - and what with fear of curses (which I've no doubt the Gypsies would have encouraged!) and even stories of child stealing (I think the Gypsies had more than enough children to have to steal them!) and of course that some of them could be a little bit light-fingered I think people were generally wary of them! It was also the mystery surrounding them - you can still occasionally see it these days. There is a small Romany Gypsy group who journey the Birmingham to Kidderminster route and back a couple of times a year - they camp on the grass verges where they tether their horses - one day they are their campfire, washing line and all and the next - nothin'! You doubt they were there at all!:rolleyes:
 
My great aunt laura told me that her mom (my great gran) was a romany gypsy and her mom was a romany gypsy queen, well I was so exited, and I was aready doing the family tree, so I had to look into it, but alas I could find no proof at all, so I think her family were just pulling her leg, as she was only one when her mom died, I was totally dissapointed.
 
Well, what can I add to that, gypsysue - what an interesting post? You're obviously far better informed than me. :rolleyes:
Yes, I can remember the Smiths who lived in and around Merry Hill. One family had a bungalow right on the edge of the park next to the Soho Tavern.

If you've had a look at Ted Rudge's site, as recommended by John Houghton, you will see a recent campaign to save the Patch from development has been successful. I'm also sure, with his specific interest in the history of the area, Ted would appreciate the benefit of your family knowledge.
 
Excellent post gypsysue a real insight into gypsy family life, thanks for posting it.
 
photo

Thanx Oisin & Moma P,

This is a photo of my grandmother Emily with her first born Horace - you can see the dark Gypsy looks - I'm told her hair was still long, thick and black without a hair of grey when she died at the age of 56.
 
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