• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Black Patch

Quote

I wondered what a neophite was and found this quote:

"You have no right to preach to me; you neophyte, that have not passed the porch of life, and are absolutely unacquainted with its mysteries." -- Charlotte Brontë

Good ennit?:)
 
Queen Henty who was "allowed" to stay on the Black Patch until her death in 1907.
The Black Patch was an area of open ground between Winson Green and Handsworth which was used as a dumping ground for slag from the local furnaces.
 
Last edited:
Henty

Yes she died in her caravan on 7th, Jan, 1907 and was buried in a family grave alongside Esau in Handsworth Old Parish Church her caravan being burnt along with all her belongings the following Monday night.
 
What a wonderful photo your gandmother looked beautiful and the babies dress and bonnet are so lovely, I bet you treasure that photo.
 
Emily

It is baby Horace's christening photo - Emily was only nineteen and and the baby's father had gone away to fight in the First World War but he got killed so she never saw him again and he never got to see the baby...........
 
Thanks for sharing your knowledge of your family with us. I know there was a great deal of gipsy lore, and they are a proud people.

I think you might enjoy a funny story about a local Gypsy some 30 years ago. I was secretary at a garage in a small village where we all knew each other. Amongst us lived two Gypsy's, Tom Smith a man of indeterminate age and his sister Mary. Tom had a car and insured it through the garage, Mary rode her bicycle, her black dress down to her ankles would fly behind as she peddaled. She didn't have a bath in the van and she didn't smell so good, and I always tried to talk to her out side of the office. When the certificate arrived to reinsure the car, everyone kept a look out for her and told me when she was peddaling up the road. I went outside with the certificate, called to her and over she came. I gave her the certificate, she gave me a stern look and said 'Put it in a Paper Bag, what you doin' givin' people things like that' Bless her she wanted an envelope, which I willingly gave to her.:)
 
Ha!

Ha! Thanx for that! She probably thought she was paying for it so she was entitled to it and she wouldn't have thrown it away she probably would have used it for something else like keeping something in it like buttons or skeins of thread as they seemed to find a new use for most things and I think we are still all hoarders!
 
Nah......Alas, she never jumped over the broom (originally a flowering broom not a broomstick) with him!
 
Hello gypsysue, lovely looking young lady and that looks like a christening robe, what a treasure...........Cat.....:)

I Like you Bronte quote, i will learn it so i can throw it at my friends:D
 
I've seen the Kidderminster Gypsies on many occasions. They're often camped on the grass verges in Chaddesley Corbett - maybe they do some work at the chicken farm there.
Proper Romany Gypsies in a proper Romany caravan, with at least four horses grazing on the (very wide) verges and fires lit outside their van.
As you say, there one day, travelled on the next - and not a bit of litter or rubbish left behind.
 
Last edited:
I passed a lovely gypsy caravan on the back of a lorry on the A5 on tuesday. It was beautifully painted. I suppose it was off to a museum.:)
 
Black patch Gypsies

Hello,

I am a decendent of the romany gypsies who lived on Black Patch park[i am a Loveridge]and my grandparents lived in Avery Road until the early seventies.
The reason for this mail is that i have very little of the family history can anyone help?
 
Re: Black patch Gypsies

Welcome Malcome, put Black Patch in the search box at the top of the page.
 
Re: Black patch Gypsies

Welcome Malcolm, enjoy as I know you will.:)
 
Re: Black patch Gypsies

Harold Loveridge worked at BSA Tools, Kitts Green circa 1950/1989?, and lived in Mackadown Lane, Kitts Green but has left from there, i have lost touch with him now.
 
Re: Black patch Gypsies

Hello and welcome Malcolm to a fantastic site ,I am a Clayton by birth and are interested in ancestors of mine who were gypsies .Mary
 
Re: Black patch Gypsies

Hi Malcolm

My mother use to tell me that her mother ANNIE LOVEGROVE [she also listed by the surname DODWELL in the 1901 census] had romany gypsies on her side of the family ,mom use to say that great granddad was a 7 son of 7 son which was important in gypsies culture,Mom said he was apparently gifted as a watch maker [she called jeweler maker] ,one of moms aunts made hats etc my grandmother along with her sister AMY were put in the Middlemore home at a young age and sent to canada as {HOME CHILDREN} they were sent to be domestics they both stayed in canada and married and raised families. i'm also trying to find out more on my gypsies ancestry but having a hard time trace it because of the conflict with last names Lovegrove/dodwell.

annie
 
Re: Black patch Gypsies

I have to repeat Ted Rudge is doing on going research into the subject I would contact him.
 
Hi Gypsysue

My mother use tell me that my grandmother's Lovegrove/ dodwell family line was connected to Romany gypsies she would tell me that my grandmothers father was a 7 son of a 7 son, and that this was important in someway...have you ever heard this referal and what does it mean? annie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top