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We offer a comprehensive research service for those wanting to explore their Black Country ancestors. Just let us know what you interests are.
The Black Country is not a county or a precisely defined region in England. It is located north-west of Birmingham, south east of Wolverhampton and occupies part of South Staffordshire.
Historically many would say that the region is defined on the basis of geology - more specifically on the basis of the rich coal reserves in the area. The existence of a 9 metre coal seam, rich in coal mining terms, combined with seams of iron, limestone and clay in the area formed the basis of prosperous industrial development in the region.
Said to have been the richest and thickest coal seam in Britain, its closeness to the surface and therefore the ease with which it could be mined, made it inevitable that the area would become a key industrial region in the country. The location of the coal seam, beneath Bilston, Brierley Hill, Coseley, Darlaston, Dudley, Halesowen,Wednesbury, Wednesfield, Tipton and the area around and between these towns defines what became known as The Black Country. The Black in Black Country has its origins in the coal and mining waste, of course, that was visible in the area as well as the general scarring of the landscape produced by the iron and allied industries that flourished in the area. The more poetic amongst us might say that it reflected the hard life that most of the families had to live in the region. 19th century censuses reveal, for example, the large proportion of the occupants of Halesowen and the surrounding area who were engaged in nail-making. This included the wives and children of many households. Top
It is a most interesting area to study and of course one of our specialist study areas.
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In modern terms, the Black Country, following 1966 and 1974 local government re-organisations, may be defined by some as the area occupied by the Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Top
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