Bob Spiers
LostCousins Superstar
I was cheered earlier today to receive an email from an old genealogical sparring partner, a lady named Caz (I think Carol but woe betide if you don’t refer to her as Caz). Like me she is of senior years and as I had not long recommended her to join LC (perhaps for the second time I am not sure) I was pleased to read her email was a follow up to my recommendation that she join LC and asking for more information. (More of that in a moment).
When I referred to her as a sparring partner that might give a wrong impression, as we are both very much on the same wavelength and have had many a laugh communicating with each other in the past. She is a true Black Country (BC) girl. For those who do not know the term it is the area north of Birmingham (West Midlands) and formerly the ancient Manor of Sedgley (today the Metropolitan District Councils of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall & Wolverhampton). It earned its name from the smoke emanating from the countless number of ironworking foundries and forges and the abundance of coal found in the region.
BC is a dialect all its own and is often confused with ‘Brummie’ although native speakers of each would argue quite differently, whilst accepting both are undeniably derived from the same roots. BC dialect is said to be the closest one can get to Early English and ‘Ow we spake’ and likely not that different to the dialect Shakespeare would have understood and perhaps spoken.
Caz has now indicated to me that she intends to give LC ‘a go’ after I assured her it was as easy as ABC (or however that was pronounced in the Black Country, earning me a broadside of ‘watchit mate’). An experienced Family Historian in her own right, perhaps daunted by IT but she has a grandson who puts her right on such things.
We first encountered one another through a Tree match (can’t remember if it was Ancestry or Genes). From memory I do not think we are cousins as such but she stands good chance of getting matches once she has got to grips with entering data from the 1881 Census at least. Let us hope so anyway.
I have told her she should consider joining the Forum and contribute and if she does perhaps in time, she will be a welcome addition, even if you do need Google Translate to make sense of it. (Actually not true her English is rustic but makes perfect sense and is full of humour). She has made me laugh many a time telling me about (here the names and situations are made up will give you the flavour) ‘Uncle Ebenezer taking a mistress’, or ‘her x cousin x removed ending in the mad house’, or even ‘ there’s something funny going on in that family’. Music to my ears and she really is a lovely person. Let’s hope she joins and gets the benefit and perhaps we find her on the Forum one day.
When I referred to her as a sparring partner that might give a wrong impression, as we are both very much on the same wavelength and have had many a laugh communicating with each other in the past. She is a true Black Country (BC) girl. For those who do not know the term it is the area north of Birmingham (West Midlands) and formerly the ancient Manor of Sedgley (today the Metropolitan District Councils of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall & Wolverhampton). It earned its name from the smoke emanating from the countless number of ironworking foundries and forges and the abundance of coal found in the region.
BC is a dialect all its own and is often confused with ‘Brummie’ although native speakers of each would argue quite differently, whilst accepting both are undeniably derived from the same roots. BC dialect is said to be the closest one can get to Early English and ‘Ow we spake’ and likely not that different to the dialect Shakespeare would have understood and perhaps spoken.
Caz has now indicated to me that she intends to give LC ‘a go’ after I assured her it was as easy as ABC (or however that was pronounced in the Black Country, earning me a broadside of ‘watchit mate’). An experienced Family Historian in her own right, perhaps daunted by IT but she has a grandson who puts her right on such things.
We first encountered one another through a Tree match (can’t remember if it was Ancestry or Genes). From memory I do not think we are cousins as such but she stands good chance of getting matches once she has got to grips with entering data from the 1881 Census at least. Let us hope so anyway.
I have told her she should consider joining the Forum and contribute and if she does perhaps in time, she will be a welcome addition, even if you do need Google Translate to make sense of it. (Actually not true her English is rustic but makes perfect sense and is full of humour). She has made me laugh many a time telling me about (here the names and situations are made up will give you the flavour) ‘Uncle Ebenezer taking a mistress’, or ‘her x cousin x removed ending in the mad house’, or even ‘ there’s something funny going on in that family’. Music to my ears and she really is a lovely person. Let’s hope she joins and gets the benefit and perhaps we find her on the Forum one day.
has landed after a little bit of trial and error is now registered on LC. I wish her welcome and hope she graces the Forum in due time.
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