Secret Black Country by Andrew Homer
The towns and villages west of Birmingham, around Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Wallsall, became known as the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution due to the intense industrialisation of the area, particularly coal mining and ironworking. The towns soon became one continuously built-up area, which developed its own distinctive character. Secret Black Country explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of the area through the years, from Dudley Castle and royal connections with Lady Jane Grey and Queen Elizabeth I, visits by Charles I and Charles II in the English Civil War and visits by the future Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson to Himley Hall, which became a Red Cross hospital for patients with severe facial injuries during the Second World War, to the evidence of Charlie Chaplin's birthplace on Black Patch Park in Smethwick. Entries include the massive cavern beneath Dudley Zoo used for storage during the Second World War, the stories behind the gruesome nineteenth-century robbery and murder that caused Fir Tree Hill to be renamed and the tragic death of Dorothy Beaumont, wife of the Deputy Commander of Dudley Castle, while under siege in the Civil War, who is said to still haunt the ruins. Fully illustrated throughout, this book will reveal the hidden heritage of this historic area.
Andrew Homer is a local historian who has been researching and writing about the West Midlands for many years. He has an MA in West Midlands History awarded by the University of Birmingham and is a former Secretary of the Black Country Society. Andrew presents lectures to various organisations and has appeared on local and national television talking about local history and his lifelong fascination with anomalous phenomena, especially ghosts and hauntings. After a career as a college lecturer, Andrew enjoyed working as a Historic Character at the Black Country Living Museum interpreting and explaining the history of the region and the stories of the people who helped to forge our industrial and social heritage. He has written several books for Amberley on Black Country and Birmingham history together with haunted hostelries in Shropshire.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781445697543 |
| ISBN 10 | 1445697548 |
| Title | Secret Black Country |
| Author | Andrew Homer |
| Series | Secret |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Amberley Publishing |
| Year published | 2022-05-15 |
| Number of pages | 96 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |