So what am I

[johnnyedge]

I can trace my family back to the early 1700s in and around the Birmingham area, I presume we were here much earlier than that also,so who would I most likely descend from, the Celts, Saxons, Normans or even the Romans? What do you think?

[Mortartube]

Your surname can often give a clue to the answer to your question. What is it?

[vehelpfulguy]

Your family may not have been here before 1700.

Birmingham was a very small place in 1700, before they built the canals.

In fact Coleshill, a village to the East of Birmingham, was BIGGER than Birmingham back then (hence the large spire in Coleshill church)

The building of the canal system, that centred around the Birmingham area, brought thousands of people from the surrounding areas and Birmingham grew very quickly as a city.

Your family may have been "country folk" living well outside the Birmingham area in 1700.

[vehelpfulguy]

There are a few web sites that give a history of the city, also the central library in Birmingham has loads of old books and maps that will help tell the history of the city.

This web site says the population of Birmingham was only 15,000 in 1700.

http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/ content/files/116/107/342.txt

More websites here

http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/history/index.htm

http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/history/brum.htm

http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?C ONTENT_ITEM_ID=917&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID =163

http://www.birminghamhistory.co.uk/

[jno]

a DNA check might help answer your question. England has always had a lot of immigrants and it's seldom easy to say where someone's ancestors originated from on the basis of where he is now.

[vehelpfulguy]

There are some forums here dedicated to Birmingham.

You may get a more specialist answer there

http://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/

[johnnyedge]

Thanks peeps, very informative stuff, I'm off to do more research......................

[Octavius]

Another useful site:

http://www.dnaancestryproject.com

[Dewi Havhesp]

Try to catch the prog on Channel 4 'Face of Britain' - the last one is on Saturday 28 April 20.00 - 21.00. Looks and anayses genetics in various regions of UK and is fascinating if you are interested in that sort of thing!