Not British made anymore!
- Thread starter Paul_B
- Start date
Classic examples were the various tech and IT startup in America back in the day. If you have something truly innovative and the business talent to match the idea with grit you'll make it. American dream (but also a dream of non-Americans too).
Christopher Columbus was the very embodiment of that dream.
He left home not knowing where he was going.
When he arrived, he didn’t know where he was.
He arrived back home not knowing where he’d been.
He made a fortune off the endeavor.
(This next part is key to the very “Americaness” of the whole thing) He did it all on borrowed money.
One of my ancestors was second son of a wealthy west country merchant. We're talking the king and court stayed with them when touring that part of the world wealthy if you know what that means. The second son got educated at cambridge but then needed a trade as he wouldn't inherit. Took the king's shilling as a surveyor and sailed to the new world and iirc Jamestown. Yes a an early settler.
He ended up bringing yeoman farmers over, paid for a barn and house materials then eventually ended up owning vast tracts of America and making more money than his brother inherited.
Basically left for America with only the money borrowed from his brother's allowance and a bit from the crown. While working for the king he lined his own pockets. Is that not part of the American dream? Certainly in the beginning at least.
He ended up bringing yeoman farmers over, paid for a barn and house materials then eventually ended up owning vast tracts of America and making more money than his brother inherited.
Basically left for America with only the money borrowed from his brother's allowance and a bit from the crown. While working for the king he lined his own pockets. Is that not part of the American dream? Certainly in the beginning at least.
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Columbus did not set foot on American ( what later became USA) soil?
Only on the Caribbean Islands.
My family arrived in Sweden with two suitcases in 1970.
I call our success the 'Western European Dream'.......
We did it with hard work, and no borrowed money...
Only on the Caribbean Islands.
My family arrived in Sweden with two suitcases in 1970.
I call our success the 'Western European Dream'.......
We did it with hard work, and no borrowed money...
Sorry, you're not native swedish then?
My American grandad had swedish parents or grandparents (forgotten which). They were straight off the boat from Europe. It's not recorded where they were from but I would really love to find out. The Olsons were interesting people. To be able to visit where in Sweden they came from would be fun.
I've been on business trips to Sweden three times possibly four. Every time I've felt strangely at home. I love Sweden and it's on a very short list of countries I could consider living in if not in England. Gothenburg and hedemora were the places I went to.
The former I loved most. A good Boston style sports bar there and they're big football fans. Although when there was a local derby they kindly put an England match on because there were a group of local liverpool fans. So we sat eating and drinking with table service across the table from a 50 plus inch TV.
My American grandad had swedish parents or grandparents (forgotten which). They were straight off the boat from Europe. It's not recorded where they were from but I would really love to find out. The Olsons were interesting people. To be able to visit where in Sweden they came from would be fun.
I've been on business trips to Sweden three times possibly four. Every time I've felt strangely at home. I love Sweden and it's on a very short list of countries I could consider living in if not in England. Gothenburg and hedemora were the places I went to.
The former I loved most. A good Boston style sports bar there and they're big football fans. Although when there was a local derby they kindly put an England match on because there were a group of local liverpool fans. So we sat eating and drinking with table service across the table from a 50 plus inch TV.
No, but very well assimilated!
Austrian - Hungarian with French ancestry on one side, German- Bohemian with French ancestry on the other.
Unholy but Christian mix!
Austrian - Hungarian with French ancestry on one side, German- Bohemian with French ancestry on the other.
Unholy but Christian mix!
For many that was very true (John Smith come to mind) Others left as endentured servants (endentured for the price of their passage) while still others were running from legal problems.
Very true that he only landed on islands of the North American continental shelf, but never on the mainland. That said, he did land on what would become “American soil.” One of the islands he landed on (Puerto Rico) did become the US (very likely to become the 51st State) He also landed on St Croix (one of the Virgin Islands which also became the US)
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BTW when I typed "sorry, you're not native swedish" please note I didn't mean sorry as in it's a negative but it was an exclamation of surprise because you always came across to me as 100% Swedish born and bred. It clearly showed you were well assimilated indeed!No, but very well assimilated!
Austrian - Hungarian with French ancestry on one side, German- Bohemian with French ancestry on the other.
Unholy but Christian mix!
Any travellers in my history settled at least 2 generations before me. American 2 gen, Welsh 4 gen iirc and swedish at least 4 gen via America. Others further back.
It's funny about cultural effects on searches for ancestry imho. For example my American ancestry is well researched because of a second cousin. She found the direct line back to England which we found fascinating. But she was always trying to find that family myth of an ancestral link to a famous American hero / figure of the standing out Bowie or Boone or Crockett.
My ancestors changed their name to keep their heads.
http://www.duhaime.org/LawMuseum/LawArticle-1593/1604-The-Abolition-of-the-Surname-Macgregor.aspx
http://www.duhaime.org/LawMuseum/LawArticle-1593/1604-The-Abolition-of-the-Surname-Macgregor.aspx
Indeed. At least the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico was one of the territories ceded from Spain after the Spanish-American War.
Mine (on mum's side) had to change country to keep theirs. The Frenchies had well lubricated guillotines!
Funnily enough, dad's Frenchie ancestors benefited from that.
Until one got badly wounded in Austerlitz. But that was the reason he stayed in that area, met a local girl, and here I am!
All families have interesting history. All. But if you do a bit of ancestry research, you need to be prepared for the odd murderer or other heavy criminal, immigrants from far off countries, religions or human races, everything.
I've been long time lurker on this forum but this thread has prompted me to post as it sent me on a web hunt for British made clothing and has cost me a fair chunk of money this week!
It started with ordering a wool shirt from Bison bushcraft that I already knew of but had never pulled the trigger on.
I then came across Peregrine clothing who manufacture all of their products in the UK. I found a deal on a waxed cotton jacket (£140 down from £200), similar to a Barbour. It arrived today and I'm really impressed. It's made from heavy British Millerain waxed cotton (8oz) and looks to be really sturdy in construction. They also have some nice wool jumpers and shirts made from British wool that are very pricey but I'm keeping an eye out for a deal on.
Another brand worth mentioning that I've known of for a while but never bought anything from is Finisterre. They are very open about traceability and some of their products are manufactured in the UK. They have a really interesting collaboration with the only British merino wool producing farmer in the UK that they've been working with for years to build up a viable flock of Bowmont sheep.
Now I'm eyeing up expensive handmade boots, I think I have a problem!
It started with ordering a wool shirt from Bison bushcraft that I already knew of but had never pulled the trigger on.
I then came across Peregrine clothing who manufacture all of their products in the UK. I found a deal on a waxed cotton jacket (£140 down from £200), similar to a Barbour. It arrived today and I'm really impressed. It's made from heavy British Millerain waxed cotton (8oz) and looks to be really sturdy in construction. They also have some nice wool jumpers and shirts made from British wool that are very pricey but I'm keeping an eye out for a deal on.
Another brand worth mentioning that I've known of for a while but never bought anything from is Finisterre. They are very open about traceability and some of their products are manufactured in the UK. They have a really interesting collaboration with the only British merino wool producing farmer in the UK that they've been working with for years to build up a viable flock of Bowmont sheep.
Now I'm eyeing up expensive handmade boots, I think I have a problem!
A lot of wax cloth is still made in Dundee and used for numerous brands both famous and generic.
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If anyone is interested Inside the factory did an episode in the Barbour factory.
I'm not sure how much of Altberg stuff is made in Richmond, the special order stuff is (the leather on mine is cracking but has been daily wear for 8.5years so far and had multiple soles). Looks like I'll be getting some custom none leather boots from them next.
As for worcestershire sauce, that's just for the uneducated that aren't aware of Hendersons Relish.
I'm not sure how much of Altberg stuff is made in Richmond, the special order stuff is (the leather on mine is cracking but has been daily wear for 8.5years so far and had multiple soles). Looks like I'll be getting some custom none leather boots from them next.
As for worcestershire sauce, that's just for the uneducated that aren't aware of Hendersons Relish.
When I was a teacher many years ago I have used to do a handy geography lesson by getting my pupils to check the labels in their clothes and school kit and then plot them on a map of the world. We use to get most countries covered. Nowadays they'd only find countries in southeast Asia.
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