The real Peaky Blinders: Ancestry digs into the real men and women behind the drama ahead of film's release
Ahead of the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man on Netflix and in cinemas, genealogy website Ancestry is shining a light on some of the real-life stories behind the cutthroat gangster drama.
Ancestry has collected a wealth of stories helping to illuminate the real people of 19th and 20th century Birmingham that some of the characters and communities portrayed in Peaky Blinders may have been based on.
Among the most intriguing tales have been the stories of women identified as Peaky Blinders in contemporary newspapers. “Figures such as Laura Annie Collins and Emma Rowlands reveal a more complex picture of Birmingham’s underworld, offering a broader and more nuanced view of the individuals who shaped the city’s history,” Ancestry said.
“Born around 1863, Laura Annie Collins was identified in newspapers as a Peaky Blinder alongside her husband, Alfred J. Worrall (alias John Collins). In 1904, reports describe her attacking a police constable with a hair pin during a trip to Bridgtown, Staffordshire (Walsall Observer, 1904).
“In 1895, Emma Rowlands appeared in a Birmingham court following an altercation involving Harry Groves. Newspaper accounts describe her striking a man in the eye with a belt, which the prosecutor claimed was unprovoked, though Emma maintained it was in self-defence (The Birmingham Evening Mail, 1895). Reports also note the confidence with which she addressed police. She was sentenced to two months in prison.”
Ancestry is also offering up details about the real-life namesake of one of the original villain’s of the show, Billy Kimber, along with that of Tom Hardy’s fan-favourite character, Alfie Solomons.
Ancestry family history expert Simon Pearce said: "Peaky Blinders has captivated audiences with its gritty stories of rivalry and gang loyalty on the streets of Birmingham. From women actively involved in gang activity to men who served in the First World War, and others who reformed as respectable ‘fruiterers’, the most fascinating stories often lie hidden in our local and family histories, waiting to be uncovered."
Read the full story in our Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man special edition on February 28, ahead of the film's release in select cinemas on March 6 and on Netflix on March 20.
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