Vana et al, At one time Oldbury was entirely surrounded by water. To get in or out of the town centre you had to pass over a canal. Now they are filled in but the Birmingham - Wolverhampton canal still passes close by. This is one canal but two cuts between Smethwick and Tipton. For any locals, a good walk on a Sunday afternoon in late summer is through the Galton Valley Smethwick, up on the one cut, and back along the other. There is a canal Heritage Centre (in an old pub - no beer though) some splendid bridges in stone, concrete and cast iron, (Galton Bridge, Steward Akkydoc etc), a gauging stop, lots of locks including what are believed to be the oldest working locks in the country. Jack Judge is Oldbury's most famous son - for what reason ? (Nothing to do with canals) Phil in Hales Owen >I recently found that my g.g.grandparents John MEEK and Nancy MILLWARD were >boat people born abt. 1820 (+/-). Their daughter was Sarah MEEK b. 1841 >at Oldbury. Sarah married Joseph COOPER of Smethwick in 1871 and >immigrated to US abt. 1872. > >I am so happy to find your list and learn what it meant to be a canal >person. I look forward to some discovery. >