To mark the release of the new Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man film, Ancestry has been delving into the real histories behind Birmingham’s most notorious gang, revealing a truth far more complex than the TV myth.
Research shows that the Peaky Blinders were not a tightly organised gang, but a loose network of youths operating across Birmingham at the turn of the 20th century, where crime, work and family life often overlapped, and involvement was not exclusive to men.
The on-screen drama is rooted in real history, shown in newspaper clippings and historical records.
Take a swipe through below at the interesting histories behind the real-life Peaky Blinders
.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
1. William ‘Billy’ Kimber
In a court report in The Birmingham Gazette, (1921), William ‘Billy’ Kimber testified that he was hit in the eye and shot, allegedly by Alfred Solomon. The report also notes that Mr Sabini, a historical figure who appears in the film, was present on the night, highlighting how real-life violence mirrors the on-screen drama. | Photo courtesy: Ancestry
.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
2. Emma Rowlands
In the 1890s Emma was described as a “female Peaky Blinder” in The Birmingham Evening Mail, 1895 after being charged with striking a man in the eye with a belt, leaving him visually impaired permanently. | Photo courtesy: Ancestry
.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
3. William and James Brough
In 1905,brothers William and James Brough, both associated with the Peaky Blinders, were arrested after James drunkenly attacked a police officer, with William joining the altercation (Birmingham Evening Mail, 1905). | Photo courtesy: Ancestry
.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
4. Alfred Solomon
The character was based on a real-life London gangster born in the late 1880s. This newspaper clipping shows how Alfred Solomon was charged with the murder of Barney Blitz. | Photo courtesy: Ancestry