Monday 9 January 2012

Land of my fathers (and mothers)...

It has long been claimed by some here in Wales that America was discovered by the Welsh. It has also been claimed that America was named after a Welshman - Richard Ap Meurig. I think that every country in Europe could probably lay some tenuous claim to the discovery and naming of the New World. So it is with the Welsh.

Many have argued that half the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence were Welsh or of Welsh heritage. It is claimed that 8 presidents were Welsh or of Welsh descent including: Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Adams and Obama.

It seems that American movie stars such as Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Tom Cruise, Bob Hope, Harold Lloyd and Susan Sarandon all have a Welsh ancestry. It's recently been argued that Elvis had his roots here in the Land of Song and, if that weren't enough, I once remember reading a news article some years ago of the claim that Bob Marley was part Welsh. If all this were true it might be an easier task to name a famous American who is not Welsh.

Whilst, undoubtedly, there are a number of the above (and also those named on this list of Welsh Americans) that can genuinely lay claim to a Welsh connection; it strikes me that for most, being Welsh or having a Welsh ancestry will have played little or no part in who they are and what they have become. It seems that this appropriation of the famous as Welsh is a little pointless.

And d'you know what; I'm sure you can detect a soft Welsh lilt from Hitler at the 1933 Nuremberg Rally. Never forget you're Welsh...

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