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This idea would be so much cooler if it was Rosie O'Donnell instead of Kirstie Alley. 
(Edited by Maffrew 24/04/2007 15:25)
(Edited by Maffrew 24/04/2007 15:25)
Posted: 15:25 Apr 24 2007
Vicar of Dibley heads to the US...
...but there's a catch - it's a remake starring Kirstie Alley.
Click here for the full article.
Now, I never watched the show, but I'd wager Dawn French'd be better than Kirstie Alley? OK, so this is maybe because I find Alley a little annoying, but that's just me.
(Edited by Alan 07/02/2007 10:16)
Click here for the full article.
Now, I never watched the show, but I'd wager Dawn French'd be better than Kirstie Alley? OK, so this is maybe because I find Alley a little annoying, but that's just me.
(Edited by Alan 07/02/2007 10:16)
19 Replies and 7745 Views in Total.
Posted: 15:25 Apr 24 2007 
Just hope the reverend's good book doesn't come from the Church of Scientology ...
Posted: 05:00 Apr 26 2007
They're showing the original British version on public television here in the US now.
Posted: 13:12 May 14 2007 How would you say it's been recieved? We hear a lot in the press lately about how British pop culture stuff is being recieved positively once again, with lots of musicians from Britain in the Billboard charts, films doing well.
by Sandia
They're showing the original British version on public television here in the US now.
Posted: 09:26 May 15 2007
Personally, I think "The Vicar of Dibley" is very funny. And although I've never seen ratings on it, I'd imagine it's being received well by the public television audience.
Interesting you should say that there's press in the UK about British pop culture being received well here "again." I actually don't remember a time when it wasn't well received here. British popular music is constantly on the radio. I don't check the charts but I'm sure British artists are a fixture. I don't keep track of movie box office stuff, but I assume British movies do well, too. British film actors certainly do well here, are well known, and respected. Americans tend to like and accept most things British in a way that's not the case with popular culture coming out of other countries outside of North America. Maybe it's because of the shared language and the historical ties. Maybe there's a certain comfort level and feeling of familiarity. I really don't know. But there's definitely an acceptance of and respect for British culture in a way that's different than what occurs with imports from most other places. Not all places, but most. That's just my observation, for what it's worth.
That said, I have to mention that I have seem what does seem like an explosion in interest in British television programs here lately. Again, why now? I don't know. American commercial networks generally go with American content exclusively. But our public television network, PBS (non-commercial and largely supported by voluntary annual donations from viewers), has scheduled British programs for many years--like Masterpiece Theatre, Mystery!, Monty Python, to name just three. Some of the programs are older and tend to get repeated again and again. But now public television has increased its British TV content. I'll just list some of the shows they've got on PBS stations here in the New York area: Masterpiece Theater, Mystery, Dr. Who, Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, Vicar of Dibley, Chef, Are You Being Served, Eastenders, French Fields, Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, Perfect State.
I don't know how these rate in Britain. I know some of them are old. But American public TV audiences eat them up.
Some British programs now also run on cable TV--like MI-5 (Spooks in Britain, I think). BBC America is a relatively new cable network that does exclusively British content. I've looked at their schedule and they're running programs such as: Footballer's Wives, Robin Hood, Perfect Housewives, Innocent, Coupling, Waking the Dead, The Office, Life on Mars, Little Britain, Wire in the Blood, Hex, Torchwood, Hollyoaks, Murphy's Law, and many other shows just too numerous to list. I'd love to get BBC America, but my cable system doesn't offer it for the fee I pay now--which is high enough, thank you. And that's the problem. To get most of the newer British programs, you have to pay--and lots of people can't afford it. So that cuts down on the possible audience.
One more interesting development I read about recently in The New York Times, which I guess is part of the ongoing interest in all things British. There seem to be a lot more British actors taking regular roles in American TV shows playing American characters. The Times credits the incredible success of Hugh Laurie here in the US with starting the trend and getting many more British actors, who had previously been reluctant for many reasons, to become more interested in working on an American series. The thing is, Hollywood casting directors for US TV series are actively looking to hire British actors as they never have been before. I think the article said about one third of the roles in pilots for the new TV season in the US are being filled by British actors. That's new. And casting directors in Hollywood are pleased because they say that the British actors they're hiring are very accomplished and not nearly as demanding as some American TV actors with a lot less talent and experience.
See, you ask a simple question, and you get a novel.
Interesting you should say that there's press in the UK about British pop culture being received well here "again." I actually don't remember a time when it wasn't well received here. British popular music is constantly on the radio. I don't check the charts but I'm sure British artists are a fixture. I don't keep track of movie box office stuff, but I assume British movies do well, too. British film actors certainly do well here, are well known, and respected. Americans tend to like and accept most things British in a way that's not the case with popular culture coming out of other countries outside of North America. Maybe it's because of the shared language and the historical ties. Maybe there's a certain comfort level and feeling of familiarity. I really don't know. But there's definitely an acceptance of and respect for British culture in a way that's different than what occurs with imports from most other places. Not all places, but most. That's just my observation, for what it's worth.
That said, I have to mention that I have seem what does seem like an explosion in interest in British television programs here lately. Again, why now? I don't know. American commercial networks generally go with American content exclusively. But our public television network, PBS (non-commercial and largely supported by voluntary annual donations from viewers), has scheduled British programs for many years--like Masterpiece Theatre, Mystery!, Monty Python, to name just three. Some of the programs are older and tend to get repeated again and again. But now public television has increased its British TV content. I'll just list some of the shows they've got on PBS stations here in the New York area: Masterpiece Theater, Mystery, Dr. Who, Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, Vicar of Dibley, Chef, Are You Being Served, Eastenders, French Fields, Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, Perfect State.
I don't know how these rate in Britain. I know some of them are old. But American public TV audiences eat them up.
Some British programs now also run on cable TV--like MI-5 (Spooks in Britain, I think). BBC America is a relatively new cable network that does exclusively British content. I've looked at their schedule and they're running programs such as: Footballer's Wives, Robin Hood, Perfect Housewives, Innocent, Coupling, Waking the Dead, The Office, Life on Mars, Little Britain, Wire in the Blood, Hex, Torchwood, Hollyoaks, Murphy's Law, and many other shows just too numerous to list. I'd love to get BBC America, but my cable system doesn't offer it for the fee I pay now--which is high enough, thank you. And that's the problem. To get most of the newer British programs, you have to pay--and lots of people can't afford it. So that cuts down on the possible audience.
One more interesting development I read about recently in The New York Times, which I guess is part of the ongoing interest in all things British. There seem to be a lot more British actors taking regular roles in American TV shows playing American characters. The Times credits the incredible success of Hugh Laurie here in the US with starting the trend and getting many more British actors, who had previously been reluctant for many reasons, to become more interested in working on an American series. The thing is, Hollywood casting directors for US TV series are actively looking to hire British actors as they never have been before. I think the article said about one third of the roles in pilots for the new TV season in the US are being filled by British actors. That's new. And casting directors in Hollywood are pleased because they say that the British actors they're hiring are very accomplished and not nearly as demanding as some American TV actors with a lot less talent and experience.
See, you ask a simple question, and you get a novel.
Posted: 15:36 May 15 2007
I think you're definitely right, it's all a product of shared ancestry, history and culture. In the same way you've described British stuff being accepted, American content is accepted here.
Acting wise, it's well known here that British actors do well in america and are often well respected. There's a history of it to be sure. But music wise, it's often said here that it's incredibly hard to 'crack' the american music charts and be successful. People very often refer back to previous 'Britpop invasions' such as The Beatles' height, and that of bands like Oasis and Pulp being the more recent ones.
It's interesting that perhaps in the public mind, Brits are seen as successful and common, but here it's seen as exceptionally hard to crack and 'not many bands/singers manage to do it'.
As has been said in other threads (I think the one you started about Gordon Brown?), our two nations are very close culturally. People here are often resentful of America's political influence over Britain, but the truth is, we are much closer in culture than to any of our european partners. If we were a couple of thousand miles closer, maybe we'd be the 53rd State of America
I know personally, when I've been to the States, I've felt instantly at home. I first visited when I was 13, staying with family friends just outside Providence. We explored the New England states and attractions, and I felt like i'd come to a home i'd never known. I was 13, but still. More recently lil_miss spent 3 weeks in NYC, and absolutely loved it.
That was a complete tangent, but nevermind
Acting wise, it's well known here that British actors do well in america and are often well respected. There's a history of it to be sure. But music wise, it's often said here that it's incredibly hard to 'crack' the american music charts and be successful. People very often refer back to previous 'Britpop invasions' such as The Beatles' height, and that of bands like Oasis and Pulp being the more recent ones.
It's interesting that perhaps in the public mind, Brits are seen as successful and common, but here it's seen as exceptionally hard to crack and 'not many bands/singers manage to do it'.
As has been said in other threads (I think the one you started about Gordon Brown?), our two nations are very close culturally. People here are often resentful of America's political influence over Britain, but the truth is, we are much closer in culture than to any of our european partners. If we were a couple of thousand miles closer, maybe we'd be the 53rd State of America
I know personally, when I've been to the States, I've felt instantly at home. I first visited when I was 13, staying with family friends just outside Providence. We explored the New England states and attractions, and I felt like i'd come to a home i'd never known. I was 13, but still. More recently lil_miss spent 3 weeks in NYC, and absolutely loved it.
That was a complete tangent, but nevermind
Posted: 16:23 May 15 2007 That's really surprising to me--that it's seen as difficult for British musicians to crack the market here. British musicians/bands just seem so pervasive, so normal in popular culture here that I just take them for granted. But, of course, I don't have the overall picture. For every 10 who make it here there might be 100 who don't. I don't know. But yeah, that's new to me.
by Maffrew
Acting wise, it's well known here that British actors do well in america and are often well respected. There's a history of it to be sure. But music wise, it's often said here that it's incredibly hard to 'crack' the american music charts and be successful. People very often refer back to previous 'Britpop invasions' such as The Beatles' height, and that of bands like Oasis and Pulp being the more recent ones.
It's interesting that perhaps in the public mind, Brits are seen as successful and common, but here it's seen as exceptionally hard to crack and 'not many bands/singers manage to do it'.
If I lived outside the U.S., I'd be totally resentful of it, too. But the U.S. owes so much to Britain, in terms of its development as a nation--the English language, our legal system's basis in English common law (well, except for Louisiana, where it's based on the French Napoleonic Code), many of our ideas on individual rights and government. American place names, especially in the East where there was original English settlement, read like a map of Britain. The influence in music--especially bluegrass, country, and folk music that comes from early settlers from Britain and Ireland. The whole cultural region of the Appalachians, where crafts such as making musical instruments, furniture, quilting--even folk tales, ballads--all sorts of aspects of culture were brought there from Scotland and England in the 1600 and 1700s, and have been preserved there in ways that they weren't preserved back home because mountain areas in America were so isolated. There are more and better examples, but anyway... Although the British aren't the dominant ethnic group or nationality in the U.S. anymore--and haven't been for years--that influence remains dominant in many aspects of America's civic and cultural life.
As has been said in other threads (I think the one you started about Gordon Brown?), our two nations are very close culturally. People here are often resentful of America's political influence over Britain, but the truth is, we are much closer in culture than to any of our european partners.
New England is beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are turning brilliant shades of purple, gold, deep red, and orange. It's exquisite. And though I've never been to Britain, from what I know I'd think New England would be the place in the US that would seem most like home--at least in terms of the landscape. And because the early English settlers were basically trying to re-create what they knew from home. A lot of that is still in the landscape in New England. For me, rural New England is like something from another time. The small farms, the villages set around village greens, the narrow, winding country roads. Of course, I'm speaking of outside the large cities. Although I like Boston a lot.
I know personally, when I've been to the States, I've felt instantly at home. I first visited when I was 13, staying with family friends just outside Providence. We explored the New England states and attractions, and I felt like i'd come to a home i'd never known. I was 13, but still. More recently lil_miss spent 3 weeks in NYC, and absolutely loved it.
But I have to admit, although I like New England, I'm attracted more to the West. Just because it's so different from where I live. New England feels familiar and almost warm and cozy. The West doesn't. It's beautiful, but it's vast and you feel dwarfed by nature--the canyons and rock formations, the mountains, the storms that come up suddenly and just surround you. It's a very different experience of nature. And I guess that's why I'm draw to it. Wouldn't want to live there. But definitely worth the experience.
OK, I guess I'm about done now. I do go on.
Posted: 15:10 May 16 2007 Sounds just like rural England! (Or at least, the parts not being demolished for industrial estates and "improved" housing.) Specifically the Home Counties. No wonder Maff felt at home.
by Sandia
For me, rural New England is like something from another time. The small farms, the villages set around village greens, the narrow, winding country roads. Of course, I'm speaking of outside the large cities. Although I like Boston a lot.
With regards to TV, are British characters breaking out from traditional cultural sterotypes? One American student at Cambridge put it like this: "We do Hugh Grant or Dick Van Dyke. See, we have range!" That describes the English precense on Buffy and Angel, high-calabre as it was. Dominic Monaghan seemed to be playing a Manchurian in the few episodes of Lost I've managed to sit through, so perhaps there is hope.
(Of course, British TV sterotypes Americans horribly, so we're about even on this score.)
Was just discussing Hugh Laurie's turn on House with a friend, and he opined that you wouldn't need to alter too much to turn an English (public school and Cambridge, in Mr Laurie's case) accent into an American version. (What state does Dr House hail from anyhow?) Wasn't too sure, but interesting discussion.
Getting back to the original topic, can't see The Vicar of Dibley working in the USA. As you'll know, the church is established here (at least in England). It tends to be very, very different to the free-market religion in the USA. The "more tea?" vicar streotype, of the slightly dotty priest keeping a village amused with his various eccentricities, still has a certain currency in these isles. I know the USA has an episcopalian church (I assume The Simpson's Rev. Lovejoy is a member) but from what I can gather it's far less influential than the Church of England. I can't quite see Rev. Geraldine Granger mix it with happy-clappy evangelicals.
Posted: 02:00 May 17 2007 Well described.
by Sandia
New England is beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are turning brilliant shades of purple, gold, deep red, and orange. It's exquisite. And though I've never been to Britain, from what I know I'd think New England would be the place in the US that would seem most like home--at least in terms of the landscape. And because the early English settlers were basically trying to re-create what they knew from home. A lot of that is still in the landscape in New England. For me, rural New England is like something from another time. The small farms, the villages set around village greens, the narrow, winding country roads. Of course, I'm speaking of outside the large cities. Although I like Boston a lot.
We went for 3 weeks over May/June, so I didn't get to see the area in fall unfortunately. I really enjoyed Boston a lot, we did the market which was great, and just explored generally. We spent a day at Scarborough beach too (a hell of a lot nicer than the British one!), went to Plymouth to see the Rock, the Mayflower and the recreation of the colony, y'know, with actors playing settlers.
We also went further north and stayed near Lake Placid, saw some of the Adirondaks. Went up to see the Canucks for a day too at Niagara Falls. It was an amazing holiday, as was our 3 week stay in NYC a couple of years ago.
Posted: 09:09 May 17 2007 
We say autumn here
by Maffrew
We went for 3 weeks over May/June, so I didn't get to see the area in fall unfortunately.
I really enjoyed our visit to the states and wish we could have travelled north for a bit, but unfortunately we don't have any money!!!
Back on track, I really can't see The Vicar of Dibley translating well into a US setting. Just doesn't sit right!
Posted: 13:18 May 17 2007 
dom monaghan has been doing a pretty good job pretending to be from these parts, just a pity the rest of charlies family are crap - his mum is a weird mix of german, scottish, and geordie, his dad is a mix of irish, welsh, scottish, and pakistani, and his brother has recently started sounding scottish...
by Byron
(quotes)
With regards to TV, are British characters breaking out from traditional cultural sterotypes? One American student at Cambridge put it like this: "We do Hugh Grant or Dick Van Dyke. See, we have range!" That describes the English precense on Buffy and Angel, high-calabre as it was. Dominic Monaghan seemed to be playing a Manchurian in the few episodes of Lost I've managed to sit through, so perhaps there is hope.
and young charlie is horribly southern...
and lets not forget jane leeves did a pretty good job with a lancashire accent in frasier.
but american actors really should just try to avoid even attempting to do accents - they rarely (if ever) pull it off, and usually if they do its utterly by accident.
Posted: 20:53 May 17 2007 What are "the Home Counties"?
by Byron
(quotes)
Specifically the Home Counties. No wonder Maff felt at home.
I'm not the expert on this question, but from what I've seen, there are probably a wider range of British characters on American TV than in the past. I'm sure the stereotyping is still there to a large extent though, especially in comedies.
With regards to TV, are British characters breaking out from traditional cultural sterotypes? One American student at Cambridge put it like this: "We do Hugh Grant or Dick Van Dyke. See, we have range!" That describes the English precense on Buffy and Angel, high-calabre as it was. Dominic Monaghan seemed to be playing a Manchurian in the few episodes of Lost I've managed to sit through, so perhaps there is hope.
Ah, you've mentioned my favorite television show at the moment--and all due to the incredible talent of Mr. Laurie.
Was just discussing Hugh Laurie's turn on House with a friend, and he opined that you wouldn't need to alter too much to turn an English (public school and Cambridge, in Mr Laurie's case) accent into an American version. (What state does Dr House hail from anyhow?) Wasn't too sure, but interesting discussion.
The show is set in New Jersey--in Princeton, which actually is not very far from where I live. Laurie does an excellent American accent. The only fault I can find--and it would really be nitpicking--is that he pronounces a few words unlike they'd be pronounced in New Jesrey--more like you'd say them in the Midwest. But it's still a great American accent and he does sound like he could be from New Jesey. I've never heard an American criticize his American accent, and in fact, most criticism of it has been from British viewers of the show. I often visit an American TV website called Television Without Pity, and there was a friendly, but lively argument a while back on the House thread between American and British posters about Laurie's American accent. The Americans were defending it, while the British posters were saying it was dodgey. Kind of funny, actually.
I also don't know how the program would work in an American setting. Unless it's set in Britain with an American vicar? But then, why have the vicar be American? For my money, the original is quite good. Why do they need to remake it at all? But then, they seldom consult me on these things.
Getting back to the original topic, can't see The Vicar of Dibley working in the USA. As you'll know, the church is established here (at least in England). It tends to be very, very different to the free-market religion in the USA. The "more tea?" vicar streotype, of the slightly dotty priest keeping a village amused with his various eccentricities, still has a certain currency in these isles. I know the USA has an episcopalian church (I assume The Simpson's Rev. Lovejoy is a member) but from what I can gather it's far less influential than the Church of England. I can't quite see Rev. Geraldine Granger mix it with happy-clappy evangelicals.
by Maffrew
We also went further north and stayed near Lake Placid, saw some of the Adirondaks. Went up to see the Canucks for a day too at Niagara Falls. It was an amazing holiday, as was our 3 week stay in NYC a couple of years ago.
I took the train from New York City to Montreal once, and I remember the Adirondacks area being very pretty. I know the mountains are isolated and rugged, and the weather is horrible in winter--very cold and LOTS of snow. So there aren't a lot of people living up there. But that's probably a good thing. I actually went to university in the "snow belt" of northern New York State--quite a bit west of the Adirdondacks though. During the four years I was at university, I don't think I ever saw the ground between October and early April because it was always covered with ice, snow, and slush. That might be a little bit of an exaggeration--but not much. Looking back on my choice to go to school up there, I do wonder what I was thinking.
Where'd you go? I'm nosy.
lil miss
I really enjoyed our visit to the states and wish we could have travelled north for a bit, but unfortunately we don't have any money!!!
By the way, has anyone ever driven from Land's End in Cornwall (or any other place on the southern coast of Britain) up to the northern tip of Scotland? I've often looked at Britain on maps and thought that would be a fun thing to do. Or at least an interesting thing to do. Or is it just a weird thing to do?
I think the actual topic of this thread was mentioned in here somewhere...
(Edited by Sandia 18/05/2007 06:56)
Posted: 06:53 May 18 2007 New York with Maffrew
by Sandia
Where'd you go? I'm nosy.
Should have said, lol!
Posted: 10:55 May 18 2007 Oh, I feel like an idiot. I didn't know.
by lil_miss
(quotes)
New York with Maffrew
That's cool. Sounds like you both had a great time.
Posted: 18:54 May 18 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_counties
by Sandia
(quotes)
What are "the Home Counties"?
Like Wikipedia says, the term's become imprecise, but it basically describes the counties boardering on, and close to, London. Buckinghamshire and Kent would be quintessential Home Counties. (Or at least, they would be in my book.) The governing class used to live in them and travel into London, hence "home" counties.
Not that the village set-up you describe isn't found elsewhere, of course it is, but the sterotype is probably rooted in the Home Counties, or at least, rural Southern England. (John Major's infamous spiel about "maids cycling to tea past the cricketers on the village green" played on it.) Evelyn Waugh, Rupert Brooke, that sort of thing. The Battle of Britain, which was fought over Southern England, has reinforced it.
It's a mythical Albion in any case, so precise location isn't important!
Posted: 03:00 May 20 2007
Interesting. Thanks.
I did a bit of looking on my own to find out the names of the Home Counties, just cause I was curious. Saw that Middlesex is one of them--which is my very own "home" county in New Jersey.
I did a bit of looking on my own to find out the names of the Home Counties, just cause I was curious. Saw that Middlesex is one of them--which is my very own "home" county in New Jersey.
Posted: 21:43 May 21 2007
Many towns and districts in the North-East USA are ... erm, inspired by towns and districts in Southern England. (Lots of pilgrims having come from same.) I frequently do double-takes while watching The Practise, set in Boston, when characters reference placenames that are just a few miles down the road from me! Ie, there's an "Epping Magistrate" they use from time to time: I went to school in Epping. (England, not Massachusetts.)
If you're ever bored, take an atlas and compare place-names from New England states with the Home Counties. Looks like someone lifed the old country and plonked it down 3,000 miles away. (Which, in a sense, is exacted what happened.)
Middlesex doesn't exist anymore BTW. It used to be a county to the west of London, but the capital grew so quickly large parts of it ended up within London. There used to be a "Middlesex jury" at the Old Bailey specifically for Middlesex residents. The county was finally abolished in a spate of long-overdue Victorian re-zoning. The name survives in the odd address and the title of the Middlesex County Cricket Club. Not to be confused with the Marylebone Cricket Club, which recently voted to admit women as members. Radicalism gone mad!
If you're ever bored, take an atlas and compare place-names from New England states with the Home Counties. Looks like someone lifed the old country and plonked it down 3,000 miles away. (Which, in a sense, is exacted what happened.)
Middlesex doesn't exist anymore BTW. It used to be a county to the west of London, but the capital grew so quickly large parts of it ended up within London. There used to be a "Middlesex jury" at the Old Bailey specifically for Middlesex residents. The county was finally abolished in a spate of long-overdue Victorian re-zoning. The name survives in the odd address and the title of the Middlesex County Cricket Club. Not to be confused with the Marylebone Cricket Club, which recently voted to admit women as members. Radicalism gone mad!
Posted: 01:44 May 26 2007
Yeah, you're right. The eastern states that began as English colonies, especially those in New England, are thick with the names of English towns and counties. You can probably find the name of just about any English town transplanted somewhere. If you look at a couple of maps, it is truly amazing. And it's kind of cool.
Too bad about the demise of the original Middlesex County. But it seeded quite a few offspring here in the New World and they're carrying on the family name.
But one of the most interesting holdovers in New Jersey from the days of original English settlement isn't the names. It's got to be the boards of proprietors. When England took control of New Netherland (what's now New York and New Jersey) from the Dutch in 1664, what is now New Jersey was lopped off from New York and granted by the English king to a couple of groups of men (the proprietors) who held title to the land and had the right to set up a government. They created the proprietary colonies of East Jersey and West Jersey.
To make a very long story shorter, they lost governing authority in 1702 when the colonies were merged into the royal colony of New Jersey. But the boards of proprietors retained title to the land from the original royal land grant. They had sold most of the land by the time of the Civil War (the American one). But the two corporations existed until modern times, and still retained title to any unclaimed or unsold land in NJ dating from that royal land grant in the 1600s. The East Jersey Board dissolved itself in 1998 and sold the land it still held for $300,000 to the state of New Jersey. But the Board of West Jersey Proprietors still exists and still owns some land in western New Jersey (a few acres here and there) from that 17th century land grant. They still meet every year in Burlington in the same place that the group first met in the late 1600s. I can't imagine there's much business for them to conduct. Unless you have to do a title search that dates back to the late 1600s or 1700s, you probably wouldn't have much business with these folks. But it's, I don't know, interesting to say the least.
Oh, and to stay on topic, the Vicar of Dibley is a really entertaining program.
Too bad about the demise of the original Middlesex County. But it seeded quite a few offspring here in the New World and they're carrying on the family name.
But one of the most interesting holdovers in New Jersey from the days of original English settlement isn't the names. It's got to be the boards of proprietors. When England took control of New Netherland (what's now New York and New Jersey) from the Dutch in 1664, what is now New Jersey was lopped off from New York and granted by the English king to a couple of groups of men (the proprietors) who held title to the land and had the right to set up a government. They created the proprietary colonies of East Jersey and West Jersey.
To make a very long story shorter, they lost governing authority in 1702 when the colonies were merged into the royal colony of New Jersey. But the boards of proprietors retained title to the land from the original royal land grant. They had sold most of the land by the time of the Civil War (the American one). But the two corporations existed until modern times, and still retained title to any unclaimed or unsold land in NJ dating from that royal land grant in the 1600s. The East Jersey Board dissolved itself in 1998 and sold the land it still held for $300,000 to the state of New Jersey. But the Board of West Jersey Proprietors still exists and still owns some land in western New Jersey (a few acres here and there) from that 17th century land grant. They still meet every year in Burlington in the same place that the group first met in the late 1600s. I can't imagine there's much business for them to conduct. Unless you have to do a title search that dates back to the late 1600s or 1700s, you probably wouldn't have much business with these folks. But it's, I don't know, interesting to say the least.
Oh, and to stay on topic, the Vicar of Dibley is a really entertaining program.
Posted: 21:25 May 31 2007 