Billy Connolly Shocked To Discover Indian Heritage | Who Do You Think You Are

[@emsmac80]

Billy finding out he was part Indian and being visibly in awe of this revelation for some reason made me cry.. What an experience

[@Piterdeveirs333]

I love Billy's smile when he was told he probably has family in India

[@BhajanMan]

They don't have birth certificates those days. She could be older than 13 years old

[@colinp2238]

The thing I like about Billy Connolly is that he is so dow to Earth and his attitude here reflects that. No pretensions, just a straight forward guy willing to take on anything life presents him with.

[@rosemarie20]

This is so cool. Am so touched at how glad Billy is to be part Indian. My three sons are half-Indian. Their late father was born in Northern India and I'm a southern Virginian who fell in love with India in 5th grade geography class.

[@Belladonna313]

Aww that is lovely 😊

[@rosemarie20]

@@rajkhimani9119 LOL. Now THAT is the 64-million dollar question!!!

[@rituraj4447]

@@rosemarie20 A good way to respond to a muppet.

[@spaliverpool71]

Poo always finds a way 😍

[@kaycey7361]

​@@rajkhimani9119 you really are a muppet.

[@nancyhooper7715]

This is lovely! Especially when Billy says he’s going to keep his little bit of Indian close to him.😊

[@BryonLape]

I once worked with a man from India who had a Dutch last name. I asked him about it and he said his great-grandfather was a sailor who arrived in India and decided to stay.

[@TheDreamingJune]

Billy has an adorable smile and a charming demeanor about him. A national treasure for sure.

[@brendawatt7308]

Absolutely he makes me smile every time

[@EthanBSide]

🇮🇳 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@vegetariansuniteworldwide8091]

The late Princess Diana had an Indian ancestor as well.❤

[@simplelifelost]

Typical Billy, raw, honest, delightful.

[@LQOTW]

Wow, Billy, what a great adventure you've had! What wonderful news for you - your heritage is deeper and broader than you expected. Such a wonderful, real person - no pretensions, just Billy.

[@eileenmorris9434]

What a joy to see Billy enjoying his time taking part in this wonderful programme

[@cattycakes64]

I love him like a member of my own family.

[@kaycey7361]

It shows how india and britain has been entangled by the momentum of history. The language, the family, the government systems Each day its growing.

[@carolinenorman6141]

Such a beautiful man beautiful true spirit

[@Kitiwake]

He's not that. He's an athiest but yet considers himself to be fair and concerned about Justice.

[@royperkins3851]

The truth is that there are over a million Anglo Indians and there are British and South Asians that have no idea that they are mixed but the truth is that in a few hundred years there would have been quite alot of mixing!

[@Kitiwake]

Connolly's ancestor was Irish, not Anglo.

[@marias7274]

I also wonder if there won't be many more English people than we think with Indian blood as a consequence of colonialism. That is the story that is not told.

[@debodatta7398]

Yep there's loads in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai proper,

[@kimhewer1479]

Reminds me of the goodness gracious me sketch 😂 "Billy Connelly? Indian!" 😂😂 Love how pleased he is to know xxx

[@richardhodges3593]

Actually this is quite common to have Indian ancestry. I'm battling with my own Indian ancestors which goes back to the 18th Century Raj in India. I'm very proud of my Mogul ancestry.

[@richardhodges3593]

@Dee Well done for researching those facts. I did a DNA test also and it showed Indian DNA, about 4% from Pakistan and the Punjab and also Southern India. I'm able to back this up with records because my indian ancestors came to England in the 19th Century.

[@Playerone1287]

Moghul ancestry lol Are you sure of the Moghul ancestry or were you just joking Moghuls were ruling Muslim elite class, very few in numbers at the time

[@richardhodges3593]

@@Playerone1287 My great grandmother was a person born in 1875 in Somerset, her name was Mary Anne Kate Rose Mogul. Her father was an Indian gentleman called John Mogul born 1812. I'm not sure of any connection to the dynasty though.

[@Playerone1287]

@@richardhodges3593 interesting moguls mostly live in Pakistan these days, they are in good numbers there

[@Playerone1287]

@@richardhodges3593 I mean not every mogul was and is an elite muslim, it was a group of people related to Mongols(Mughal is a Persianized form of Mongol) who invaded India in 16th century

[@Adara007]

It's good to see Billy Connolly again but it's sad how frail he's become: Parkinson's disease and cancer together is horrendous. I hope the progression of the former slows down. His comedy and energy both are greatly missed...

[@mrs.cracker4622]

He's a lovely man and always funny and compassionate. I really enjoy watching him and wish him the best.

[@gordonferrar7782]

What a life though!

[@conormcguire2376]

My grandpa taught him to drive and used to be friends years and years ago, so sad Billy is ill :(

[@elizabethnewton2217]

I have adored Billy since I was about 5 or 6 years old and watched my nan giggling like a school girl watching him and pretending to be shocked by his bad language. I finally got to see him in concert a few years ago but the Parkinson's had already made such a big impact and I felt very sad. I wish him all the best and hope his health improves

[@knockshinnoch1950]

Billy Connolly is a national treasure. I just love the joy on his face when he discovers his Indian heritage. I would love to see Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins take part in the programme... rofl!

[@nomdeplume2213]

God i love that man so much. Hes such an awesome human ❤

[@wendymudkins668]

The big yin love billy he always made me laugh so much great actor to so glad to see his story unfold

[@nutcracker2916]

One of my ancestors. John Mildenhal was the first British man to have been buried in India. He had an Anglo Indian family there .As well as his English children back home.

[@yourmumsy1081]

How do you know he was your ancestor?

[@Kitiwake]

Richard O Connor is the local INDIAN guide to the officers club while both are searching for a lost Irish man who married a half cast Indian Catholic woman called Mary O Brien after her father.

[@edwardtait4285]

Love it. Thank you to Billy Connolly and all involved.

[@gordonferrar7782]

I live Billy. National treasure!

[@handyandy6050]

WE LOVE YOU BILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@rickburt4275]

This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

[@Geordie6740]

I met an Indian - American girl who lost her sh*t when I pointed out that her surname was actually Dutch. She had no idea and thought it was an Indian name which for a couple of centuries it may have been the truth.

[@a.mysticpearl4146]

This is very beautiful. Very.💚

[@Jacobyte1746]

Now you know where your middle name came from Billy Mahatma Connolly....

[@mikeradford5630]

Should be "Billy mad shagger Connolly"

[@Liz-rw9qw]

This is interesting. I just saw on Michael Portillo's ' Great Indian Railway Journeys', an Indian poet whose features reminded me of Billy Connolly. I decided to check if Billy had Indian connections and discovered this. I wonder if the poet (can't remember the name) could be a distant relative?

[@writeract2]

Nice reaction by Mr. Connolley - welcome to the country.

[@hardikvyas9949]

He is blessed, nice

[@sanjithmenon7976]

Conolly is a well known name in south india. In Kerala. In the town of calicut...there was a well known collector. He was murdered by the mapillahs. Yes. Jeeharding existed even then.

[@margaretflounders8510]

Wow!

[@irishelk3]

I’m surprised the guy didn’t address his own name, an Indian with the surname O’Connor?...I would love to see India some day, have always been curious about it, interesting people.

[@irishelk3]

@Average Joe Yeah?, and did you know that Irish, because i'm Irish, and Billy is half Irish...is an Indo European language, derived from Sanskrit and Hindi, we also share the same ancient laws. We used to be the same people a long long time ago ;)

[@parinikasharma317]

There's a lot of Indians of Anglo, Irish, and Scottish descent. A man by the name of Derek O'Brien is even a member of Parliament.

[@mrs.cracker4622]

Many thanks for sharing this episode. 🙂

[@momtrips6783]

I LOVED this.

[@Playerone1287]

This old man was so funny the way he was speaking and reacting 😂

[@TotallyLostSoul]

I love Billy ❤

[@j.b.4614]

Congratulations. Find out about your Indian relatives and honor them. Discover what characteristics they passed to you

[@the_resourceful]

Delightful discovery. ✨✨✨

[@mrp5764]

East Indians are the original inhabitants of mumbai and other island's. They were called that because they worked for the east India company. They were not usually Anglo Indian or of mixed eurasian origin. They were purely Indian with Portuguese influences. Its highly unlikely his great grandmother was anglo Indian because all Anglo Indians were baptized at birth. She seems to be from a purely east Indian heritage just like the record shows. To say that east Indians are Anglo Indians is incorrect on the part of the historian.

[@leynaripley5250]

If you're talking about Matilda, and how she wasn't baptised until before marriage, she wasn't Anglo Indian, she was Indian. The historian himself says that Anglo Indians were baptised shortly after birth but we don't see any of the baptism records of any of her children (the marriage record of the Anglo Indian woman that we saw was that of Matilda's daughter, Billy's great aunt)

[@deirdrenickel2987]

That's awesome, and it's really not that small a part. Only 3 generations ago!

[@hookemups6710]

thank you for upload .

[@oceanrock733]

Many of the Loyalists who fought for the British in the Revolutionary War went to India after the war and settled their permanently

[@kelleymasters1522]

I really enjoyed this

[@sxtn102]

My 2nd GGM was married pregnant at 13yo in AL, so impregnated at 12yo. Good or bad, it happens. Easy for us to make judgements, but often the times or circumstances would lend a different view. It's one of genealogy's biggest lessons to me...most often you don't have all the info, so you also are in no place to judge!

[@rup54]

Confusing at times. Anglo-Indian can mean a person of mixed Indian and English parentage or in a more historical sense English people born and raised in India. Surprising how many very famous and extremely talented English people were born and raised in India.

[@alfrancis8]

They also mentioned that due to the fact that she was not baptised at birth she may have been full indian and not mixed.

[@michaelgilbert4736]

That's awesome

[@shanemathews4177]

I miss Bangalore

[@rememberme5928]

Does anyone know the music that was played during the last minute, right from 8:11 ...

[@parinikasharma317]

Aww, who'd have thought? Its a small world after all. ❤❤❤

[@auroratepesh7054]

Am from Bangalore

[@ranjana843]

Just goes to show human race is but one. We are all connected ❤ East Indians by the way are the fishermen communtiy of Maharashtra, India known as Kolis if they have managed to preserve their original Hindu faith. Kolis who were or chose to convert to Christianity are East Indians. Anglo Indians are the ones who have one English ancestor.

[@the_drifter-bw9hj]

Man was gutted 😂😂

[@johnminehan1148]

Matilde Allen was probably Anglican, since her father was English. However, he was probably Baptized as a Catholic to marry an Irish Catholic.

[@karenwoodward7291]

My Dad's grandfather was 36 and wife was 14 when they married in the 1800's in IN. That was quite common here in the U.S. back then.

[@houngrysdigest1525]

He should do a DNA test and go meet his relatives in India. I'd love to see their reactions.

[@saviolademello320]

They probably are Anglo Indian and migrated

[@buttertandoorichicken]

I’m not a Christian Indian, but my family’s from Bangalore. Here’s hoping I have a distant British cousin 😬

[@fionadiazdalriada]

I wish I could pinpoint who my Indian family was. The DNA shows up on my mum's side of the family. But a small percentage only, so obviously at least 5 generations back. Our GED match shows several different North Indian and Pakistani options, including Pathan, Sindi, Punjabi Jaat, and Kalash.

[@dannymcintyre3819]

@@saviolademello320 Anglo? With a name like O'Brien? Irish Indian more like.

[@fionadiazdalriada]

@ferzy09 I am still researching, it was most likely my great grandmother. But I have hit a wall on that side of the family.

[@alanmclean6690]

Billy MacCurry 🍰

[@dpj1]

Richard O’Connor 👳🏾‍♀️ 😂love it

[@NC-hu3ti]

Possibly some anglo ancestry. I also had an very indian looking classmate with a very Portuguese last name. We don't wonder so much about race in india. We take people for what they are.

[@AviChetriArtwork]

@@NC-hu3ti most Goans have Portuguese names.

[@AviChetriArtwork]

Bro, a Sikh emoji, really?

[@valor101arise]

Truly, were all cousins. Remember that the next time you feel anger to a fellow man

[@jeanmcconnell5610]

Music

[@hookemups6710]

when your there its a different sausage.

[@IRonMan-kw2jp]

❤

[@sandrap4188]

How does this get buried in oral family history? It wasn't that many generations ago. Seems like it was a well guarded family secret. Sad that survival meant losing their Indian heritage.

[@youejtube7692]

It's interesting that the fact Matilda was Indian suddenly makes it acceptable and less shocking that she was only 13 when John O'Brien married her.

[@kateyork4071]

Ik I was like what?? But I think it was still 'permitted' if you will back then. Go back farther as soon as a girl got her period she was married off. It's crazy to think of that. If I lived 500 yrs ago I would have been married at 10!

[@ophelia4823]

EVEN BRITISH girls married at 13 earlier, it isn't shocking for people at that time.

[@koobie83]

In the olden days, it was common for South Indian girls to be married soon after they have their period. Even to this day, Tamil girls have a ceremony when they have their period for the first time to celebrate their transition into womanhood. Back in those days, it also served as a marriage advertisement to let the community know she was available now for marriage.

[@typower9]

This happened in Europe in the medieval period. People would be 'betrothed' as children or young teenagers, for family alliances etc.

[@introsig7696]

I didn´t like that part, shows he still has some colonial mindset.

[@nomdeplume2213]

Girls were being married off at 13 up until the 60s. It was just normal... my grandmother in law was married at 13 to a 30 yr old and no one batted an eyelash.

[@Anonymous-ym8gr]

Yes, it was the norm. It is funny how people have forgotten this.

[@OffGridInvestor]

It's ABSOLUTELY NOT UNKNOWN for the British girls to marry at as low as 13. I think my great grandmother had her first child at 16.

[@kdog4587]

Still gross though?

[@keeya_ks]

My gran married at 14 however wasnt allowed to go to my grandads home till she was 17

[@leighcunningham756]

Something we should all recognize = there is no pure race. We are all mixed heritage

[@naukumaija7056]

Maybe that's where he gets the hair.... 🤔

[@MICHAELCAMPBELL69]

Billy will have to take more interest in cricket now😂

[@Pu-nishant]

we just got more Indian.

[@jasonhaymanonthedrawingboard]

Well his jokes about gods seem to get even funnier. Does that mean he’s got a bit of gods of the sub continent in him?

[@jillybe1873]

Gandhi married at 13 and his wife was also 13

[@Playerone1287]

1:29 weird notebook

[@khanimran7465]

Majority of of anglo Indians don't claim there Indian they all claim Portuguese decent for the dark skin even in Present day they wont say Indian

[@organicfarm5524]

Portuguese in India were quite mixed anyways.

[@typower9]

Whether in the US or Europe, in times when it was politically unacceptable to have non-Caucasian blood, dark hair, darker skin or eyes were often explained away as being due to 'Portuguese', 'Spanish', or 'Italian' ancestry.

[@sunilkavadi7326]

East Indians are natives of Mumbai and Thane.They are not Anglo Indians.

[@tstanmoysamanta]

in that era marriage age 13

[@vinitraj9247]

its very dark period in indian history british people forcefully marying indian women worse than mughal

[@nicolaablett7790]

We are all more mixed up than we know Which is why the uk riots are even more vile

[@spaliverpool71]

Funny how Irish Scots call themselves Anglo this & that. Billy and his Indian blue eyes Ha Ha Ha

[@martinsanchez4827]

Mate he is 3.125% Indian which is tiny fraction of him.

[@spaliverpool71]

Looking pretty dark for 3 % only

[@martinsanchez4827]

@@spaliverpool71 he doesn't look dark 🤣

[@vistazopimp4650]

maybe thats why he was a hippy heh

[@bellei365]

Bit sad that it’s being glossed over that a British man married an Indian child. When you think about it, it’s so wrong.

[@mrs.cracker4622]

My 5xs great grandmother in a similar situation married at the age of 12. It wasn't unusual in those days. Different time, different culture.

[@clair233]

His reaction is of disgust and astonishment - he acknowledged it with disdain. I dont think its glossed over at all.

[@nj1639]

This marriage has to be viewed in its historical context to keep from being sad and delusional.

[@babs66]

It was legal in uk up to 1929 to get married at 12 if you were a girl.

[@GenieGin13]

many cultures married off girls at that age because the logic was... when a girl starts going through puberty, it meant she was a woman and old enough for marriage, old enough to bear children. now in the modern day with longer life expectancy and fuller understanding of childhood/adulthood, most countries have a higher legal marriage age and made child bride marriages illegal. Britain was no different. they, too, once a upon a time was not unusual for much older males to marry young girls barely in their teens

[@jameshudson169]

13 if she's lucky. She could have been 12.

[@TheRastler]

Obviously his great great great grandfather wasn’t superstitious

[@Edith-t4j]

I knew billy was never a true Scot.

[@nealwailing3870]

ex=paratrooper

[@MakyMcthug]

East Indian doesn't mean Anglo Indian, East Indian means the Bengal presidency, and Bangladesh before the partition of Bengal, i mean even today it is the East India😁🤓, and on that time it was definitely known as the East Indian Company😂. And most Anglo Indians also comes from Calcutta. And it was not just British father and Indian mother, it was also vice versa. This dude from bangalore definitely cooking something else🤣