Chaplin was born in gypsy caravan, secret letter says

LONDON: Charlie Chaplin was probably born in a gypsy caravan in the West Midlands in the UK, according to a letter locked away for decades by the legendary silent movie star in his bedroom. 

Until now, the true birth place of Chaplin has remained a mystery the US spy agency CIA and Britain's MI5 have been unable to crack. Now the letter, written to Chaplin in the 70s claims he was born on the "Black Patch" near Birmingham rather than in London as he had publicly claimed.

The faded document was sent by Jack Hill, who lived in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and was only discovered in 1991 after the star's daughter inherited the desk it was concealed in, the 'Daily Mail' reported. 

In the letter, Hill told Chaplin , who died in 1977, that he had been born in a caravan, in a gypsy community in Smethwick , West Midlands, which was ruled by a gypsy queen. 

In the letter, he told Chaplin that he was "the only man alive" who knew the secret of his birth. Chaplin's father, he explained, had worked alongside his own father in the Pat Collins troupe. 

Now, researcher Edward Ellis, from Manchester, is attempting to track down the history of Hill to determine whether or not his claims have any basis. 

Ellis said, "It's a real mystery - he was investigated by MI5 and the CIA in the 1950s and they could not crack the nut. "Because he didn't have a birth certificate even Chaplin didn't know where he was born." The silent film pioneer's son, Michael, first revealed the existence of the letter in a BBC radio documentary broadcast last year. 

The letter was found after Chaplin's daughter Victoria hired a locksmith to prise the desk drawer open.