most interesting info I've found yet!

[pjbuk007]

My Mother told me at Christmas that one of my father's older sisters had married a bad'n, and had divorced.  When my Father proposed to Mother in 1947 he sat her down and said he had something to tell her - he was worried that divorce in the family was a disgraceful thing, and thought she might refuse him.

Just as well she said it didn't matter or I would not be here!

Not as exciting as your tale, but reading the rest of the thread reminded me of how attitudes change.

[Quinn]

Speaking of it being once thought of as disgraceful and vulgar to be in show business.....

I also have a great uncle (brother to Bert) who ran away from home at an extremely young age, and joined the circus.

From there, he went on to be a stage actor for a period of time, and then transferred to working backstage.  He was also involved in the forming of the Actor's Union, rising to the level of 2nd Vice President of it, and fought for fair wages for a day's work.

Patty Quinn

[griz]

Patty:  what a great group of individualists you come from!
 Who knows what other gems you will discover?  Please let us know how things go.

[sparrett]

OOOooo...Patty,

I'm gasping for air!!  What a tale.
The talk of ancient disgraces reminds me of events around my great grandfather and his 2 sons who had a business importing chemist's supplies into Melbourne  Aust.
[here] in the first decades of the 20th c.
They were found to be importing and distributing for sale contraceptive devices for women and there was hell to pay from the civic community! Letters and legal theats etc.
Amazing.
Sue

[Quinn]

For those that asked for more information:

I've put a condensed digest version of the synopsis that we have just wrote up in the past week or so on a site to read.  If you are interested in hearing more details about my great uncle Bert, please take a look at:

http://searchinghistory.tripod.com/

Obviously, there are still facts missing from this digest.  We are still researching and gathering paperwork and documentation.  But at least it gives an overview of what we are up against, and what we have found.

Patty Quinn


Moderator Comment:  topics merged, as people are asking questions on both topics

[Tephra]

Whoa - eat your heart out CSI/Law & order/Cold Case/Waking The dead!!!   This is better than any thriller I've seen yet . . . .. .


Barbara               

[Lydart]

I sometimes wish my family weren't so ordinary ... there just doesn't seem to be any scandal, crimes, ill-gotten gains; no fortunes found and lost, etc.  No convicts ... only one 'base-born' and one incestuous birth ... nothing else.  The latter sounds just like the time we live in really ...

 

[JDGen]

Great information Patty, and sad too.  Difficult for ordinary people to get justice despite the obvious doubts.

Jean

[Necromancer]

Most interesting !