Your Blacksheep-Do they amuse you?

[Galium]

This one isn't exactly a black sheep, but this will from someone in my husband's tree, from 1699 dishes the dirt on the testator's wife thus:
(this comes after generous bequests to his brother and sisters, nephews and nieces and their children, and a cousin)

Item I give unto my wife Elizabeth Towers she having been unconstant and dishonest towards me And unto her illegitimate daughter Theodosia (whom I herby clearely disowne to be my daughter and am fully satisfyed she was not gotten by me) the sum of one shilling apeice and noe more in full of all their claimes and demands whatsoever out of my Realle and Personall Estate resolving that they shall  never have noe further or other part thereof



(He seems to have been a very particular man: he also left money for gloves for all the mourners at his funeral; black for the men and white for the women.)

[jbml]

Another one of mine assaulted someone with his "billycock"

It's a variety of hat.  Doesn't sound like a very vicious weapon though.

Reminds me of a case in the late 70s or early 80s, where a man walked into a Post Office and announced "I have a P45 in my pocket - give me everything in the till"

Charged with robbery, his rather ingenious (but ultimately unsuccessful) defence was that a P45 is a tax form, and thus announcing that he was in possession of a tax form and demanding money was not capable of being demanding money with menaces (for how can you menace someone with a tax form?) and thus the act of handing over the takings had been a voluntary one in the nature of a gift ...

[3sillydogs]

Imaginitive defense, did it work I wonder

[Mart 'n' Al]

I am horrified to admit that I have a bit (well, a lot?) of admiration for my GG G/F who needed four constables to get him to the lockup, drunk, on the night before he died in custody next morning, according to the 1889 newspaper inquest report.

I am ashamed that in 1891 my second great granduncle was fined 10/- and costs 'for having driven a bicycle on the footpath'.  And it was reported in the local paper.

Martin

[Jbo11]

Hi, I was just wondering who the "Mr. Boddam" might be in this? Might be a relative of mine so I'm very curious! very funny story though!

-J

[Johnf04]

One of my 3 x great grandfathers, Abner LUCAS, was convicted of assault, in Staffordshire in 1820. In November 1819, he and some others had thrown rocks at a Yeomanry cavalry patrol in Burslem.
He served 2 years in jail, and later moved to County Durham, where he married and became a successful businessman. One of his sons, John, was mayor of Gateshead.

A newspaper article, in 1961, discussing old Gateshead, mentions Abner's arrival in Eighton Banks, and his establishment of a brickworks there. The article says "What brought him to this North-East village may never be known......"

[Guy Etchells]

Another one of mine assaulted someone with his "billycock"

It's a variety of hat.  Doesn't sound like a very vicious weapon though.

Tell that to Oddjob!
Cheers
Guy

[Gillg]

My great-grandfather left his country village to find work in London and became a policeman there.  Sadly he was dismissed the force 2 years later for "stealing strawberries" and slunk back to the village, where he spent the rest of his short life.

[iolaus]

I have someone who murdered someone with an axe and then tried to hide it by burning down the house he was in - but left the axe in the persons head! - how dull can you get

Of course it has to amuse you (although it wouldn't if it wasn't so long ago) - have to say his death was later recorded as he was murdered himself - and I'm not really surprised