Your Blacksheep-Do they amuse you?

[Rena]

How about we all make a New Year's Resolution to not corrupt every thread into "Look at these bozos on Ancestry. "

Instead, let's corrupt them by completely changing the original  question. So: is anyone ashamed of any of their long-dead relations? And if so, why?

That seems to be a dig at me.  I'm not ashamed of any of my ancestors whether they were saints or otherwise - I merely admitted I wasn't sure and I certainly wouldn't describe anyone as a bozo.

I do admit to being amused to find my OH had a smuggler in his line but am now rather irritated because I haven't yet discovered the whereabouts of his court case. -

[Palladium]

I wasn't happy to find my g'grandfather in court for beating his children. But finding my g'father and his brothers in trouble for petty crimes and being drunk was a hoot...

[Johnf04]

There's nothing one can do, to change the past....so feeling ashamed about the behaviour of ancestors is pointless.

[Guy Etchells]

They don't amuse me and I don't feel ashamed of them but they do interest me as do all my ancestors.

We can't change the past good or bad it is what it is.

Cheers
Guy

[clairec666]

The only troublemaker I've found among my ancestors is my g-g-g-grandfather, a baker, who was fined for selling underweight loaves of bread. Several decades later, his son was convicted of the same offence. (Maybe he inherited his father's scales..... or his unscrupulous nature.)

The newspaper archives are a great source of information. They really help bring your tree to life. I've come across some real horror stories - murder, child abuse - from more distant relatives. I'm glad Elijah-the-loaf-fiddler is the only ancestor (that I know of!) who's been up to no good.

[Bearnan]

We call ours bad boy Benjie......3 x great uncle Benjamin Spilsbury alias Edward Kelly alias Thomas Harper, he felt the hand of the law few times. Having seen his photo I don't think I'd have liked to get on the wrong side of him.

[Ayashi]

My 4xgt grandfather, a mariner, got drunk and ended up in a fight with two of his shipmates - it ended with him grabbing the handspike and hitting one guy over the head so hard it shattered his skull and caused a brain haemorrhage. Luckily the guy survived. Mark was held in Newgate Prison for something like 19 weeks before being tried at the Old Bailey.

The notes are online and it was helpful in identifying his christening, particularly the bit about being called a "Scotch bastard"! I won't say I think he was a rogue, but it makes for one of the more interesting parts of my tree.

Mark was found not guilty, presumably on grounds of provocation, and although I felt rather sorry for him from some of what was said I think I would have hanged him if I'd been on the jury 

[Guyana]

Can I claim my MiL, for riding a bike without a rear light, during the War?

[Rena]

Can I claim my MiL, for riding a bike without a rear light, during the War?

Coversely, we heard a knock on our door one evening during WWII - Our mother answered to find it was the warden informing us there was a chink of light showing between our black out curtains.  She gave a classic example of "scurrying" to amend the situation.