What is a black sheep ancestor?
A black sheep ancestor is one who brings shame to the family. The term originates from black wool being traditionally less valuable than white because it is unable to be dyed.
It may be as simple as being a little eccentric or rebellious in a family that is otherwise highly conformist. It may be a young woman who gave birth out of wedlock. Or it could be a family member who commits a crime. Regardless, the black sheep is a disgraced family member who is often shunned by the rest.
Why are black sheep ancestors so interesting?
It is human nature to be intrigued by people who live outside of society’s norms, whether they be criminals or people who have unusual or extreme lifestyles. Look how popular true crime, crime dramas, murder mysteries, reality shows, and soap operas are on TV. Some of the most popular authors are those who write about criminals, fictional or not. Historical criminal figures such as Ned Kelly, Al Capone and Jack the Ripper intrigue us to this day and are unlikely ever to be forgotten.
Black sheep also add colour to our family history and every family has at least one! The great thing about discovering a black sheep ancestor is that there is often a lot of information available about them!
How do we find out about them?
The first hint we get of a black sheep is often the absence of open information within the family though. Perhaps the great-uncle that older family members only whisper about. Maybe the cousin no one speaks about. Perhaps an entire line of the family tree is not discussed. The black sheep is not usually what you are going to hear about when collecting oral history (unless you’re really lucky!). People like to keep the family skeletons in the cupboard, not bring them out to be talked about. Whatever you happen to pick up or overhear is likely to be inaccurate and incomplete. Make sure you cross-check every detail for clues and construct the best timeline you can. Then you need to verify and fill in the gaps using information from outside the family.
Luckily, the more notorious or outrageous the black sheep is, the more information is available. And even if the wrongdoing was only minor, there is likely to be documentary evidence somewhere.
Some sources to consider
A great place to look is in newspapers. Crimes are often reported on both at the time and when the trial occurs, and these reports tend to be a lot less dry to read than the formal documents. Depending on the paper they can actually become quite lurid, for example, the ‘penny dreadful’ illustrated papers of Victorian England.
Some of the sites to check out for newspapers include the British Newspaper Archive (also available through FindMyPast), Newspapers.com (also via Ancestry), Trove (free site for Australian newspapers), and Papers Past (free site for NZ newspapers). Also, do not neglect looking for local history books.
For the actual facts about the crime, trial and punishment, there are multiple sources of information such as inquests and coroner’s reports, police gazettes, court records, gaol and prison records and multiple forms of convict documents (about which expect a future blog!). Pictures and/or physical descriptions of the black sheep are not uncommon in several of these documents.
If they left the country, you may find them on passenger lists, or they might have passport applications you can consult.
The parish chest can also be revealing. Poor law records such as removal and settlement examinations and orders can provide a lot of information. For illegitimacy see if any bastardy bonds are available. DNA can also be a useful modern tool for validating paternity!
One place where family members might speak out a little is in their will! And if there were legal quarrels in Chancery all sorts of family gossip can be found if you know where to look!
All the feels…
Finding a black sheep ancestor can stir up all sorts of mixed feelings. It is natural to want to feel proud of your family, and believe they are good people. It can be quite a blow to realise that some of them just weren’t likeable (remember my Edward Field?). This doesn’t apply to all, or even a majority of the black sheep though. People were often just doing their best to survive in harsh times.
Remember they were living in different times, with different societal expectations. Most of us today would be considered black sheep if we were transplanted into the 19th Century! Don’t be quick to judge. Take into account the time period and circumstances, and put their story into context. Was it really so wrong to steal food during a famine? Wrong enough to potentially be hung or transported across the world?
At the same time, it is important to be sensitive to the potential ongoing feelings of shame or embarrassment in living relatives who are of an era incompatible with the actions of the black sheep (e.g., unwed mothers, convict ancestry). Do not hide the truth, or worse cover it with white lies. However, be careful how excitedly public you go with information if someone still with us can be hurt.
Next week, I will tell the tale of one or two of my many black sheep, as I have written far too much this week already! In the meantime..who is YOUR black sheep and what did they do?