Most shocking thing about your ancestors

[reecejackox]

I found out that my great great grandfather was in jail for robbery.

[Pam Downes]

Hello reecejackox,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

You only have to watch 'Who do you think you are' to realise that a lot of people have ancestors who got up to dodgy stuff. Some more dodgy than others.
Such as the highwaymen and pirates in a very interesting series shown on BBC4 called 'Britain's Outlaws: Highwaymen, Pirates and Rogues'. The last programme will be out of time on iPlayer at 9pm tonight but I expect it'll be repeated again at some stage.

I haven't found any robbers (or cops!) in my tree yet, but I have found my share of brides who walked up the aisle having anticipated their honeymoon night several months earlier.


Pam

[Peter Goodey]

If you're going to be shocked by what they got up to, it's probably best not to start looking.

[Squaredancer]

I don't think most family history researchers are shocked by what their relatives got up to - it's just that their actions would have been shocking at the time

[Ladkyis]

I don't think it ever pays to apply modern day society rules to ancestors. 200 years ago a child could be transported or hanged for stealing a handkerchief while people who set upon an elderly man and caused injuries that lead to his death got six months hard labour................. I think that was the most shocking discovery so far, that money and race and social status really were very important and justice was something to be manipulated.

[emmteeyess]

For shocking/astounding in an admirable sort of way - how on earth they managed to have such large families? - 8s,10s,12s and up to 21 in 1 case - and be able to cope with the anguish of so many infant deaths along the way?

Cheers, MTS

[southistle]

My ggg grandfather was fined 2/- for stealing peas in the 1830's. If he had had 2/- he would not have needed to steal peas!

[Lesley Robertson]

Since this thread doesn't seem to contain a research question, I've moved it to General Chatter.

PS I have a multi-great who was tried for murder in the 18th century - and got off. His neighbours testified to his good character...

[stepives]

A relative who stole a pound of beef, and was sentenced to 2 weeks in prison. He was drunk, and was celebrating his first born child.

I have two relatives in the 1860's......Mother & Daughter, who ran a Guest house, which had a certain amount of permanent residents.
They insured 6 of them, then slowly poisoned them with arsenic. Before the case came to court, the mother killed herself, and the daughter was charged with insurance fraud. She was acquitted.

I had an Aunt, who strangled her child, then tried to commit suicide by jumping in front of train. She suffered minor injuries, and after conviction, was given 18 months in Broad Moor Prison.
She went on to have two more children. (A very severe case of the PND, I would think).

[helachau]

Knowing I "dabbled" in FH, an 86 year old in my local asked me if I could find out anything about his father. Intrigued to find father born 1885 and grandfather born 1845 - quite a spread in just 3 generations. However, what surprised him was his mother's side - money/landed gentry &c but which also included a 1747 skeleton" ... nullity of marriage by reason of incest".

However, disclosing this to him simply drew the response " At least it wasn't hereditary".