When people research their family trees they always crow on about the good stuff. Nobody celebrates being descended from absolute wrong’uns.

My Dad did ours during Covid. I’m related to someone who was hung for smuggling brandy from France in the 1700s. A regular Jack sparrow.

The poor guy had his neck stretched was buried in an unmarked grave at a crossroads which was the thing at the time. We suspect he’s somewhere under an A30 roundabout now that I drive over to visit my in-laws.

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RubySoo · 56-60, F

Wow!! Great story! Will you try to find out more about him?

I did my Dads side of the family. I found a number of stories about his father, ( my grandad). He had died when my Dad was 5, so we didn't really know much about him at all.
But...i found a number of stories about him in local newspaper archieves. Drunk and disorderly on Christmas Eve, pouching, stealing tomatoes and apples from the greenhouse of a well to do local family. Not shocking stuff....but this gave us an image of him as a bit of a bad boy.

But more shockingly, he left his wife for my grandma. They ran away together when she was just 15, he was aboutc15 years older! And... wait for it....his wife was grandmas older sister!!
He was arrested and sentenced to 3 weeks hard labour for abandonment!
Their first 7 children were born while he was still married to the sister. She died a few years later and they were free to be married.
Scandal eh??