Baa Baa Black Sheep

Many (if not most) of the people in our trees are "everyday people". Folks who were born, lived their lives, likely worked very hard, perhaps raised a family and ultimately died. I must admit, the vast majority of people in my tree are a bit...non-descript...perhaps even boring. 

Don't get me wrong! There are exceptions and they're usually the ones destined for a biographical sketch. Some of my ancestors led very interesting lives. A few made great contributions to their community. Several were savvy business owners. Many served their country bravely in the military. A smattering died in unusual or unexpected ways. I do my best to bring each and every person in my tree back to life as much as I can with the information available to me. But sometimes, there just isn't a whole lot to tell.

Now wouldn't it be interesting to find someone with a slightly checkered past? Perhaps something long hidden no one in the family talked about? Maybe an ancestor who was in prison or an insane asylum? Go back far enough and one might even find a pirate, an outlaw, a witch or an execution. But where do you look for records of this type?

Blacksheep Ancestors could potentially be the site to help unlock long hidden secrets! You'll find links for the United States, Canada and the UK. By far, the United States seems to have the largest number of links on the site. You'll find the following types of records:

• Prison and convict records
• Court records
• Executions
• Insane asylum records
• Bios of famous outlaws, criminals & pirates 
• And more!

You're not going to find all the secrets of your ancestors by using this site...but you might find a hidden gem you didn't expect! Especially if you hit a brick wall where a person seems to disappear, consider whether they might have run afoul of the law or been sent away to a hospital. Blacksheep Ancestors might just give you a nudge towards a record you hadn't considered or perhaps to a website you've not contemplated searching before.

This is one of those "down the rabbit hole" sites for me. Sometimes it's fun to simply poke around, even if it isn't about my specific ancestors. It makes me wonder, are any of my family members somewhere in these records? Some of the biographical stories are fascinating to read. If you have an ancestor who just disappeared, do a quick search at Blacksheep Ancestors. You might just uncover something unexpected.

Image by Hans from Pixabay