Every family has them. The black sheep. The troublemakers. The ones who found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Not all the crimes committed by our ancestors were major. Many who were convicted of crimes were guilty of minor offences and acts of desperation. Finding an ancestor who ended up on the wrong side of the law is something we will all face sooner or later in our research - there are no perfect families.
Often when an ancestor was found to have committed an offence, newspapers are our first source of information. Court sessions were frequently reported in local newspapers, sometimes providing a simple summary of the cases heard and sometimes reporting in great detail.
The above article, from 22 September 1863, reports William Mothersole and James Cocksedge (who were both direct ancestors of mine) being fined for being drunk and disorderly, and reports in detail their actions and the fine they received.
On 18 July 1838, my ancestor Deborah Wordley was sentenced to 14 days goal for theft. As far as I can discover this was her only offence and she does not appear in the newspapers again.
Court reports and newspaper articles may also name an ancestor who was the victim of a crime or who gave evidence in a court case. While these people are not on the wrong side of the law, it is still a fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors, seeing the impact of the wrongdoing of others has upon them.
My ancestor Daniel Green on 1 November 1777 offered a reward of two guineas for the return of the horse, with five guineas if the horse was stolen and the thief apprehended.
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