Black Sheep Ancestors

I’ve never found what I considered a “black sheep” ancestor among the branches of my family tree. There have been a few that I wondered about … you know, the ones who seem to disappear into thin air, or even appear from thin air. I’ve never actually proven that scoundrels existed in my family. I’m sure they did, though. I descend from Scottish highlanders, and can’t imagine at least one of them wasn’t a little naughty. 

If you suspect that one of your ancestors might have strayed from the straight and narrow, you can search for them on the Black Sheep Ancestors website.

The site has records from the US, UK, and Canada, as well as and international pirate search. Yes. Pirates.

You can search for records from prisons, courts, and insane asylums or search for executions in each of the countries. Some links lead back to paid resources, but it’s worth the look.