What makes a Black Sheep?

[northern_rose]

I have just noticed a rootschat member referring to an ancestors photo as "the black sheep" and it got me thinking..............what makes a black sheep?

When would you classify a member of your tree as a black sheep?

[ricky1]

Hi northern_rose
found this bit of info

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/66250.html


ricky

[cloggers child]

Someone who is different from all the rest could be called a blacksheep.   not necessarily a bad person but just someone different.

[avm228]

I regard my fraudsters (2) and bigamists (2) as black sheep.  Not that I find them worthless at all - if anything I enjoy researching the naughtier ancestors more than those who led blameless lives.  I even wrote a mini-biography about one of them (Not that I in any way condone fraud or wife-abandonment...)

Anna

[MrsLizzy]

Sometimes it's just someone who fails to live up to the family's expectations.  I was jokingly referred to as the "black sheep of the family" once by a cousin because all the others were in the "caring" professions, i.e. teaching, medicine etc, and I worked in law.  Although in my case it was just a joke, it could be quite serious if, say, someone was born into a very talented musical family who all played instruments or sang, and that one person just wanted to live a nice, quiet, dull life, getting married and having children.  Could be big disapproval from The Family!

[Emjaybee]

In the great days of land grabbing gentry, sheep chewed their way though most of the country. Their wool  made a fortune for the owner while the displaced peasants sailed for pastures new.
The lambs that had the black wool were rejected by the wool merchants and didnt add any funds to the coffers of the landowners so the last 15 rooms could not be added to the mansion that year!


Baa baa blacksheet have you any wool? No mention of "one for the wool dealer" there.

Blacksheep of the family = a worthless waster.

[MarieC]

Good question!

I think for me, a black sheep would be one whose actions are injurious to others in a major way.  I have two convicts who I don't at all regard as black sheep.  They committed very minor thefts, probably driven to them by economic necessity, and "made good" here in Australia.

On the other hand, an ancestor ran a fusee watch chain factory where women and children practically lost their eyesight toiling over those tiny little chain links.  I realise it was a different age, but I do think of him as a black sheep!

The jury is out on a ggggrandfather.  He was overly fond of the drink and gambling, but I haven't enough evidence to know if he really gave his wife and family a hard time! 

MarieC

[northern_rose]

Thanks for all your replies.

I don't think I phrased my question very well - I am aware of the meaning of the term black sheep (but had never really thought it trough to think about the lack of value of the black fleece )

What I should have asked was - "what has the black sheep in your tree done to deserve the name?"

In my tree it's my great great grandfather in prison in 1901 - no idea how he ended up there though!!

[geniecolgan]

Oh, we don't have any in our tree   

However, there are a couple of individuals who might qualify as Black Sheep. They appear in the annals of the Old Bailey, the names right but I haven't proved relationship yet.

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

One was Transported in 1831,  7 years.
Now, he would qualify 'cause he got caught.

jc