What makes a Black Sheep?

[LoneyBones]

My Black Sheep was Elizabeth Davis. (g-g-g-grandmother)
The whole story is on-line when you go looking for it.
I found her on the ship 'Stately' bound for New Zealand, she got herself into a whole lot of trouble and ended up in court in Auckland. Three or four times in fact.
A local newspaper article ends up alluding to her (yes her, , her's is the only name mentioned) as the sweepings of the streets of London!!! And she paid her own fare!!
Every time I think about it I want to sue the paper and the #@!!*# cowardly reporter who didn't even put his name to the article.
I have a photo of her and she looks such a sweet thing    She went on to raise 7 children.
So if anyone here has an ancestor who was a reporter for the Southern Cross newspaper in 1851, let them know that he was the worst black sheep of all.
cheers,
Leonie.

[familyman1]

a black sheep is sombody like my mother

[giraffe]

Purely for interest - I heard that the wool of the black sheep was prized years ago by the 'working class'
because it was sold cheaply and was used for knitting their black socks! So there's some hope after all.

[familyman1]

different

[davierj]

In early 19th century the Aberystwyth and Tregaron bank issued banknotes engraved with black sheep - the number of sheep on the note equalling the value.   The 10/- note had a small sheep on it.   Known locally as Banc y Ddefad Ddu, the Black Sheep Bank, it must have been before the nursery rhyme.

Dave

[JonathanC]

Does failing degree exams at Oxford (twice!), then bankruptcy count?

[helenM123]

The so called"black sheep" in our family was my G grandfather,Richard Dodsworth Southwell who set sail for Australia in 1910,leaving his wife,son (my grandad) and daughter behind in Yorkshire. It was always said he upped and went and was never heard of again until my Grandad was sent a bill for his burial in NSW in 1939.However looking through a box of old papers after the death of my grandparents we found a letter sent to his wife shortly after his arrival in Australia asking why she wasn't replying to his letters and if she had recieved the cheques he'd been sending. So it would seem he didn't abandon them entirely and maybe it was his wife who broke contact with him.I have found his name on a passenger list and a burial record for him in Albury NSW in 1939 but other than that have no clue what happened to him in the intervening years, I would love to know more about him.

[MarieC]

Helen,

Are you aware of the digitised Australian newspapers?  If you Google for Trove, you will find them.  You could search for your man between 1910 and 1939 - there just could be some reports about him. 

MarieC

[helenM123]

Thank you so much for that information Marie C, will have a look and see if I can find anything