{"id":11053,"date":"2015-07-15T12:02:28","date_gmt":"2015-07-15T16:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=11053"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:22:56","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:22:56","slug":"how-to-find-the-black-sheep-of-your-family-in-old-newspapers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/how-to-find-the-black-sheep-of-your-family-in-old-newspapers.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Find the Black Sheep of Your Family in Old Newspapers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Gena\u00a0Philibert-Ortega writes about one of the more interesting aspects of genealogy: uncovering the stories of your \u201cblack sheep\u201d ancestors. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that I love researching black sheep ancestors when tracing my family tree. Why? They leave behind the best paper trails! And if there\u2019s one place to learn more about your black sheep ancestor, it\u2019s in old newspapers \u2013 like those in GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>. I could literally spend days finding examples of articles memorializing those ancestors who didn\u2019t walk the straight and narrow. To get you started on your own family black sheep research quest, here are a few examples of articles I\u2019ve discovered in the old newspaper archives.<\/p>\n

Police Blotters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Police blotter articles are short listings documenting arrests and police activities. They can provide a lot of information, including the name of the party arrested, their crime, the address where the crime occurred, and even the name of the victim \u2013 as in these examples from May 1900.<\/p>\n

\"police<\/a>
Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 10 May 1900, page 9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few days later the same Philadelphia police blotter gives additional information about one criminal, as it reports:<\/p>\n

Henry Haig, alias Kendig, who has only been out of jail two weeks, was sent to prison pending trail [sic] on the charge of having stolen bicycles belonging to Thomas Magee, of 2247 Dickinson street, and William H. Urner, of 22 South Nineteenth street.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What a great find for someone unaware that their kin used more than one surname.<\/p>\n

\"police<\/a>
Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 12 May 1900, page 9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the Jail to the Courthouse<\/strong><\/p>\n

The nice thing about reading your ancestor\u2019s court case in the newspaper is that you can follow it up with the actual official court records. In this list from the Lexington Herald<\/em> of police court cases, some are violent crimes like murder and assault \u2013 but many are less serious, such as drunkenness, loitering, and disorderly conduct. My favorite in this list is the last entry for Mrs. A. B. Lancaster, charged with reckless driving \u2013 in 1913!<\/p>\n

\"Twenty-Seven<\/a>
Lexington Herald (Lexington, Kentucky), 6 July 1913, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Affairs of the Heart<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your black sheep ancestor might not have committed what we would define as a crime today \u2013 but they may have acted in a manner that was criminal at the time (and most people would continue to disapprove of). In today\u2019s world we get our fill of the private lives of celebrities, but don\u2019t forget that the unwise choices of normal, everyday people can also be found in the newspaper.<\/p>\n

Consider the California case back in 1921 of Wallace Van Winkle Alexander, his wife Mary, and his alleged mistress Edith Prudhomme (sometimes misspelled as Prudhammer). Mrs. Alexander first became suspicious of the relationship between her husband and family friend Mrs. Prudhomme after finding a classified ad about a lost canary. Coupled with her husband\u2019s absence, Mrs. Alexander suspected that her husband was with Mrs. Prudhomme in her apartment. Mary Alexander contacted the police and they raided Mrs. Prudhomme\u2019s apartment, finding Mr. Alexander hiding in a closet wearing pajamas.<\/p>\n

\"article<\/a>
Evening News (San Jose, California), 18 July 1921, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Probably even better than the initial story of catching her husband red-handed is a follow-up news story that shows a photo of Mary Alexander swearing out a complaint against her husband. It just goes to show that you never know what kind of photos you\u2019ll find in the newspaper.<\/p>\n

In this follow-up article, the journalist seems surprised by Mr. Alexander\u2019s choice in a mistress. He writes:<\/p>\n

The heart of Wallace Van Winkle Alexander, wealthy Los Gatos broker, was won not by a blue-eyed baby doll or a dashing young widow, but one who would least be suspected \u2013 a family friend of years of standing, a woman 50 years old and ten years the senior of his wife.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(It appears from census records that the age difference between the two women is slightly exaggerated in this account.) While Mrs. Alexander had already sworn a formal complaint on the lovebirds, Mr. Alexander tried to file one on his wife for cruelty. Mrs. Alexander\u2019s brother chalked up the tryst to the greed of both husband and mistress \u2013 he is quoted as saying:<\/p>\n

She thought he had money and he thought she had it, is the way I sum the matter up…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Broker<\/a>
San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California), 19 July 1921, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>A newspaper article that appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune<\/em> reports the flimsiest excuse from an accused husband that was ever uttered:<\/p>\n

Alexander explained his presence in Mrs. Prudhammer\u2019s apartment in his pajamas by saying that the hot water at his own apartment was seldom very hot. He said he went to the apartment of Mrs. Prudhammer, an old family friend, and told her that he wanted to use her tub. He had just undressed, he said, when the door bell rang, and he hastily rushed into a closet and donned a pair of pajamas.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The story goes on to say that Mrs. Prudhammer verified Mr. Alexander\u2019s story but added that she protested when he said he wanted to use her tub.<\/p>\n

\"Broker's<\/a>
Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City, Utah), 19 July 1921, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t Forget Those Images<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve talked about the richness of images in the newspaper in previous blog articles. One of my favorite sections of early 20th century newspapers is the photographs page where images are accompanied with a sentence or two about their significance. This feature acted as an image wrap-up of current news stories from around the globe. This 1922 example from Trenton, New Jersey, has several examples of nefarious dealings \u2013 including two photos dealing with a husband\u2019s abandonment, and another about a wife\u2019s inclination to steal furs.<\/p>\n

\"Page<\/a>
Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 27 March 1922, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Times They Are a-Changing<\/strong><\/p>\n

As time went by, activities that once earned the black sheep label seemed sedate to later generations. Old newspapers allow us to get to know the sensibilities and moir\u00e9s of an earlier time.<\/p>\n

Black sheep ancestors include those who pushed the boundaries of current convention. Consider your 1920s grandmother who dared to bare just a little too much leg and received a monetary fine for doing so.<\/p>\n

While the example in the next newspaper article is from Germany, I\u2019m sure evidence of such practices can be found for the United States. These two police officers have the most dreadful task of measuring young women\u2019s skirts and issuing fines for their lack of length. I have to admit that I would absolutely love to find one of my female ancestors in a police record for wearing a short skirt!<\/p>\n

\"Berlin<\/a>
Cobb County Times (Marietta, Georgia), 16 August 1921, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s possible that, if your grandmother was wearing her skirts too short when she was young, she was also going to dances, smoking cigarettes, and drinking. The more I read old newspapers the more I realize that teenagers haven\u2019t changed much in 100 years.<\/p>\n

\"Watch<\/a>
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), 7 October 1921, page 13<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

GenealogyTip:<\/em><\/strong> Black sheep ancestors may have left other records. Follow up what you find in newspaper articles with other documents like court records.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s the Black Sheep in Your Family?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your ancestor may have been the black sheep of the family for any number of reasons, ranging from committing crimes to engaging in adultery, or perhaps an activity that is commonplace now but considered scandalous back in the day. Embrace your black sheep ancestors and look for their stories in the newspaper \u2013 and if you know of any black sheep in your family tree and are willing to share the stories, tell us in the comments section.<\/p>\n

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