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Why would people be ashamed of their ancestors? Without the ancestors they wouldn't even exist....What in the world is going on here?
In defense of the OP, I believe the original question posed was most likely in response to that person uncovering something that they considered appalling by today's standards and was completely unexpected.
When looking at all the subsequent posts, one becomes more aware of the 'human frailties' that exist in everyone's lineage. Even as we start out with relatively 'innocent curiosity', that may eventually give way to stories of slavery, rape, incest, murder, etc. and our natural response is to be taken aback. No different than hearing a news story for example, of a mother drowning her children. In that instance, it would be human nature to be aghast...wouldn't it?
In my lineage, I am both appalled and ashamed of the behavior that has been demonstrated by at least one person that I have a direct bloodline connection to. It's appalling to me because according to my standards (of just being a good person...), the horrid behavior is simply reprehensible as well as indefensible.
Thanks RV. I recognize that if it weren't for my ancestors, I wouldn't be here. But that does not cause me to overlook or forgive really bad behavior.
My ancestor who married the young teenage girl, I believe, is not very cuplable. Marrying young was more common in the 1800s, and those two stayed married for their entire long lives. that example I gave was more to contrast this action with how it would be seen today. But my other ancestor who was a skilled tradesman with a healthy income, a leader in the community, and the father of a large family, who decided to steal goods from warehouses and resell them...well that's just shameful. Sure, I would not be here if he hadn't been here, but that doesn't negate what he did and how I feel about it.
Thanks RV. I recognize that if it weren't for my ancestors, I wouldn't be here. But that does not cause me to overlook or forgive really bad behavior.
My ancestor who married the young teenage girl, I believe, is not very cuplable. Marrying young was more common in the 1800s, and those two stayed married for their entire long lives. that example I gave was more to contrast this action with how it would be seen today. But my other ancestor who was a skilled tradesman with a healthy income, a leader in the community, and the father of a large family, who decided to steal goods from warehouses and resell them...well that's just shameful. Sure, I would not be here if he hadn't been here, but that doesn't negate what he did and how I feel about it.
Because of certain political/social reasons, I do not claim certain ancestors, but I cannot say I am actually ashamed of them. I don't have enough invested in them to have a feeling that strong.
My maternal great great grandfather was a crook and a colorful type. This is the story, as told by my grandmother:
Thorney was married to one woman in Mississippi. He left her, went to Louisiana and married another woman without divorcing the first one. Well, he was found out, and the law came for him. They had him handcuffed on a mule, and planned to take him back to Miss. He escaped and stole the mule, and started a mule trading post!
This was around the turn of the last century. Now photos of the mule trading post still exist, as do records of his bigamy. So there is at least some basis for the story.
I approach geneology with an objective mind ! Dates, documents, "the life and times " historical perspective are what I pour over to understand the passed down 'stories/rumors/gossip' within the family.
I guess its an empathetical approach ?
There is always one branch tho ,that keeps the dirty laundry gossip going regardless of the "facts" - or absence of facts -dates, documents,historical times, that should take the "opinion" out of the record books as someone on here said- we werent there so how can we really make a judgement on their behavior ?
The persons I am most ashamed of are the ones who use the storytold behavior of their deceased family,or manipulate facts involving the deceased family at all - regardless of how far back - as an excuse , or to escape accountability for ones own actions in their own lifetime .
Its easy to blame the dead. They cant speak up for themselves.
Those are the ones who I am ashamed of.
The closest thing I can find to "shameful" is my great-grandfather's deadbeat brother-in-law being 40 years old, unemployed, and mooching off him and the rest of my family in a Bronx, NY apartment.
(My grandfather has confirmed that he wasn't disabled or anything else. By all accounts, he was just a useless sack of crap)
Now, if you searched the genealogy of one of my uncles, you could find actual mafia connections in 1920s-30s Boston.
Lots of slave owners and overseers in my family tree. God only knows why but we even have stories that have been passed down about that time and things that happened between master and slave. I had to beg my mom to tell me, she didn't want to. We've lived in the same general area of Virginia for centuries so things tend to be remembered.
What else, I have an ancestor who started out fighting as a patriot in the revolutionary war, deserted, and ended up fighting for the British.
My great great grandfather had three wives at one time and lots of babies with all of them. He's even studied at UNC in the psych. department lol. Audie Murphy is descended from him too but we don't have the same great great grandmother lol.
I have an ancestor who was deported from England to Virginia in the 1700's for deliberately burning down her place of work, a textile mill. Which I actually think is pretty funny.
I'm descended from the dude who is basically responsible for the colonization of North America because he petitioned to Queen Elizabeth that they should do it. This of course doomed the native americans which i feel sorta guilty about even though it's not personally my fault.
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