The International
Black Sheep Society of Genealogists
The "International
Black Sheep Society of Genealogists" or "IBSSG" is a society for
those who have come across a "Black Sheep" in their family
genealogies. The goals of the Society are as follows:
"The purpose of the Society is to discuss these
individuals in order to learn more about them and share information about your "Black Sheep" with
other members of the IBSSG! Many times having a Black Sheep in the family leads to a family "wall of
silence" and research into the family becomes very difficult. Our Goal is to help find alternate routes to
information sources, and to "normalize" the view of the blacksheep as a person, who has a place in the
FACTUAL history of the family, without regard to behaviors.
"Remember, the acts may be embarrassing to others in
your family, but within the Society, you are not alone! Many of us have similar situations, and can relate
(actually many of us are related) to the problems in doing this research.
"WELCOME to the Black Sheep Society, I sincerely
hope you find the information you seek."
Jeff Scism, IBSSG, Flockmaster
Here is my application for membership and my acceptance letter:
March 13, 2001
Dear People,
Would you please consider me for qualification as
a member of the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists? I refer to three of my ancestors
and their accounts may also be found on my personal web site, "The Koska~Timm Family Rosebush"
found at www.megspace.com/family/achsah2.
The first concerns my ggggggggg-grandfather, Henry
Wolcott. Since he was "had up" in the courts, I believe his misdeeds would fall within the "criminal"
category, considering this happened in the 1600's.
Henry, his wife Elizabeth, and their children sailed to
America in 1630 on the "Mary and John." This was the same year the ten ships of the Winthrop fleet
sailed and just ten years after the Mayflower sailed. Henry's grandson Roger became governor of
Connecticut 1750-54. His g-g-great-grandson Oliver was the governor of Connecticut 1796-97 and
was also a Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Despite the noble and notable history of this family,
there was a dark page in their past! The records of the Bishop of Bath and Wells record that on July
17, 1609, Henry Wolcott was: "Had up for incontinence with Elizabeth, his wife, before marriage. They
were married two years agone and she was delivered of child within 30 weeks after." (Goodness, I was
delivered of child (well, children ~ they were twins) within that same approximate time span of 30
weeks and they were my fourth and fifth children! )
In the same year that Henry was being held accountable,
depositions taken between May and September revealed that: "Hugh Treble was had up for fathering
an illegitimate male child on the body of Agnes Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Lydiard, St.
Lawrence some seven or eight years before." (Now, Agnes was the sister of Henry's wife Elizabeth.
Seems to me that the charges of incontinence should possibly have been placed on the Saunders girls!)
The second concerns my
great-great-great-grandparents John and Electa Wilhelm, whose granddaughter was, incidentally, in the
same line as Henry Wolcott. This incident was of a social nature, harmful only to John himself.
However, had he had survived the incident, it may have been considered criminal!
John and Electa had a serious fight which led to Electa's
moving out of her home to live with a daughter. She died while there and was buried away from the
family plot. Later, John decided to exhume her body by himself and move her to the place where they
had intended to be buried together or to where he had decided they should be buried together. While
he was digging her up, he himself died.
The third concerns my paternal grandfather. Because he
was not apprehended, it will remain a social indiscretion.
According to my brother, our grandfather Frank had a
still during the depression and sold his moonshine. Now, this was not in the back hills of Kentucky, but
on the vast plains of Minnesota! Of course, at that time "la creme de la creme" brewed the stuff in their
bathtubs! Once, when Grandpa was on his way to sell a load in his new car, he was beset by
revenuers who shot at the car. When he got home and Grandma saw the damage, he tried to blame the
holes on the gravel roads!
On another occasion, Grandma sent Dad out to dig up
the garden. When Grandpa found what he was doing, he beat Dad because he had some moonshine
stashed there. (When my daughter heard this story, she said that Grandma probably knew about the
buried moonshine and told Dad to dig hoping that the stash would be exposed without her
intervention!)
Thank you for your kind attention to my request.
Barbara Koska Timm
His answer was:
Yes on three counts of Qualification, attempted body snatching and all.
Jeff Scism
If your ancestor was saint or cudge,
who are we to be the judge?
For seldom is a person known,
by a few facts and stories shown.
Because of my acceptance into the society, I am now
entitled to sign genealogical correspondence as "Barbara Koska Timm, IBSSG." Meanwhile, my
cousin is searching for evidence that will qualify us as "Decendants of Bastards of English Royalty!"
You may reach the IBSSG site by clicking on
the banner below:
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