Sacha wrote in
id:

On 16/3/06 4:21, in article
, "Farm1"
please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

snip

Another dumb Yank who doesn't know that the US was a dumping ground for
UK convicts before the War of Independence!

But I'd be only too happy if there was any criminals in my ancestry.
The records for genealogists on the convicts who came to Aus are
exceptional and it's also fashionble to have a convict ancestor. My
lot came here at a minimum of 10 years after the end of the convict
era.

Some years ago, an Australian friend of mine was moving to the Cayman
Islands and asked me and a couple of other people to provide her with
references. She had been told she had to give these to prove she didn't
have a criminal background. She doesn't take kindly to pompous
officialdom so her reply was "where I come from that's desirable." ;-

That is also popular among some elements of the lowest classes in the US.

Most folks here take pride in personal achievment. If that's pompous
then I'll gladly accept that mantle. Thanks for advising us what makes
you tick.