I think some of us, at least, would be proud of an ancestor with the nerve
to do what Julia did, charging this man!> Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:39:58 -0500> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Fraud perpetuated by our own families> To: [log in to unmask]> > My family lived in an area in southern Illinois where everything got put in > the paper...A cousin of my Grandfather King said her Grandmother had > unburdened herself at her death, letting her family know her first born was > the result of a rape. We all said "Oh sure" wink, wink. Well folks, in the , > local paper of 1879, an article said, Julia King had filed bastardry charges > against I.J. Pitt. The paper commented : "And the young man went west to > grow up with his country!". In researching this incident, it turned out I. > J. Pitt was 48 years old and married to Julia's mother's sister. Julia was > 16 years old and was the orphaned child of Lucinda and James King and was > living with her aunt when the rape occurred. The bastardry charge was the > only way she could charge him with anything...and of course society didn't > much value women back then so the newspaper thought it appropriate to make a > joke about the tragedy. To this day, the descendants of this ill-conceived > child will not correspond with me about their family line because of her > humiliating beginnings. History is sometimes not pleasant and sometimes the > wounds or sins last unto the children and the grandchildren. I still > remember how indignant I felt and how I cried for Julia 115 years after the > fact. I still tear up thinking of what she must have endured until a > wonderful man married her and concealed her secret. She had many children > who grew up to be well respected. > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
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