THE great grandson of an exiled convict hopes to break with a family tradition of assault and sheep rustling when he visits his Herefordshire roots.
Colin Castree from Queensland, Australia, has traced his ancestors to a great grandfather who was convicted of assault in 1887 and shipped from Hereford to the other side of the world.
His conviction was reported in The Hereford Times. The following year his two brothers, William and James, were found guilty of sheep rustling.
In 1888 James Castree was labelled 'the wild man of the woods' in The Hereford Times.
He had been hiding out in Bryngwyn Wood and eating rabbits.
"I plan to visit Hereford in about three years time to conduct more research and get a feel for the place. I trust the long arm of the law will give me no troubles," said Colin.
Anyone with information about the Castree family can e-mail Colin at huntsman@cooloola.net
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