Brendan Fraser's Ancestor Attempted Murder in a 19th-Century Labor Dispute

Brendan Fraser, known for his dynamic roles in cinema, recently unearthed a startling fact about his lineage on ‘Finding Your Roots’. His great-great-grandfather, Patrick Devine, an Irish immigrant and engineer, was involved in a shooting incident during a labor dispute in the 1870s. Facing low wages, Devine and a colleague shot at a man who took his job during a strike.

Remarkably, Devine faced no criminal charges, was rehired, and later became a homeowner and father to eight children. Fraser’s reaction to this revelation was a blend of surprise and introspection, contemplating the desperate measures his ancestor took in an era of starkly different social and legal norms.