On 10/10/ 2008, new ‘information’ was given on Wikipedia: that Jim Perrin had, ‘before turning to writing, worked as a shepherd in Cwm Pennant,’ (with, should it therefore be presumed, all the specialist’s knowledge which is entailed in this ancient calling?) We do not believe that he did.
He wrote once, in an article, of how he had watched a farmer delivering a ewe of her lamb; later, he wrote in a book of this experience as his own and it was he, as he graphically described, who had aided the ewe. Now, on Wikipedia, it is said that ‘he worked as a shepherd.’
The two Welsh farmers, with whom recently, and separately, we discussed this, expressed their doubts as to the probability, or even the likely veracity, of his claim.
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It is also interesting that Jim Perrin, as erstwhile ‘Shepherd’, appeared in the same edit as the first mention of his ‘Welsh descent’, virtually three years after his biographical details were originally posted.
We have shown, conclusively, that Jim Perrin is not of the ‘Welsh descent’ to which he has for so long been pretending; and it seems certain that given the lengths to which he has resorted to convince people of his ‘Welshness’ that were he so it would have featured in his Wikipedia biography from the outset: as would details of a PhD…
A reference to his eldest son was included on 26/01/2011, and the fact that he has had six children was added on 09/03/2011.
However the reference to his ‘Welsh descent’ was removed on 24/02/2011, two years and four months after its entry. Was it a coincidence, we wonder, or was it that we had just posted his genealogy on ‘To Hatch a Crow’, and, subsequently, on our own site, ref. Jim Perrin’s Family Background? By showing the information it could be seen that his claim was false and that for well over two years the lie had stood on Wikipedia.
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Andrew Hough wrote that the moderator had permanently blocked R.J.Ellory from the Wikipedia site, and said ‘the practise is rife’ [of using aliases on the internet] and ‘readers should be aware of the “fraudulent” practises of some writers.’ R.J.Ellory is not the only one…
We, Jac’s sisters, have an absolute belief that Jim Perrin has, in his own way, behaved quite as badly as R.J.Ellory, in his various dealings and with his self-promotion, and we feel certain, with all the evidence we have, that he also qualifies to be included amongst those who use (and have used) ‘fraudulent practises’: so much of that which he claims, we have proved to be untrue.
Jac’s sisters.
P.S. At the time of writing R.J.Ellory’s details still appear when Wikipedia is googled.