The earliest story I've found about an ancestor is from 1580. A French ancestor's wife was very ill. He feared she would die. There was a German army advancing, and some kind of plague was rampant. He was trying to find people who would be witnesses to her will, but everyone was afraid of getting ill. He finally found two who would sign. She survived. Women in France actually had independent property rights, necessitating a will. #genealogy
@poemblaze My husband is a descendent of Grietje Reyniers, the first whore in New York (then New Amsterdam, of course).
My MIL wasn't terribly pleased when I dug that up, but I think it's hilarious.
@Myana Sounds like a royal title: First Whore of New Amsterdam.
