ANCESTORS

ANCESTORS, Progenitors; or those from whom a Person is descended. See PROGENITOR. The Word is derived from the Latin Ancestor, wrote, by Contraction, for Antecessor, gone before. The Law distinguishes between Ancestor and Predecessor; the former being applied to a Natural Person, as such an one, and his Ancestor; and the latter to a Body Politick or Corporate, as a Bishop, and his Predecessors.