ANCESTOR

One who has preceded another in a direct line of descent; a lineal ascendant. A former possessor; the person last seised. In this sense a child may be the “ancestor” of his deceased parent, or one brother the “ancestor” of another. The term differs from “predecessor,” in that it is applied to a natural person and his progenitors, while the latter is applied also to a corporation and those who have held offices before those who now fill them. Co. Litt 786.