The word here would be 'ancestor'.
Reese Witherspoon claims to be a descendant of John Witherspoon but she is in error.
According to 'The Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Vol. 3' the last male Witherspoon in John's lineage was born in 1924 therefore negating Reese's claim to direct descent.
Similar surnames do not make legitimate claims for direct descendancy.
Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, had 7 children.
At 70 years old Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence. The longest living Declaration on Independence signer was Charles Carroll of Carrollton he lived to be 95.
Charles Carroll, the man the town is named after, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
John Hancock was the most visible signer of the declaration of independence
Thomas Jefferson
John Witherspoon of New Jersey
Samuel Adams was the second signer of the declaration of independence.
Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence, had 7 children.
At 70 years old Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence. The longest living Declaration on Independence signer was Charles Carroll of Carrollton he lived to be 95.
Charles Carroll, the man the town is named after, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin Rush was a Patriot because he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence
It was Thomas Jefferson.
John Hancock
john adams
John Hancock was the most visible signer of the declaration of independence
Thomas Jefferson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
john Hancock