VA-Hist regulars will recall that two of the great scandals of the early Republic in Virginia involved men accused of committing adultery, incest, and/or infanticide with their sisters-in-law: Richard Randolph with his cousin and sister-in-law Nancy Randolph (a story brilliantly told in Cynthia Kierner's "Scandal at Bizarre: Rumor and Reputation in Jefferson's America" [2006]; Nancy later left Virginia and married Gouverneur Morris), and Henry "Black-Horse Harry" Lee with his ward and sister-in-law Betsy McCarty. In both cases the most disturbing factor wasn't the adultery; it was that the accused had violated a kinship line with someone in his household who was supposed to be under his protection. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Sara B. Bearss [log in to unmask] Senior Editor, Dictionary of Virginia Biography The Library of Virginia 800 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23221-8000 Friends don't let friends split infinitives. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html