It could be that the mother of Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) was a distant (24) great grandmother of my mother, Margaret Jane Jerome. That is, if you can believe the relationship calculations of the Ancestry.com website. They collect thousands of genealogical databases from their members and share that data to help members research their family history. I utilize the services of this extremely large collection of data in researching family relationships. The data found there depends upon the accuracy of those members who collect and submit the information to Ancestry.com. Administrators of this website rate their estimates of relationship accuracy with a five star rating. In computing this particular chain of relationships, each link was given a four star rating.
The online Wikipedia encylopedia tells her story:
"Joan of Arc (c. 1412 – 30 May 1431) also known as "the Maid of Orleans," was a 15th century Catholic saint, and national heroine of France. A peasant girl born in Eastern France, Joan led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of King Charles VII. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the Holy See reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was beatified in 1909 and later canonized in 1920.
Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King Charles VII sent her to the siege at Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to Charles VII's coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.
Joan of Arc has remained an important figure throughout Western culture. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare, Voltaire, Schiller, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Twain, and Shaw. Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance."
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Joan of Arc
