@mms His father was the greatest swordsman in all of France. General of the Army. Known as "The Black Count". And subject to the French "Code Noir", because black people were starting to be seen as equals to the whites. So they made a rule.

Fascinating family. The Dumas museum has sections for each of them. I seem to recall reading that the section for Dumas Pere is the _smallest_ of the three. Despite him being the one known today, while the others are footnotes.