Born in 1773, Sally Hemings was the youngest of six children born to Elizabeth Hemings, a slave of African and European descent. Sally's father is generally believed to be John Wayles, her mother's owner and Thomas Jefferson's father-in-law. When Wayles died, the Hemings went to live with Thomas and Martha Jefferson at Monticello, Virginia. There, Sally was a servant and a companion for Jefferson's children. No known images exist of Sally although she was said to "...be very handsome [with] long straight hair down her back." When she was 14, Sally accompanied the Jeffersons to Paris for two years and shortly after returning, she gave birth to her first child of seven children. Rumors of a relationship between Jefferson and his young servant circulated in the 1790s and were supported by the fact that Sally's light-skinned children bore a strong resemblance to Jefferson. For many years, the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings and the paternity of Sally's children have been subjects of great interest and controversy.