Usage and Grammar

Q. Do footnotes have to start with number 1? Can I start my first footnote with number 2? Is that considered wrong?

A. Let me guess: you want to delete note 1 but you didn’t use an automated feature for creating your notes, and you don’t want to renumber notes 2 through 798 by hand. You’ve got a bit of a chore ahead of you unless you can think up a new note 1, because yes, it’s considered wrong to begin with note 2.