Ancestry Magazine

The DAR is only one of many lineage-based societies. Apply for the society or start your own that fits your past.

Think back to the days before genealogy became an interest of yours, to a time when ancestors occupied occasional family stories, were visited on Memorial Day cemetery trips, or brushed through your subconscious if Ellis Island or a Civil War battle was mentioned. Do you remember a time when your parents or grandparents talked about DAR family members or showed you a medal from a great uncle’s link to an early pioneer society? Do you wish now that you could touch that medal again or hear that story just one more time because now it really means something to you?

Many of our relations were often proud members of lineage and hereditary societies. It may seem old-fashioned, but today’s family historians also aspire to link themselves to early or special populations in many parts of the country. In fact, the variety of organizations we can join today by proving a relationship has expanded to such an extent that it would be difficult not to find something pertinent to your heritage.

If you think lineage societies are stuck-in-the-mud relics of genealogy’s past, think again. Not only are lineage and heritage societies growing in popularity, they are keeping pace with modern genealogical standards. Linking your family into one may even make you a better genealogist because membership requirements have in many instances become more strict and an emphasis on rules of evidence is now standard procedure. Your grandmother may have written dates and names in her DAR application with little supporting evidence but today you must back up each link with primary documentation.

In most instances, there are two things you need to prove in order to be admitted into a lineage society: 1) proof of your ancestor’s qualification (soldier, early settler, ethnic heritage, religious affiliation), and 2) your direct rel ationship to him or her with birth, death, and marriage dates documented for each generation. Unless you are an exceptionally well-organized genealogist, when it is time to organize your records you may discover an undocumented link, unverified birth, or something significant you’ve simply overlooked, sending you scurrying back to a library or county courthouse for proof.

In addition to compelling you to clean up your research documents, applying to a lineage group is a great way to put your relationships into perspective and separate family groups into understandable packages. You can find more specific details on how to best prepare a submission by reading the chapter “Lineage Papers,” in Professional Genealogy (GPC, 2001), edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills. The chapter is written by Mary McCampbell Bell and Elisabeth Whitman Schmidt and is an excellent resource for understanding how to prepare a quality application. While directed at professional genealogists assisting others, it includes effective suggestions for anyone who could use a little professional insight and encouragement.

What Are Lineage Societies?
Grahame Thomas Smallwood, Jr., wrote a chapter in The Source (Ancestry, 1997) titled “Tracking Through Hereditary and Lineage Organizations.” In it he lists several classifications for hereditary societies: war societies, early settler and ship societies, nationality (ethnic) societies, religious societies, royal and baronial societies, and family organizations.

Of these, family organizations are generally the least stringent in requiring you to prove your connection to the immigrant or famous ancestor, but the others require thorough evidence. Smallwood includes examples of various lineage applications and a good list of today’s most prevalent organizations and how to apply to them. Another good resource is the Hereditary Society Blue Book (1994), edited by Robert R. Davenport. Keep in mind that some organizations are by invitation only, which is sometimes simply a formality but necessary nonetheless.

If you don’t have a family connection to the Mayflower or the Revolutionary War, it doesn’t mean there isn’t an organization suitable to your lineage. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of hereditary societies within the United States and around the world. An additional list can be found online at <www.cyndislist.com>. Within the Societies and Groups links are breakout links for fraternal organizations and lineage societies. And within the lineage section, there are further subsections for early American, first families and pioneers, military, and locality specific organizations. Cyndi’s List will be useful in locating a hereditary society to which you might apply.

Some organizations may be narrowly defined like the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge. Was your ancestor on the field of Runnemede when the Magna Charta was signed in June 1215? If so, you may wish to consider the National Society Magna Charta Dames and Barons. The DAR (officially the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution) may be considered the “granddaddy” of all American lineage societies. At 204,000 members, it is the largest and perhaps most well-known.

Early colonial societies go as far back as Jamestown and the Mayflower, yet pioneer groups can cover time periods as recent as the Idaho Genealogical Society’s Oregon Trail Certificate (1811—1911), the Red River Valley Genealogical Society Pioneer Certificate Program (North Dakota prior to 2 November 1889), or the First Families of the Twin Territories (Oklahoma prior to 16 November 1907).

In the last century many people, including my grandmother, dabbled in genealogy for the sole purpose of lineage society affiliation. To become a DAR member was trendy in the early part of the twentieth century, probably because applicants actually knew a grandparent whose grandfather fought in the war. My grandmother, her sis ters, and many of her female cousins have DAR medallions next to their tombstones. The soldiers they link to have soldier medallions at their sites as well. It is a great tribute to the DAR chapters around the country that they manage so well in marking grave sites and keeping the links evident, in addition to the many other services they provide to genealogists and members.

My interest in lineage societies peaked when I discovered two direct lines of pioneers settled in the Western Reserve in Ohio as early as 1799. The union of the two families shortly thereafter was one of the first marriages in that region and, fortunately for me, was documented in the early record books. Their stories are recorded in county histories and embody the westward migrating spirit. I felt compelled to learn more about them. When I learned that the Ohio Genealogical Society has a hereditary society called the First Families of Ohio (FFO) I wanted to belong. My mission was simple, or so I thought.

As a genealogist, I pride myself on thorough documentation, but as soon as I started organizing my records for the FFO, I realized some of my source materials were insufficient. I was sure I only needed to go to my files and make copies of all the documentation I’d copied and recorded over the years. I discovered instead that my notes relied on hearsay sources to a larger extent than I realized. It took two trips to Ohio, long-distance research assistance, numerous e-mails, and a lot of discipline on my part to complete my application. I have to confess that my most glaring blunder in documentation was a missing marriage record—for my parents! It was easily resolved but an embarrassing oversight nonetheless. After all my efforts, I was surprised to realize that successfully completing the requirements and receiving my letter of approval has become one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve encountered in genealogy.

How to Do It
First of all, if you have an ancestor w ho is already on the rolls of a society, you may only need to prove your descent from that person. However, if the application had no attached documentation, as was often the case, you can only use that application for clues to help you coordinate and submit your own work.

Familiarize yourself first with the forms and information you’ll be required to provide. Many society websites offer downloadable applications in PDF format. The forms can be overwhelming when you first look at them. They’re not like pedigree charts with neat boxes, but they generally include one section with a lot of blank lines to prove relationships with another section for your qualifying ancestor’s information. It is wise to go through several rough drafts of your work before you complete your final submission. Neatness and organization count. You will also need copies of each piece of supporting evidence, including birth, death, marriage records, deeds, wills, and census data—whatever proves your relationship and is considered appropriate evidence by the society to which you are applying.

Amy Johnson Crow, chair of First Families of Ohio, relates that the most common reason an application is denied is lack of acceptable evidence. As an example, an applicant often assumes that “heir” indicates a parent/child relationship when, indeed, it does not. Additionally, if your submission relies upon a residency requirement, be careful to understand what qualifies. As is often the case in land transactions, the landowner may simply be an investor, not a resident. Additional proof is necessary if residency is a requirement.

Many genealogists rely heavily upon the published genealogy of a particular family, but it will not qualify as proof of descent in a lineage society. Simply because you can prove a relationship to someone in a published genealogy doesn’t mean the author of that genealogy will prove the rest of your descent for you. Granted, in some cases, you will find a well-documented genealogy from whi ch you can accumulate the sources yourself and add them to your application, but most of us know that many genealogies are undocumented and therefore impossible to prove or use beyond providing clues that we can then use to follow up.

Start Your Own
Genealogical and historical societies can benefit by introducing a lineage society to their organizational structure. By creating a well-regarded certificate or similar incentive, the society will increase membership as it is usually mandatory to belong to the society awarding the designation. Additionally, such a program will build a society’s genealogical and historical collections as each application is then placed within the society’s archives for the benefit of present and future researchers. Need Help?
Many professional genealogists assist with lineage applications. Check for specialties among the names on the Board for Certification of Genealogistswebsite or the Association of Professional Genealogists website. It is also worthwhile to contact the organizations to which you are applying and request names of professional genealogists who can help.

If you’re not quite ready to apply to a lineage society but want to test your skills, choose an ancestor several generations back and create your own fictional society, maybe something like the Benevolent Society of Early Hudson River Fur Traders. Find evidence that your ancestor was a fur trader along the upper Hudson River according to the criteria you’ve set yourself, establish each direct connection in your line (birth, death, marriage), and then meticulously check your work. You may be surprised at the thoroughness of your research techniques, or you may be humbled into knowing that you need to become a better researcher. In any event, it is an experience from which every family historian can learn.

Laura G. Prescott is the educational services coordinator for the New England Historic Genealogical Society.