US Patriotric and Hereditary Societies

Approximately 35% of ancestors from lineage society records were found in the Family Registry (containing 30,000 names), with 30% in IGI, US portion (19.5 million names), and 30% found in the Ancestral File (7.6 million names). When searching lineage records of such societies, one must be aware of the fact of socialability of applicants who desired to be included. Errors do exist....because of lax research requirements. Therefore, one must not take the information as conclusive, rather to use as a guideline, checking all references.

I found an ancestor whose family erroneous information was included a membership application to the DAR in 1936. Clearly, the application contained a glaring generation gap, however, it went unnoticed. The applicant was received into the society. Others came along, accepting the information as fact. When I researched it, the conspicious errors were exposed by existing county records and census records. It was a simple research effort, really. However, the information was repeated for years and years in other publications. Finally, I wrote a book in the hopes that it would dispel the awful errors. Too, no one had been able to search further back in time, because of the errors. Once the correction was made, I traced back another hundred years or so. The fact that applications declare lineages, does not make it so! Please verify references, using census, county records, newspapers, bibles, etc.

Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts founded in 1637, chartered by Governor Winthrop in 1638, is the oldest military body and chartered organization. Membership is limited to 550 regular members who do not have to descend from a former member. Any male descendant of a former member of the company whose service dates prior to 1738 may join.

Address: The Armory, Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts 02109

Ancient and Honorable Order of the Jersey Bluesorganized in 1960 for male descendants of those men who served in the Jersey Blues during any war in the colkonial period through the Spanish-American War, provided he resided in New Jersey or served in the military or judicial service of that state.

Auxiliary to the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War organized in 1883 as the Ladies Aid Society, and is for wives of sons of the Union veterans, widows of sons who were in good standing at death, mothers of sons, and all female lineal relatives.

Write the National President's Home for address, which changes each year.

Aztec Club of 1847 was founded in 1847, having over 170 members who are direct male descendants of commissioned officers in the US armed forces who took part in the Mexican War, also known as the Military Society of the Mexican War.

Address: 1307 New Hampshire Ave., Washington, D. C.

Catholic War Veterans of the U. S. A. was founded in 1935, with members over 120,000 consisting of American veterans of the Catholic Faith. Address: 1411-K Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.

Children of the Confederacy was organized in 1896, limited to boys and girls under age 21 who are lineal descendants or nieces or nephews of men and women who served honorably in the Confederate service.

Address: Children of the Confederacy, Memorial Building, 328 North Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23220

Colonial Society of Pennsylvania comprizes members who have ancestors who lived in North America before 1700. Family history center holdings include applications of living and deceased members as of 1968 listed alphabetically by members' names, on 18 reels.

Dames of the Loyal Legion of the United States founded in 1899, limited to women descendants of the Union Army commissioned officers and wives of members of the Mollus.

Address: Dames of the Loyal Legion of the United States, 1805 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

aughters of the Cincinnati whose members are women descendants of officers of the Continental Army or Navy. Family history center holdings include 962 application packets as of 1973, as well as ancestor and member indexes, 15 reels.

Proceedings of the Society of the Cincinnati, 1784-1884, film #1320541

Address: Daughters of the Cincinnati, 122 East 58th Street, New York, New York 10022

Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 was organized in 1885 for lineal descendants of military participants on the Union side of the Civil War. Address: Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 503 South Walnut Street, Springfield, Illinois 62704

General Society of Colonial Wars includes members whose ancestors served in the military or in a legislative office between 1607 and 1775. Family history center holdings include 14,200 lineage papers and 62 volumes of supplemental papers submitted by 1967 and indexes to ancestors and to lineage papers, 209 reels. Founded in 1893 for descendants who served in the military from the settlement of Jamestowne, Virginia (1607) to the Battle of Lexington (1775).

Constitution and by-laws, membership, 1893 - , Family History Center film #1597556, film #0001282, film #1597556, Supplement 1903-1906, film #1320649, Supplement 1907-1911, film #1597554 Report of the Historian General, 1921-1937, film #1597556

Address: The Secretary General Society of Colonial Wars, 840 Woodbine Avenue, Glendale, Ohio 45246.

General Society of Mayflower Descendants include members who are descendants of a passenger on the 1620 voyage of the Mayflower. Family history center holdins include Bowman Files of Mayflower Descendants by 23 key immigrants, 232 fiche; and Mayflower Register by Emmett Woodworth; 110,000 index cards of Descendants as of 1957; 160,000 index cards from 1957 to 1966, 35 reels; 84 volumes of family group records submitted to California Society by 1975, 53 reels.

General Society Sons of the Revolution founded in 1876 based on military service or descendant from key civil officials, because of the stringent requirements of the Society of the Cincinnati which did not provide for membership of younger sons of the original members.

Address: General Society Sons of the Revolution, Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl Street, New York, New York 10004

General Society of the War of 1812 includes members' ancestors who served in the US in the War of 1812. Organised in 1814 at Ft. McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland from The Defenders of Baltimore, a Maryland society. Family history center holdings include 3,180 applications submitted by 1964 and indexes arranged alphabetically and by society number, 14 reels. Proceedings, Society of War of 1812, film #1320786

Address: General Society of the War of 1812, Hearst Hall, Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin Avenue and Woodley Road, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20016

General Society of Colonial Wars, founded in 1893, consists of male descendants of men who rendered military or civil service to the colonies between 1607, the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, and 1775, the Battle of Lexington.

Address: General Society of Colonial Wars, 1410-15th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.

Hereditary Order of Descendants of the Loyalists and Patriots of the American Revolution was organized in 1973 for those with descent from both a loyalist and patriot of the American Revolution.

Address: Roswell Levi Atwood, Governor General, 1701 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036

Holland Society of New York includes members' ancestors who settled in New Netherlands prior to 1675. Family history center holdings include membership files as of 1977, 47 reels, and manuscript genealogical files arranged alphabetically by family name, 41 reels.

Hugenot Society of Pennsylvania, members' ancestors were Hugenots who immigrated before 1788. Family history center holdings include 2,820 applications submitted before 1967 and an ancestor index, 12 reels. Proceedings of the Hugenot Society of America, v. 1, film #0001277

Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, organized in 1885, combining the Loyal Ladies League and the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. Membership for all mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, granddaughters, blood-kin nieces, and counsins of honorably discharged Union veterans. Address changes each year.

Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States organized in 1894, for officers with active military service in any of our foreign wars from the American Revolution to the Vietnam campaign.

Address: Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, Hill-Physick-Keith House, 321 South Fourth Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States founded in 1865, limited to male descendants of commissioned officers in the Union Forces, 1861-1865. Their war library contains 11,000 vols. on the Civil War.

Address: Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, 1805 Pine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Military Order of the World Wars was organized in 1919 as The American Officers of the Great War, for US male citizens who have served honorably on active duty as commissioned officers between 6 Apr 1917 and 2 Jul 1921, or since 16 Sept 1940.

Address: Military Order of the World Wars, 1100 17th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036

National Society of Children of the American Revolution was founded in 1895, having about 18,000 members, consisting of children who are lineal descendants of men an women who promoted American independence.

Membership is limited to boys and girls under the age of 22 years. Address: National Society of Children of the American Revolution, 1776 D Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.

National Society, Daughters of American Revolution, women members with male or female ancestors who were loyal to the cause of American independence. Family history center holdings include 671 volumes of DAR Grandparent Forms compiled by 1960 and 13 alphabetical series, 367 reels.

Master Index of Genealogy in the DAR Magazine, vols. 1-89, 1892-1958, film #0432618 (items 1-2)

Index to Rolls of Honor (Ancestor's Index), Family History Center film #0432609-0432613, fiche #6051291, 6051311,6051309

Reports of the National Society of the DAR, 1890-1897, film #1749942, 1750364

National Society of Colonial Dames of America

Address: 2715 Que Street, Washington, D. C.

National Society of Colonial Dames of America, State of New York, whose membership rules are set by various state societies. Holdings include 3,320 membership files as of 1977, 105 films.

National Society of the Colonial Dames for those ancestors who rendered civil or military service in a British Colony before 1701. Holdings include 13,200 applications, indexes to ancestors, memberships, 72 reels, and family files, 83 reels.

National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars founded in 1932 for women descendants of participants in the colonial wars. Similar requirements to those of The General Society of Colonial Wars.

Address: National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars, 1307 New Hampshire Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. 20009

Includes male descendants of men who rendered military or civil service to the colonies between 1607, the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, and 1775, the Battle of Lexington. Address: 1410-15th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.

National Society, Daughters of the American Colonists was founded in 1921, with members over 10,000, consisting of women descended from men and women who gave civil or military service to the colonists prior to the Revolutionary War.

Address: 2205 Massachusetts Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C.

National Society, Daughters of the Revolution of 1776 includes members whose ancestors gave civil, military, or political aid to the American independence. Family history center holdings include 8,800 application papers and 2,700 Junior Auxiliary papers as of 1969. Card index at the Suffolk Co., New York Historical Society, 85 reels.

National Society of New England Women includes members whose ancestors were born in New England before 1789. Family history center holdings include 15,600 applications submitted before 1972, 59 reels.

National Society of the Sons of American Revolution, organized in 1889, and is the largest heriditary society for men, with chapters in 50 states, District of Columbia, France and England. Membership is based on descent from an ancestor who served in the military or held a high civil office or was a patriot in the American cause. Holdings include 99,980 applications as of 1977 and indexes of ancestors and applicants, 483 reels.

Address: National Society SAR, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203

National Society United States Daughters of 1812 organized in 1892 requiring lineal descent from an ancestor who rendered military, naval, or civil service between the close of the Revolutionary War in 1784 and at the close of the War of 1812 in 1815.

Address; National Society United States Daughters of 1812, 1461 Rhode Island Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. 2005

Order of Founders and Patriots of America whose membership is based on descent from an ancestor who lived in the colonies before 1657, and a second ancestor, with the same surname, who served during the Revolutionary War. Holdings include 4,100 applications as of 1978, indexed by members' names, 25 reels.

Order of Stars and Bars, organized in 1938 for male descendants, lineal or collateral, of commissioned officers of the Confederate States of America.

Address: Order of Stars and Bars, Southern Station, Box 1, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401

San Jacinto Descendants founded 1965 for lineal descendants of an ancestor who participated in the Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April 1836, or who was assigned to the rear guard at Harrisburg.

Address: San Jacinto Descendants, 2911 University Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77005

Society of the Cincinnati was founded in 1783 and has over 2000 members. It is a society of male descendants under the English Law of Primogeniture of officers commissioned in the Continental Army and Navy in the War of the Revolution who gave the required length of service, as well as officers in the French Army and Navy. A group of officers of the continental line formed society after war.

Address: 2118 Massachusetts Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C.

Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge organized in 1976 at Valley Forge, Pa. for descendants of soldiers serving in the Continental Army at Valley Forge.

Address: Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge, Box 915, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19481

Society of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 organized in 1959 for descendants of ancestors who served in the militia to put down the 1794 rebellion in western Pennsylvania against Alexander Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey.

Address: Society of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, 3311 Columbia Pike, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603

Sons of Confederate Veterans, organized in 1896, limited to male descendants, lineal or collateral, of participants of the Confederate cause, or those who died in prison, were killed in battle, or honorably discharged.

Address: Sons of Confederate Veterans, Box 5164, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401

Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, founded in 1881, for all male descendants of soldiers, sailors or marines who served in the Union cause 1861-1865.

Address: Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Box 24, Federal Building, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325

United Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 for women of lineal or collateral descendants of men or women who served in the military or civil service of the Confederate States of America, or who gave material aid to the cause.

Address: United Daughters of Confederacy, Memorial Building, 328 North Boulevard, Richmond, VIrginia 23220



Copyright 1995

WARNING : Copyright Restrictions Apply for personal use only. This information may not be copied, printed, reproduced or sold. Circulation over the internet, via US or foreign mail, faxed, or any medium, is strictly prohibited.

©Jeannette Holland Austin