Many are under the impression that to become a member of the Jamestowne Society, one must have an ancestor who was a first settler of the Jamestowne colony. Although that is one route to join, the Jamestowne Society provides six pathways to membership! Learn more about them.
The Jamestowne Society, founded in 1936 and incorporated in 1958, is a lineage society based in Richmond, Virginia with the mission to discover and record the names of early Virginia settlers and their descendants. They work to promote restoration of historical records, documents, objects and edifices, and bring members into closer association through activities and the organization of state companies (see the full mission statement at http://www.jamestowne.org/). To date the society has over 10,000 members.
On 6 December 1606, the ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery sailed from England with 104 boys and men to establish what would be known as Jamestowne, the first permanent English settlement in North America. The first English women arrived in Jamestowne in 1608. Many of the first settlers died without descendants, or have lineages which cannot be proven today with surviving records. After a series of misstarts, the settlement became an active port for new arrivals and the beginning of the establishment of what was known as the Colony of Virginia.
Pathways to Membership in the Jamestowne Sociey
Many are under the impression that to become a member of the Jamestowne Society, one must have an ancestor who was a first settler of the Jamestowne colony. Although that is one route to join, the Jamestowne Society provides six pathways to membership. You may qualify if your ancestor meets one or more of the following criteria:
One: Was a stockholder in the London Company or Virginia Company, or a member of one of the guilds which invested in the above, during the active investment period.
The stockholder did not need to have been a resident of Virginia during their lifetime. One ancestor who qualifies under this criterion is John Vassall, the builder and owner of the Mayflower, who was also an investor in the Virginia Company. His granddaughter Judith Vassall married Mayflower passenger Resolved White, whose line qualifies for membership in the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. All those with membership in the General Society of Mayflower Descendants under Resolved White also qualify for membership into the Jamestowne Society through ancestor John Vassall.
Two: Owned land on Jamestown Island or lived on the island prior to 1700.
Three: Was a resident in Virginia at the time of the 1624/5 muster or earlier.
This is the most popular category for membership. The compilation Adventures of Purse and Person, 4th edition, edited by renowned genealogist John Frederick Dorman, CG, FASG, records settlers six generations forward in two categories. The first was through “Purse,” defined as stockholders in the Virginia or London Company who either came to Virginia between 1607 and 1625 and had descendants or who did not come to Virginia but whose grandchildren were residents within that period. The second was through “Person,” defined as immigrants to Virginia with descendants who arrived between 1607 and 1625. The compilation has identified 109 individuals and their descendants that fit into one of those categories.
The books can be ordered thorough the Jamestowne Society merchandise page, and also might be available at your local library or archival facility. The last printing was the 4th edition in 2004 and the volumes are divided into four books: Volume One, Part A, Families A-Ch; Volume One, Part B, Families Cl-F; Volume Two, Families G-P; and Volume Three, Families R-Z.
A searchable database for those named on the muster can also be located at http://www.virtualjamestown.org/Muster/introduction.html.
Four: Served as Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Clerk of the General Court, Member of the Council or House of Burgesses prior to 1700; these persons shall be conclusively presumed to have had their domiciles on Jamestowne Island during their terms of office.
There are many qualifying ancestors in this path to membership. The Jamestown Society website provides a list of those who were present at the first General Assembly in 1619. Any ancestor who served in the Assembly or later Burgesses for any district or county in Virginia before 1700 qualifies.
Five: Was an Anglican minister in Virginia prior to 1700.
Six: Served as an official Indian Interpreter in Virginia prior to 1700.
A list of qualifying ancestors, organized alphabetically, can be seen on the Jamestowne Society website, while the most comprehensive and up-to-date list can be found in the Jamestowne Society booklet “Jamestowne Society List of Qualifying Ancestors,” last printed in July 2019. It can be ordered on the Jamestowne Society merchandise page for $13.00.
Added and Dropped Ancestors
The Jamestowne Society welcomes any person who can document new ancestors. A list of new ancestors added from 2014 to 2017 is located on their website with a more updated list in the Jamestowne booklet entitled, “Jamestowne Society List of Qualifying Ancestors.” Multiple women, Indian interpreters, and Anglican ministers have been added to the qualifying ancestor lists. Among the most notable new ancestors that have been added since 2014 is Cornelius Dabney, “Interpreter to the Queen of Pamunkey,” and Mary Addy, the wife of Christopher Branch and the third-great-grandmother of Thomas Jefferson.
At one time the Jamestowne Society accepted certain settlers as qualifying ancestors, but recent evidence has proven that they do not meet the above criteria, and therefore have been removed from the qualifying ancestor list. The most common reasons for an ancestor being dropped are first, evidence of no known descendants; or second, no documented land ownership on Jamestowne Island.
Revolutionary Era
A partial name list of Revolutionary War patriots with connections to their Jamestowne ancestors can be located on the Jamestowne Society website. If a Revolutionary War patriot is listed, it is possible that an approved application has been submitted to the Jamestowne Society on this line. For example, the first Revolutionary War ancestor on this list shows Thomas Abbe (1731-1811) descendant of John Vassall, Jamestowne Qualifying Ancestor A9471. Cross-referencing Thomas Abbe to the Daughters of the American Revolution database at https://www.dar.org/ shows Thomas Abbe of Massachusetts and Connecticut as Daughters of the American Revolution ancestor, A000038, with 65 approved applications.
Membership
Membership into the Jamestowne Society is by invitation only, but an invitation is easy to obtain. A list of local companies (chapters) can be located on the Jamestowne website. If a potential member does not reside near a company, and/or does not know a member in the society, that potential member can email the Jamestowne office at [email protected] and express interest. Instructions for membership will then be communicated. The office can also match a proposed lineage with the most current and documented application for $38.00. Instructions on how to order lineage papers is located in the merchandise section of the Jamestowne Society website.
Once approved, membership is lifetime.
Early Virginia research can be daunting. Many areas, from settlement in the seventeenth century to the Civil War, suffered a catastrophic loss of records, while some records in other areas remain largely intact. Often, no direct evidence exists which name a relationship, but indirect associations through existing documentation have survived.
In such a case, a study can be written to argue that relationship. Legacy Tree Genealogists has a team of early Virginia experts ready to assist in organizing your application for membership. Contact us today to request your free quote!
*Legacy Tree is not affiliated with The Jamestowne Society
1. “Seventeenth Century Qualifying Ancestors,” Jamestowne.org, accessed December 2019.
Thanks, Rebecca – I already am a member of the Jamestowne Society and have been organizing governor. Hugs,
Elizabeth Jane Sherman
Rebecca, I am interested in joining the Jamestowne Society. I will need help as I have researched much on this family but lacking the documentation of a couple of generations. I was trying to put together a DAR Application “Build and App” to James Knott A213518 and his son David A212606. I have everything needed except documentation for G5 for these two Supplementals. I wanted to complete this first then begin the research for Jamestowne Society but since I’ve hit the snag of G5 for this thinking help now is a good idea.
I have some good clues as to the Jamestowne Ancestor the first James Knott who arrived 1617 VA., but looks like it could be more research than I am able to do right now. I am the Registrar for my DAR Chapter and have been swamped! No time for my own research! Please let me know the details of how we can proceed with your assistance. Thanks!
Hello Ivy, we would be happy to assist you with the research necessary to submit your application. I’ll have Nancy from our Client Solutions team reach out to you to discuss the best option for you. We look forward to working with you!
I believe I have all of the documents needed for Jamestowne Society, but I don’t know where to go with it. Should I fill out an application first? Send documents to someone?
L. J., Fill ou the application first, you will be notified if anything else is needed. We can also help if needed. Please contact us by filling out the form on our home page https://www.legacytree.com.
It is shameful the “”Society” has chosen to delete my 7th ggrandfather, JOHN PROCTOR”. He arrived on the Seaventure in 1607 on James Island. Therefore, your records are inaccurate. Our entire family grew up with the knowledge we were Jamestown descendants of John and Alice Proctor. Bermuda Island celebrates the survivors of Seaventure every year.
Hi Theresa,
Sorry to hear about your experience. We are not affiliated with the Society but would love to work with you to resolve questions you might still have about your family history. If you would like research assistance, we are here to help. You may request a free quote on our Get in Touch page.
There is absolutely no proof or even any circumstantial evidence that John and Alice Proctor left any descendants in Virginia. Many years ago, somebody put a lot of wrong information about the early Proctors on rootsweb and it just keeps getting copied. I’ve spent years documenting the various branches of the early Virginia Proctors and have never been able to prove John and Alice had children. DNA may show a lot of people who are interrelated but it won’t prove the original ancestor.
Is John our ancestor?
John Dodson Jr.
mother: Mary Ann Wiseman (Dodson)
father: Sir John Dodson, Sr.
b. 1571, Great Heck, ENGLAND
married: Ann Smith (Dodson)
children: William Dodson
d. November 21, 1652, Jamestown, Virginia
Note: John is one of only three 1607 settlers still alive in 1624.
Immigrant Ancestor
Arrived: John was one of the original passengers on the “Susan Constant” to Jamestown in 1607.
Land Grants/Purchased Land: In spite of all the hardships John survived and was reported to have been a mighty hunter and fur trader and in his dealings with the Indians he became the possessor of large bodies of land. He was a good citizen and there are many descendants of this early Jamestown settler.
Note: John was the brother-in-law of Captain John Smith.
Military: John was listed on the Virginia musters 1622 and 1624 at Neck-of-land, Charles City, so survived the 1622 massacre at Jamestown.
Sources:[edited]
Hi Richard,
Thank you for your question. As much as I would like to help you, DNA questions are better answered by our DNA researchers. Please fill out the form on our Get in Touch page for a free estimate on a consultation package or research. I’m sure we can help!
Hi! We would like to become members of the Jamestown Society. We have done some research and have found that we have relatives all over Jamestowne but are having trouble finding a Jamestowne qualifier as our relatives seem to be brothers or uncles of the existing qualifiers, we have many relatives in the book “Asburys in America”, which takes us back to Jamestowne, we could use some help. Thank you. Gwen
Hi Gwendolyn,
We’ve helped people in your type of situation when hitting what seems like a brick wall. Please contact us by filling out the form on our Get in Touch page. Our Client Solutions Specialists can point you in the right direction and give you a free estimate if research is needed.
Our family is decended from William Brewster of the Mayflower. As he was connected to the Virginia Company does that qualify the family for Jamestown? Thank you.
Hi Beverly, Thank you for your question. If you are referring to the Jamestown society, you will need to contact them about membership requirements. If you do meet the requirements and need help proving this, please let us know and we would be happy to help!
Good evening,
I am interested in a membership to the Jamestown Society.
Sir Thomas Gates, governor of Jamestown, is my 11x great grandfather, and Major John Vassall is my 11x great grandfather as well. John Dodson is 10x great grandfather.
If I could be directed to how I can go about getting a membership I would appreciate it.
V/R,
Lyda Perkins
Hello Lyda, our researchers are familiar with the membership requirements of most groups and we can provide genealogical research necessary to assist you with completing your application for membership to one or more of them. Please go to our contact page and fill out the form or give us a call and one of our Client Solutions Specialist can give you a free quote.
I am a member of the Society of the Cincinnati and the Huguenot Society of South Carolina. I am interested in joining the Jamestowne Society. I come from the John Hardy line who had a son, George Hardy, who is a qualifying member. Does an uncle qualify or must it be a direct descendant-i.e. a grandfather?
Thank you for your help!
Hi, Jim! You can find more information about qualifying ancestors for the Jamestowne Society on their website here. Sounds like you’ve got a close possibility! Good luck!
Is there any website that has not only the Jamestown Qualifying Ancestors listed, but maybe one or two generations of their descendants? I know the Mayflower Society has their silver books that cover 5 generations which are extremely helpful. I am a member of both organizations, and got my hubbys appl. for Jamestown approved a few years back. But looking at the list of Qualifying names for Jamestown ex:’John Johnson’ I can’t tell if he also might be my John Johnson ancestor. Wishing there was just a little more information available for some of these names, and thought that listiing children or even grandchildren once they are proven would be a very helpful tool.
Hi, Kathy! Great question. We’d be best able to help you and answer your question if you schedule a 45-minute consultation with one of our lineage society experts. You can schedule a consultation here: http://www.LegacyTree.com/genealogy-consultation
Hello, my name is Stuart Mumford and my family originated in Virginia, the first relative to come to the shores of America was Captain Thomas Mumford who sailed with Captain John Smith on two occasions actually three The two trips that he made back and forth to England and he was one of the main members of the 14-man crew that sailed around the Eastern shore of Maryland and across the Chesapeake Bay and back down to Jamestown Virginia where Captain John Smith was stung by a stingray and almost died. I have not found any documentation of this but it is said when I Google his name that Captain John Smith spoke highly of Thomas Mumford. That seems to be the end of my search abilities, and I was hoping you may be able to help me.