5 Reasons to Hire a Genealogist When Submitting a Lineage Society Application

Jamestown Exposition, 1607 to 1907, Exposition Design No. 3, photograph (Norfolk, Virginia: 1907), retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2005677921/, accessed August 2017.

In this article we'll help you decide whether or not you need to hire a genealogist to assist you with your lineage society application.

Do you have an ancestor that lived in Colonial America when the Revolutionary War was fought, or perhaps earlier in Jamestown, Virginia? Does your ancestry extend back to New England when the Mayflower arrived? If so, you may have heard that there are various lineage societies you could consider joining.

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), The National Society of the Children of the American Revolution (CAR), the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD), and the Jamestowne Society are some of the major lineage societies people join.

However, there are others, such as state pioneer societies, ethnic societies, Civil War societies, and many more. For a list of some of the more common hereditary societies and brief overview of their requirements, see our previous blog post, Hereditary Societies & You. Before submitting a lineage society application, consider hiring a genealogist to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible.

While each organization has different requirements for their lineage society application, most have the same basic principle – prove a connection from yourself to the person of interest by use of vital records when possible, and when vital records are not available, use other documentation that proves family connections. Most societies allow the applicant to use previously accepted applications for admittance if they can prove how they tie into a person in the lineage. For example, if an already-approved lineage went from John Smith (society applicant) to Henry Smith to James Smith to William Smith to George Smith to Thomas Smith to Alexander Smith (patriot ancestor), and a new applicant tied into this lineage with James Smith, he or she would just need to provide documentation proving their connection to James Smith, and then they would then also submit a copy of the lineage society application that had previously been used to prove the connections from James Smith to Alexander Smith.

“Family record of blank” (Chicago, Illinois: Chapman Bros., 1888), lithograph photograph, retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2012647362/, accessed August 2017.

Why and When to Hire a Genealogist to Obtain Lineage Society Membership

Overall, this may sound like a simple process, but it often takes quite a bit of work because the records needed to prove each generational link are not always readily available – and sometimes they just don't exist at all. This is where a professional genealogist can help. Many times there is at least one ‘problem' generation that requires in-depth research, circumstantial evidence, and a proof summary in order to make the connection. A well written proof summary explains how all the circumstantial evidence fits together to support the generational link, and often aids the applicant in obtaining membership when not enough concrete documentation is available. However, it depends upon the lineage society to determine what they will and will not accept as proof, so there's never a guarantee. They can always request additional information, and then you have to go back and keep digging!

Below are five ways reasons to hire a genealogist to help you prepare to join a lineage society:

1. Research your family lines to determine if you have an ancestor who qualifies you to join a lineage society. As we mentioned, each lineage society has different requirements, but the first step it to extend your family lines and determine if you even have an ancestor you can use to join.
2. Identify previous applications that have been submitted for your lineage and determine where research should start and stop, saving you time and money. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, as the saying goes. If your lineage ties into one that has already been acceptably documented by another member of the society – let's use it!
3. Organize your information, working with you to determine what you already have or will need to order. We can help you obtain the vital records you need (if they exist) by either obtaining them for you, or giving you instructions for ordering them yourself in cases where privacy laws restrict access.
4. Conduct in-depth research and write a proof summary where needed for generations that do not have enough primary source documents to establish family ties. This often involves delving into land records, tax lists, probate records, and other more obscure sources to find any and all clues and pieces of information that can be used to tie two generations together. It can be a time consuming task, but since we know where to look, we'll do it as efficiently as possible!
5. Compile all your records and the records found through research to present to the lineage society for admittance. You'll need to be the one to fill our your application, attend the appointment, and present your documentation, but we can help you get it all ready so that you'll be as prepared and organized as possible.

A well-prepared lineage society application often shortens the waiting period to be accepted into a society because it is easier to verify and follows the rules of the society. If an application is poorly prepared, it can take several submissions before acceptance into the society is granted. Since professional genealogists have experience working with the various societies and know what types of documentation are usually accepted, working with a professional genealogist can make the application process to a lineage society very rewarding.

If you have an ancestor in your lineage who may qualify you to join a lineage society, our experts can help you prove your generational connections and organize your information. If you're not sure if you have a qualifying ancestor, we would love to look over your tree and find out! Contact us today to discuss your options!