Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-06-12
ANCESTRAL ORDERS.
About Fifty Gonealogical Organizs-
tions in tho United States.
Societies Eormod OF the Iineal Descend
ants OF the First Americans Their
Numbers Constantly In
creasing.

been great rousing of interest i'm the
subject of American genealogy. Those
families whose ancestors were amopc
the early settlers Of New England and
Virginia and the New Netherlands
have been especially industrious In
searching ancient records and estab-
fishing an American lineage of six,
seven. eight. and. in some cases. nine. or
even ten. generations. though the lat
ter are very rare ia this time. The
present living descendants of the first
settlers of New Englnnd.nVirgnia and
New Netherlands are mainly of the
eighth generation. 'l.
% The last year or two also haRIss,en
the organization of numerous societies
r~auiring certain ancestral qualifiro.
TONS for membership. Whether or not
the fresh Interest I'm gcnenlogy sug-
gested them, or the ambition TO ioin
them prompted research among family
records, Is difficult matter 60 deter
mine. At any rate, the societies seem
To he increasing in number continually.
! 'lhe eldest of them MI il the Society OF
the Cincinnati, which was founded by
the officers o. the revolutionary army.
after the peace Of I7S3. Memhcrshin
/ in the society IS limited Ia the eldest
/ male postcrity of the officers who first
formed the organization, and. i'm casc
/ OF the extinction OF the direct line. 20
/ the next in order of descent, II. In the
/ Judgment of the society, he proves
worthy OF the honor.
counting the old and the more recent
I ancestral organizations. there are now
( about 30 in the country. Some nre snr
1 men. some Tor women, and some even
/ FOR children. The Society of Nnv-
/ Hover Descendants was formed bv
hneal descendants Of the band of p,i-
/ grms who lnrdr2 on Plymouth Rock
! in December. 1920. The HOLLAND S,-
ciety of New York is fimlur. No one
Il eligible 20 membership in g. except
n descendant In the direct male line
OF Dutchman who was "A resident OF
Manhattan or the nciehboring colonies
| prior To 1913. Other organizations lie
these are the Colonial Society OF Mnssn-
chusctis and the Netherlands Society of
Philadelphia. One OF the exclusive
societies Is the Order OF Founders and
Patriots. i601-lG57. Any man may Join
THIS orderwho is 81 years OF nge. or over,
lincal descendant IN the male line of
either parent from an ancestor who
settled i'm any Of The eight original col
onics from the settlement Of Jpmes.
town. May I3, 1907. 10 May IS. 1851. i'm.
elusive, md whose intermediate nnccn.
tors. during the war of the revolution.
sided with the colonies against the
mother country. actively or IN syInpa-
thy and contributions OF funds.
Then there is n Society OF Colonial
Wars, members Of which are restricted
80 persons who are direct dcsccndants
IN the male or female line from an an.
Ccstor who served as Il military or nnVnl
officer or wns in the ranks under an.
thority OF the colonies in any 0f tho
wars against savngcg or foreign POW
crs. Membership is probably confined
20 men. for the National Society OF tho
Colonial DANES OF America and the SO,
cicty OF the Colonial Danes Of America
provide for women with ped grccs.
While their names are 50 nearly idcn-
teal ns 90 Ice confusing. there are d.f,
ferenccs in the qualifications which en
title one TO membership in hem. The
National society is composed entirely OF
women who are descended in their
own right from some ancestor Of ,vor.
thy life who came 20 reside in an Amer.
lean colony prior 10 1880 which an,
cestor, or some one Of his descendants.
being lincal ascendant OF the appli,
cant. shall have rendered efficient scry-
ice to his country during the colonial
period. either in the founding cf ccm.
monwcalth or Of an institution which
has ss,Irvivcd and developed into i'm !
portance. or who shall have held an
important position in the colonial gov. !
ernment. and who by distinguished
services shall have contributed To the
founding Of this grrnt and powerful
nation. Services rendered after i7SJ
are not recognized This socLety ls
divided into state societies. which de,
eide upon the eligibility Of "a candidate
for membership. The other women's
society requires thai the original Amer,
lean ancestor OF member shall have
been efficient 10 the service of the |
country. either I'm the founding OF n |
town or n commonwealth that has sur,
vived and developed into Importance.
who held an important position in the |
colonial government. or who as statcs-
man or officer contributed to tho
achievement OF American independence.
through which was created n great and
powerful nation" And ne must have
come 10 America prior to lT7G.
The Colonial Order of the Acorn and
the Colonial society arc not so cx-
elusive. If one had any forcfathcrs or
foremothcrs in the coed old times he
is pretty sure TO he eligible. The So
cieties based upon an ancestry which
ourkled on the armor in the revolution
or the war OF 1872 nre almost legion
in number. There are Daughters of
the American Revolution. Daughters OF
the Cincinnati. Daughters Of the Iscv~.n-
tion. National Society Of the Children
OF the American isevcluIion. Society of
the Sons of the Revolution. ard Society
OF Sons OF the American Revolution
IT IS probable that even rue most cx,
elusive OF these orders count as mcro-
bers but handfhl Of men and women
who are eligible. Tho l:neai descend,
ants of the Pilgrims must now be lii<etne
sands Of rho seas horc for multitnGc. and
one need only look through the several