Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1896-09-16
ANCESTRAL ORDERS

been . great rousinG OF interest in the
subject of American geneGlo6N IThpee
families whose ancestors were among
The. early settlers: Of New England and
Virginia and the New, Netherlands
have been especially indp6trioslk I'm
searching ancient records and estab-
fishing N American lineage Of M,
seven, eight, and, In rome chess, 1iine. pr;
even ten, Generati0ps, though tl8 l4t-
ter are very rare in this time. The
present living descendants Of the firnt
settlers OF New England, Virginia and
New Netherlands are mainly .of, che
eighth generation, r.
The last year or two also has seen
the organization of numerous societies
requiring certain ancestral qualifiea-
lions for membership. Whether pr pit
.'lc fresh interest in geneaaogy8 sng-
.,ested them, or. the: ambition to join
them. prompted research among famify
records, is difficult matter to deter
mine. At any, rate, the societies seem
10 be increasing In number cont annually.
The eldest of them all is the Society OF
the Cincinnati, which was founded by
tile officers of the revolutionary army,
after the peace of 1853. Membership
in the society is limited to the eldest
male posterity Of the officers who first
formed the organization, md, in case
of the extinction of the direct line, TO,
the next in order of descent, if. in the
judgment of the society FA proves
worthy of the honor. -.
Counting the old and the more recent
ancestral organizations, there are now
about so in the country. Some are Cor
men, some for women, and some ever
for children. The Society of May
flower Descendants was formed by
lineal descendants of the band of Pill
grims who landed on Plymouth Rock
in December, 1920. The, Holland So.
ciety of New York is similar. -. No one
is eligible to membership in it except
Il descendant in the direct male. line
Of Dutchnan who was a resident of
Manhattan or the ncig hboring colonies
prior to 1878. Other organizations like
these are the Colonial Society Of Masen-
chusetts and the therlands Society of
Philadelphia. One Of the exclusive
societies is the Order OF Founders and
Patriots, lGO7-1G57. Any man may join
this ordcrwho is 81 years Of age, or over,
u lineal descendant in the male line OF
either parent from an ancestor who
settled in any of the eight original col
onies from the settlement of jones'
town, May -, 1907. to May Is, 1851, in
elusive, ard whose intermediate .arcesi
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 Society of Colonial
Wars, members Of which are restricted
to persons who are direct descendants
in the male or female line from an an
cestor who served as p military or naval
officer or was in . the ranks, under an;
thorfty Of the colonies in any OF tho
wars against sarages. or foreign pow
ers. Membership is probably confined
to men, for the National Society Of the
Colonial Danes of America and the ;Sov
ciety Of. the .Colonial Danes 81 America
provide for women with ped greets. /;
While their names. iage 20 nearly iaent-
teal as to be confusing, there are. dit,
ferences In the qISliftS ati o1s, which EN- /,
title one to membership IN them, The,
National society ,is, Spf9 s'os.1 entirely Of,
women who are, desGepded In their;
own right from some AnceBtor Of wor-
thy life who came toTIeSide. ii. III, A IheT-
lean colony prior. to 1850, which -ai1l
cestor, or some one 81 his, descendants, !
being a lineal ascendant Of the appti-
cant, shall have rendered efficient serv-
ice to his country during the colonial
period, either in the founding of c9m7
monwealth or Of an institution which
has survived and developed into inn
portance, or who shall have held al,
important position in the.colonial gov
eminent, and who by distinguished
services shHll have, contributed to the
founding Of this great and powerful
nation. Services rendered after. l7Ss
are not recognized" This society is
divided into state societies, Which. de-
eide upon the eligibility Of a'candidate
for membership. The other women's
society requires that the original Amer
lean ancestor OF n member shall have
been efficient in the service Of, the
poI,pfru o:tl,cr II, fl,n Fp,1rs ti,, ~ ~ n