Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-06-12
ANCESTRAL ORDERS.
About Fifty Genealogical Organize.
lions in tho United Statos.
Societies Eormod of tho Iincai Descend.
ants OF the First Americans- s-Thoir
Numbers Constantly In
crenslng.

pSSH bfcu' rousinp OF interest IN the
subject of American genealogy. Those
families whose ancestors were nmonr
the early settlers of New England and
Virginia and the New Netherlands
have been especially Industrious In
searching ancient records and cstnb-
fishing an American lincngc of six,
seven. eight. and, in some cases, nine, or
oven ten. generations, though the lat
ter are very rare III this time. The
present living descendants of the first
settlers of New Englnnu.nNirginin and
New Netherlands are mainly of the
eighth generation. L.
The last year or two also has. seen
the organization OF NUMEROUS societies
reauirlng certain auceStrai quuiifira.
tions for membership. Whether or not
the fresh interest in gcncalogy sug-
gested them, or the ambition to ioin
them prompted research among family
records, Is u difficult matter To deter
mine. AT any rntc, the societies seem
to he increasing in number continually.
'Thc eldest of them NIL is the Society OF
the Cincinnati, which wns founded hy
the officers o. the revolutionary army =.
after the peace of l1Sl. Mcmhcrship
in the society Is limited to the eldest
male postcrity of the officers who first
formed the organization. and, in cnse
of the extinction OF the direct line. 10
the next i'll order of descent, II. in the
Judgment of the society, he proves
worthy OF the honor.
Counting the old aud the more recent
ltsn q al .t..,.t ~
about 80 In the country. Some nrc sor
men. some for women, and some ever
for children. The Society of NIny-
flower Descendants was formed by
l'ncal descendants of the band of pil-
grlmS wno lnndri on Plymouth Rock
in December. 1920. The Holland So
cicty of New York Is similnr. No one
is eligible To membership in H. except
descendant In the direct male line
of Dutchmnn who was u resident OF
Manhattan or the ncehborng colonies
prior To 1914. Other organizations lil.c
these are the Colonial Society of Mnssn-
chusctts and the Netherlands Society of
philadelphia. One OF the exclusive
societies Is the Order OF Founders and
Patriots. iG01-ldj7. Any man may join
this ordcrwho Is 81 wears of ngc. or over.
lncal descendant In the male line OF
either parent from nn ancestor who
settled in amy of the cigh, original col,
onics from the settlement Of Jpmns.
town. May H. 1907. To Mny rs, 1857. In.
elusive, and whose intermediate nnccn.
tors. during the war of the revolution.
sided with the colonies nganst the
mother country, nctively or In syInpa-
thy and contributions of funds.
Then there Is Society of Colonial
Wars, members of which are restricted
TO persons who nrc direct descendants
IN the male or female line from nm mn.
ccstor who served as military or naval
officer or wns in the ranks under nu-
thority of the colonies In any of tho
wars against snvngc1 or foreign pow
crs. Membership Is probably confined
TO mon. 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 nrc so nearly idcn-
teal na To hc confusing. there nrc diff.
fcrcnces in the qualifications which rn
title one 10 membership in them. The
National society is composed entirely OF
''womcn who are descended in their
own right from some ancestor of wor.
thy life who came to reside in mn Amer.
,!cnn colony prior to 1880, which an,
cestor, or some one of his descendants,
being linc0l ascendant of The 'appli,
cant. shall have rendered efficient scry-
ice to his country during the colonial
period. either In the founding of com.
inonwcal'h or of nn institution which
has ss,Irvivcd and developed into i'm
portancc. or who shall have held an
important position in the colonial gov,
crnment. and who by distinguished
services shnll have contributed to tho
founding of this great and powerful
nntiop. Services rendered after 1871
are not recognized" This socicty IN
divided into state societies. which Dc.
eide upon the eligibility Of cnndIdnto
for membership. The other womcn'a
society requires that the original Amer,
lean ancestor of member shall have
been efficient ip the service OF the
country. either in the founding of n
town or commonwealth that has sur,
vived and developed into Importance,
who held an important position in the
colonial government, or who as stntcs-
man or officer contributed to tho
achievement of American independence,
through which was created great and
powerful nation" And hc must have
come 10 America prior to IT7G.
The Colonial Order of the Acorn and
the Colonial society are not so cx-
elusive. II one had any fcrcfnthers or
foromotlcrs in the coed old times he
Is pretty cure 10 lie eligible. The So
cieties based upon an ancestry which
burklcd OH tbe armor in the revolution
or the war of 1872 are almost legion
in number. There iDrc Daughters of
the American Revolution. Daughters OF
the Cincinnati. Daughters Of the l,cv,..fi-
tion. National Society of the Children
OF the American Revolution. Society of
the Sons OF the Revolution ard Society
OF Sons OF the American Revolution.
1t is probable that even the most ex,
elusive of these orders count as ncm-
bers but II handful of men and women