Lineage Societies

There are hundreds of lineage societies in America, ranging from popular societies like the Daughters of the American Revolution to little known societies like the Associated Daughters of Early American Witches. Many more exist in other countries. The first step in applying to a lineage society is to contact the society and find out what their requirements are and what reference materials they accept. Many societies, like the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne, accept historical works that name descendants into the 17th and 18th centuries, which makes it much easier to prove lineage. Once a person or family that you must link to is determined, then we will conduct 8 hours of research proving each relationship as we go back in time. If the targeted ancestor is reached, we will fill out an application to the society, if allowed, and send it to you or the appropriate person. If we are not able to prove the lineage in 8 hours, we will prepare a report telling you which of your ancestral relationships have been proven and a either a plan for how to prove the rest or a reason why the relationship is wrong or cannot be proven. It is important to note that this package does not do comprehensive research on your ancestors, just enough to satisfy the lineage society’s requirement that the relationship between generations is true.

Often, clients will begin their family history research so they can identify which branch of their family may be eligible for the lineage society. Once that is done, Heroes of the Past can start with that branch of your family and ensure the lineage society requirements are met.