{"id":4880,"date":"2013-10-04T15:42:58","date_gmt":"2013-10-04T15:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=4880"},"modified":"2024-01-12T14:06:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T19:06:53","slug":"lineage-hereditary-heritage-patriotic-societies-have-genealogy-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/lineage-hereditary-heritage-patriotic-societies-have-genealogy-resources.html","title":{"rendered":"Lineage, Hereditary, Heritage & Patriotic Societies Have Genealogy Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to learn about lineage, hereditary, heritage and patriotic societies, lists a number of these societies, and provides their website links in case you want to find out more. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.
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The listings and records kept by various genealogical societies can be a gold mine for family historians.<\/p>\n

But there are so many American lineage, hereditary, heritage and patriotic societies, you\u2019d be hard pressed to find them all. And if you attempt to search on the keywords \u201cgenealogy\u201d or \u201clineage society\u201d on the Web, you\u2019ll find the results overwhelming!<\/p>\n

This blog article makes searching these societies a more manageable task, by discussing several key categories and providing links to make your genealogy record searches more efficient. It also shows how articles from an online newspaper archive<\/a> can provide more information about these types of societies.<\/p>\n

Societies & American History<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many societies have a long history in America, with some of the oldest going back to the early days of our nation\u2019s founding.<\/p>\n

This article from a 1985 Louisiana newspaper lists heritage societies active in New Orleans that year. It reports that the oldest society in the area is the St. Andrew\u2019s Society, founded in 1729 with membership open to men of Scottish ancestry.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), 20 January 1985, page 73<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lineage societies restrict membership to lineal descendants. Some have \u201cgood character\u201d requirements, or are by invitation only. Hereditary, heritage and patriotic societies have similar restrictions, or their groups may be open to those of shared interests.<\/p>\n

Most of these societies ask for documentary evidence, establishing the birth and death of each generation, to link to the applicable ancestor. Marriages may or may not be required, as some societies recognize that making out-of-wedlock births ineligible is a deterrent to recruiting members. Certificates are generally preferred, but alternate proofs, such as genealogy books, biographies, family letters, and state or local histories, may be acceptable. To learn specifics about what is required to join, contact the registrar of a society and he\/she may even assist you in acquiring the necessary documents.<\/p>\n

The Oldest Society in America<\/strong><\/p>\n

The society thought to be America\u2019s earliest is the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, founded around 1637. As noted in this 1916 South Carolina newspaper article, the society\u2019s origins date to an earlier organization incorporated by King Henry VIII in 1537 (see www.ahac.us.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Charleston News and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 25 September 1916, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Newer Society Organizations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of the newest society organizations in America include the:<\/p>\n