In 1961 at the National DAR Continental Congress in Washington the "LINEAGE RESEARCH COMMITTEE" was formed to assist applicants needing certain types of genealogical information. There have, since that time, been State Committees and there should also be one for each Chapter. The purpose of these committees is primarily to help prospective members in obtaining the necessary data to complete papers, after they have been invited to join the Society. The members of these committees are not expected to (nor do they) help with supplements, but later I will elaborate on this briefly for a special reason.

In DAR, as in most other organizations of our character, there are usually three types of members.

1] First, there is the member whose papers were filled in from a copy of a past or present member such as a mother, grandmother, cousin, or some other relative. [In this case], proof to tie to the established member is minimal -- often just a birth certificate; or a birth certificate with those of parents and their marriage record; or these four items with a possible last step of census record. This is the "easy way" to become a member but often the full meaning of the why or purpose of the Society may not be realized.

2] The second type is the person who pays another, usually a professional genealogist, to prove the line, fill in the papers (after getting what are assumed to be the proper records). Many times these records contain items from published books, often with many errors, but are accepted as fact because the material is in book form. This type of member usually joins because of the prestige associated with the organization, but in my opinion, if done for this reason, much can be lost and often nothing gained. It is for these two types of members that I will very briefly give a few details regarding supplementals; but it is also information that may be used by anyone.

Each member of every Society should have a copy of his or her papers. In many ways this paper is as important to an individual as any document owned, when you take into consideration the amount of information contained therein and realize the work necessary to establish the proof of descent from an ancestor who lived some two hundred years ago. The paper should be kept in as safe a place as all other important instrument.

Now to supplementals: We know they do not add members to a Society but are nice to have and hopefully, by proving a line for a supplement, may assist some future member. The reason I discuss this subject at all is to help the first and second type members to realize that this is a wonderful way to become interested in this most important subject. From a copy of your papers (and this can also apply to anyone), fill in a lineage chart and some place in those listed names you will find an ancestor to help you branch from your established line to start your project. After all, you had the advantage of having had the ancestor proved for you, but he had a wife and do you know anything about her or her family? If you will start your research in this manner I believe you will find it can be a most fascinating and rewarding experience and will also let you help others.

The third type of member is the one who worked very hard to establish his or her own line for a new ancestor or who had to go back to an already established patriot. This person knows the joy of achievement after a great deal of fun, frustration, elation, and all else which goes with learning something of his or her own history and of all those generations of ancestors who helped make this great nation of ours.

In doing genealogical or lineage work there are a few things to keep in mind. Hearsay is interesting, but only if it leads to research which provides facts. Detachment is essential to research. Do not expect to find a Lord, a Baron, or a relative of Royalty. It can be done but since there were only twenty five sureties for the observance of the statutes contained in the Magna Carta (and only seventeen of these barons had known descendants) it certainly becomes quite difficult. Most of our ancestors were husbandmen, artisans, seamen or small merchantmen with hard-working wives and usually many children and were the people who helped establish this country of ours. Find these people - whether they were militiamen, or in the Continental Line, or assisted in some other capacity, and give them their rightful place in history.

Now let us assume you are going to try and help a prospective member with papers, or work on a supplement of your own to help you learn some of the details necessary to do lineage research. Always keep in mind one word - PROOF. Start with the first generations - with known facts such as birth records which will usually give the parents, then parents' births and deaths and marriage records if available (which also will often give names of parents of that generation and on back). Proceed in this manner as far as you can go until you get to the "unknown". It is now time to start your research. Ask any (all) living relatives, especially those of some age, for any information they can give you. It may not always be correct but write it down anyway; especially anything which could give a clue as to area - County or State - because that often becomes the most important thing in trying to locate a long lost family. I was once given a name by a 96-year-old second or third cousin and spent months and pages of notes on the name, which turned out to be wrong, but the area was correct and I found what I was looking for. It is most necessary to have some idea of where to look. In the early period there were few counties in each state, but when enough people were in an area they could petition to become a new county. It has been said many times, but I will again repeat it, that an individual could have lived in three states and five counties and not moved an inch. This condition was applicable to a great many states; therefore all areas must be checked and one way of doing this is to work backward step by step with dates of formation.

Proof of lineage is also a step-by-step process - generation to generation - and sometimes it can be frustrating, but remember you are working to establish a little bit of history - to tell what some ancestor did for his country and to help perpetuate his memory and that of his family.

After the Revolutionary War there was no money - period -but there was land, a great deal of it, and it was used to help pay the country's debt to those who fought and won that war without pay. The Northwest Territory and present State of Kentucky (which was part of Virginia) were opened up by our ancestors from many of the original 13 states, vast numbers of shorn received land warrants entitling them to land in lieu of money. Many sold these warrants and you may have to check three or four step; to find the original owner. Texas and Missouri were also settled by early migrations from other states not too long after the Revolutionary War - in the early 1800's.

• To do the most elementary kind of research we need a few "tools" and places. There is a little booklet put out by DAR entitled IS THAT LINEAGE RIGHT? It is excellent and may be ordered from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
• WHERE TO WRITE FOR BIRTH, DEATH, AND MARRIAGE RECORDS, published by the U.S. Printing Office is another publication that is most helpful.
• The best tool of all is HANDY BOOK FOR GENEALOGISTS. This will give you information on every state, all the counties, and when they were formed and from what county, where to write for records, and dates and types of records available.
• Many libraries have a genealogical department. The DAR has an immense collection in Washington, D.C. The Morman Library in Salt Lake City and its many branches throughout the country contain millions of records, though many may be on film and for many people may be a little harder to work with than books.
• Court Houses have very important records of all kinds if you can obtain them from the clerks.
• There is one other source which should never be overlooked and that is the Quaker Records, especially The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, by William Wade Hinshaw.

Even though you may feel certain an ancestor just could not have been a Quaker, look anyway; you never know what you may find and these records are fantastic.

The things mentioned here are only a small part of the vast amount of material that can be researched. The National Archives and/or the Adjutant General's Office in a state may be an excellent place to check, especially if a man or his wife received a pension, which often was passed on to the children.

Personal records such as family Bibles, letters, and marriage certificates were usually all prized possessions and kept and passed on from generation to generation. Many were lost with moves, deaths and fires but many wore also saved and still exist. Use them.

The last (but far from the least important) are the Census Records. The first Federal census was 1790 and fairly complete but contained very limited information. The first really complete and excellent census was 1850; it contains a great deal of help for the searcher. After you have worked awhile with any of this material, you will soon find a way of your own to accomplish the goal of tracing your family or helping another to do so.

Occasionally you may see abbreviations you will not understand. Therefore I am going to list a few of the more unusual:

d.v.p: died in his father' lifetime

D.V.M: died in his mother's lifetime

et.us., et uxor, et uxoris: and wife

H.S. (Hic situs): here is buried

Imp., imprimis: in the first place ( used in wills)

M.G.: Minister of the Gospel

M.M.: Monthly Meeting of Socicty of Friends (Quakers)

nunc. nuncupativc: oral will

s.1.g., sine legit.: without legitimate issue

s.p., sine prole: without issue

spr.: Spinster- or sponsor (If spinster - over Age 21)

ux, uxor, Uxoris: wife (I have seen this shown as the letter "U" only)

V.D.M., voluns Deus: Minister

x: placed between the given name and surname at the bottom of a document indicates that the person named confirms and thereby assents to the document.(Even when the words "His (or her) mark" appear above or below it, it does not necessarily mean that the person could not sign his name since, for some documents and at some times, signing was not necessary if the person assented and sealed the document.) I have a copy of a will and an indenture of a woman whom I know could write, one is signed, the other has the X, so do not take it for granted that a person could not write because an "X" was used in at instrument.

There are many other common abbreviations that are used throughout most early records.

Lineage research is such a broad subject that only the high spots have been touched but I hope enough interest has been aroused to at least start with a name and work with it until the person seems to exist. If you do this, I believe you will find it can be most interesting, will make history come alive for you, will help fulfill an obligation to an ancestor, and be worth your while for descendants, whether they be yours or those of others. Good hunting!