As a European, the concept of a lineage society was only vaguely familiar to me, so I was surprised when Genealogical sent me a free copy of The Complete Guide to Lineage Societies by Kimberly Ormsby Nagy for review purposes. I remember an episode of the Golden Girls where Blanche has to hide a Jewish family member to get into some society as my first introduction to the concept. However, I do love to learn new things so I read it and here’s my review.
This short book is broken down in to 10 chapters defining what is a lineage society, different types, how to find them, criteria for membership and how to complete their application forms. Naturally, the author can’t go into immense detail for each organisation but she gives a good little summary and provides link to websites for more info.
There are a vast range of different societies out there. Many have an obvious historical focus, the most famous being descendants of those who sailed aboard the Mayflower. (Brief tangent, here’s a great podcast discussing just how many people are descended from this group!) Others have a military service focus, particular for the American revolutionary and civil wars. Others seem a bit more random, like the Descendants of American Farmers. Most unexpected was the society for descendants of Lady Godiva, who I admit I did not realise was a real person!
Ormsby Nagy does a thorough job of explaining a likely application process and what you’ll be asked to provide, and offers source guides for places you might find evidence and proof of occupations/military service.
I should say that a lot of these societies limit themselves to men or women only, which feels exclusionary, and it appears that almost all do not accept adopted children. Others limit membership to direct descendants, while some allow collateral lines (especially if it’s a military-themed society, where young men likely died without descendants). Little mention is given to the use of DNA in these societies and I’d have liked a discussion which considered how DNA might disprove an established pedigree and what might happen then.
If one of your genealogical goals aligns with one of these organisations, then it could be well worth your while in applying to join, but do consider the work involved. This guide will definitely help you along the way. It appears I could join the National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865, via my collateral ancestor Cornelius Tubbs, who fought for the union in the American Civil War. I’m happy to learn more about his experience, but probably not to the level of joining a society that never aligns with my timezone!