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A Lineage Society
The SAR is a "lineage" society, which means you must have
an ancestor who supported the cause of American Independence during
the years 1774-1783.
Do You Have A Patriot Ancestor?
You are off to a great start if you already know that you have such
an ancestor, you know who it is and what he/she did, and you have
a family tree that shows all the people in between you and this "Patriot
Ancestor".
But you shouldn't lose heart even if you aren't sure whether any of
your ancestors lived in the United States during the Revolution. Many
people who never set foot in the United States supported the American
colonists struggle against British domination -- for example the king
of Spain. Many patriots (or their descendents moved to foreign lands
and their descendents moved back later, not knowing their ancestors
were here before. Many French, German, and Spanish soldiers and sailors
fought in support of American independence and returned home without
making their descendents aware of their participation in gaining American
independence.
Suppose You Don't?
Even if you do not identify a qualifying ancestor, a search for information
on your ancestors usually produces interesting family stories and
an improved appreciation for the problems and opportunities that your
ancestors had to deal with.
While lack of a documented patriot ancestor will prevent you frm joining
the SAR, there are many other societies that can help you explore
your family history, meet other people of the same lineage that you
have, and support the political institutions that make the United
States a great nation.
Where Should You Start?
The first thing to do is to determine the chain of ancestors connecting
you to by bloodline (not through adopted children) descent from a
Patriot Ancestor. That means that you don't need to know an entire
family tree, but just a single line back.
Be brave! Even though this chain may be seven to ten generations long
and you are not sure that you have a patriot ancestor, there are now
large databases of ancestral chains and records showing links between
generations (birth certificates, wills, etc.). Many genealogical societies,
Web sites, and lineage organizations provide assistance with family
history searches. The SAR has many volunteer helpers to guide prospective
members in their development of a lineage to a patriot ancestor. In
many cases a quick scan of the resources at the helper's elbow will
reveal a likely ancestor, promising leads, or suggestions of good
references in libraries near to the prospect.
The application listing your lineage must be accompanied by copies
of the documents that support this lineage. This means finding documents
linking parents to children through seven to nine generations, so
it may seem rather overwhelming. However, the task is usually much
simpler, since if the information is already on file with the SAR
or DAR (from an earlier application) you need not submit it again,
but can simply refer to the earlier application.
Example #1 -- In the last century many SAR and DAR members have submitted
documentation for lineages from their Patriot Ancestors to themselves.
If your great-aunt or your second cousin (a person you may not know)
is a member of the SAR, they have already submitted the documentation
to cover the generations from your Patriot Ancestor to your great-grandfather.
Your SAR helper can look into the SAR and DAR records to see if we
already have information about some of your lineage.
Example #2 -- You know your lineage only back to your great grandfather,
who lived in upstate New York. Was he the descendent of a Patriot?
Your SAR helper may know where to get county biographical histories
that tell the ancestry of the citizens of that county. Or he may know
how to contact a contract researcher in upstate New York who can get
the information you need for a modest fee.
The John Sevier Chapter welcomes anyone
interested to attend our meetings. They are sometimes breakfast and
sometimes evening meetings. We have informative and interesting speakers
at most meeting who present a program of historical nature. The date
and time of our next meeting is posted on the Home Page and the Events
page. No advance reservation is needed with the exception of the annual
George Washington Birthday Celebration which is RSVP.
For assistance in determining your eligibility
and preparing your application please contact our Registrar.
John C. Echerd, Registrar
7541 Savannah Dr.
Ooltewah , TN 37363
Phone (423) 238-4995
Email: jkecherd@centurytel.net
Below are Instructions and Worksheet for Application.
These may be printed for your use. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
to view these files. If you do not have Acrobat Reader CLICK HERE to download it FREE
Note the application worksheets are legal size (8½" x
14"). If you do not have the capability of printing this size,
you may reduce the size to 75% in Acrobat Reader to print on letter
size.
Click on the Links below to view these files.
Worksheet for Application - Page 1
Worksheet for Application - Page 2
Preparation of Application Requirements
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