historical and genealogical societies

Use historical and genealogical societies in ancestry and genealogy immigration research.

Using Historical and Genealogical Societies
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The following is a brief overview of the types of societies you find.

Lineage or Hereditary Societies

A lineage society is an organization whose membership is limited to persons who can prove lineal, documented descent from a qualifying individual. Hundreds of these organizations exist in America, such as for descendants of those who fought in the American Revolutionary War (Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR), who came as Mormon Pioneers (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, DUP), or those who arrived on the Mayflower(Society of Mayflower Descendants).

Many lineage societies publish books of interest to their members and other researchers. These books are found in most major genealogical libraries and can help you determine if society might have information about a possible individual of interest.

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Immigrant and Early Settler Historical Societies

Dozens of societies have been established focusing on specific immigrant groups or early settlers of a particular locality. While these societies are interested in immigrants, they do not always know where they came from in the old country. Their objectives do not include establishing the immigrant’s or settler’s ancestry, only their descent to current persons. Examples of these societies include the following:

  • Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford (Connecticut)—requires the person to be living in Hartford by early 1640
  • Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters—descendants of people who arrived in Virginia before 1616
  • General Society of Mayflower Descendants—descendants of the Mayflower passengers
  • The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America—pre-1657 founders who established families in America, among whose descendants, of the same surname line, were persons who fought for American independence in the Revolutionary War.

Some examples of immigration collections include the following:

  • The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia—transcribes many of the passenger arrival lists of ethnic immigrants.
  • The Immigration History Society at the University of Minnesota—has collected thousands of ethnic newspapers and other sources dealing with eastern European ethnic groups. Their Immigration History Research Center is one of the most significant repositories of research materials for those groups in North America.

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European Ancestry Societies

Some lineage societies focused on notable individuals long before the American colonies were established. Therefore, descendants who wish to join need to trace their ancestry back to the immigrant (called the “gateway” ancestor) and trace that immigrant’s ancestry back to the qualifying ancestor in the old country.

This means tracing an individual back more than 1,000 years. Usually, the qualifying ancestor was part of British royalty or nobility. Examples include the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America, which requires documented descent from that early emperor. Another example is the Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings of Britain.

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Nationality or Ethnic Lineage Societies

These are societies that focus on an entire ethnic group. They gather information, teach their members, and publish stories, findings, and sources about that group. A small number of such societies—and some of the oldest such societies in America—are actual lineage societies. Membership is limited to those persons who can prove descent from an early settler of a specific ethnic group. Examples include Dutch settlers in New York, Germans in Pennsylvania, and Scots-Irish in the Carolinas.

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Genealogical Societies

Genealogical societies exist throughout the United States and Canada in every state or province, most counties, and many major cities. These societies share the same interest; you individually discover their heritage. They gather together, usually monthly, to learn how to trace their ancestry from each other. They recognize that they are much more knowledgeable about the ins and outs of family history research together than individually.

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Society Publications

Society publications can be a significant aspect of immigrant research, and any local record may be the subject of a publication by a local society. Whenever you contact a genealogical or ethnic society, be sure to inquire about their publications. Even when such publications do not identify an immigrant’s hometown, they may provide further identification about your immigrant or instruct you on additional sources specific to a locality or ethnic group.

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Other Resources to Help Trace Immigrant Ancestors

Are you developing a family history for an individual or family? Are you trying to find their immigrant origins? Start by seeing the articles

The following videos can help you get a head start in understanding immigration and country of origin ancestor research.

 

How to Find the Origin of Immigrants Coming to America
An introduction to immigration and migration historical research. You will be introduced to a five-step methodology to find the immigrant origins when conducting individual and family history research.

Addition videos include:

The following are records I have found extremely helpful and full of clues to finding an individual’s birthplace and immigrant origins. It is designed to provide a quick reference and direction for finding and searching for records as probable places to find information. You can use these records to develop an immigrant paper trail to assist you in finding and tracing an individual immigrant’s origins. Check out these articles:

Records for Tracing Immigrant Ancestors
Cemetery Records Census Records Church Records 
Colonial Town Records Historical and Genealogical Societies Histories and Biographies
Land Grant Records Maps and Gazetteers Naturalization Record
Obituaries Passport Applications Ship Passenger Lists
Social Security Applications Social Security Death Index

Check out the following country profiles to learn more about their immigration and migration in America.

Immigration and Migration in America
Czechs and Slovaks Danish Dutch
English Finnish French
German Greek Hungarian
Icelandic Irish Italian
Norwegian Polish Russian
Scandinavian Scottish Swedish
Welch United States Western Migration

Articles include:

Learn more about immigrant records at “Immigrant Records at the National Archives.”

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