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Below are a number of informative articles by Debbie Duay, copyright © 2009 - 2024.

Debbie Duay, Ph.D.

debduay@yahoo.com

 

 

Debbie's Process for Finding a Patriot for
Prospective Members
   
 

Click here to watch a video presentation of this article. 

My process for finding a Revolutionary War patriot with information from my Genealogy Worksheet is described below.  (If you are a DAR member interested in finding a patriot for a supplemental application, read this article.)

There are 5 important tools in this process.

Step One -  I almost always require that a prospective member complete a Genealogy Worksheet with as much information as she knows on her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents on BOTH sides of her family.  The only time I do not ask a prospective member to complete a Genealogy Worksheet is when she has a close family member in the DAR (i.e., mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, aunt, niece, or great-aunt).  I never assume that the patriot the prospective member has identified will be the easiest patriot to prove.  Often, it is just the first patriot that she has found.   

Step Two - If a prospective member has listed her great-grandparents on the Genealogy Worksheet, I start with them.  I enter each great-grandparent couple into the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search page. (NOTE:  Use the Advanced Search page rather than the Simple Search page as the Simple Search does not allow you to list a spouse.)  Unlike the DAR Ancestor Database which lists patriot ancestors only, the DAR Descendants Database is composed of all of the lineages starting with great-grandparents (Gen 4) through the patriot ancestor.  Please note that you MUST put the husband's name in the top fields and the wife's maiden name where it says spouse when using the DAR Descendants Advanced Search page.  Usually, I simply type the husband's last name only and the wife's maiden name only (no first names) to minimize problems with variations in spelling.  For a demonstration on how to use the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search, click here. 

Occasionally, I get a hit immediately in the DAR Descendants Database because the prospective member's great-grandparents are listed on another DAR application.  More often, I have to do more research. 

Step Three - Print out a 5-Generation Genealogy Chart for each of the prospective member's great-grandparents born in the United States.  If all of her great-grandparents were born in the United States, print out eight (8) 5-Generation Charts.  Print a chart on the front and back of a sheet of paper so that you use 4 sheets of paper rather than 8 sheets.  Write the name of each great-grandparent in the 1 box on each chart.  If you printed a chart on the front and back of each sheet of paper, write the husband's name in the 1 box on one side of the sheet and the wife's name in the 1 box on the other side of the sheet. 

Step Four - Next, I identify the parents of each of the prospective member's great-grandparents.  To do this, I go to the Public Member Trees Database on Ancestry.com.  I enter the great-grandparents to see if I can connect to anyone's research that will take me back one or more generations. 

Step Five - If I am successful and I connect to someone's research in the Public Member Trees Database, I come back to the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search page and enter the husband and wife in each and every generation in the prospective member's lineage.  If you printed out a 5-Generation Chart for each great-grandparent (Gen 4), enter the information about their parents (Gen 5), grandparents (Gen 6), etc. on the 5-Generation Chart as you discover it.  NOTE:  Be extra careful using the Public Member Trees Database on Ancestry.com as there are MANY ERRORS.

Step Six - If I don't find anything in Ancestry's public trees, I go to the census on Ancestry.com.  I look for the great-grandparents in their parents' household.  Once I find the great-great-grandparents (Gen 5), I immediately go back to the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search page to see if a previous application lists them.  If I do not get a match in the DAR database, I go back to the Public Member Trees Database and enter the great-great-grandparents.  Usually I am back far enough with great-great-grandparents to find another person's research that takes me back several more generations. 

In essence, my process for finding a Revolutionary War patriot is an iterative process between the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search and the Public Member Trees Database on Ancestry.com.
   

Debbie's Process for Finding a Patriot for
Supplemental Applications
   
 

Begin by filling out a 5-Generation Genealogy Chart with information on as many of your 8 great-grandparents (Generation 4) and 16 great-great grandparents (Generation 5) who were born in the United States as possible.  If you do not know all of your great-great grandparents, search the Public Member Trees Database on Ancestry.com. Perhaps another researcher has uploaded information on your lineage.

Next, enter each great-grandparent (Generation 4) couple into the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search page. (NOTE:  I recommend using the Advanced Search page rather than the Simple Search page as the Simple Search does not allow you to list a spouse.)  The DAR Descendants Database is composed of all of the lineages appearing on DAR applications starting with great-grandparents (Generation 4) through the patriot ancestor.  Please note that you MUST put the husband's name in the top fields and the wife's maiden name where it says spouse when using the DAR Descendants Advanced Search page.  Usually, I simply type the husband's last name only and the wife's maiden name only (no first names) to minimize problems with variations in spelling.  For a demonstration on how to use the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search, click here. 

If you are a member who joined more than 18 months ago, your DAR number and Revolutionary War patriot will be included in the results for the great-grandparents listed on your application.

If you do not find any OTHER patriots after trying all 4 sets of your great-grandparents (Generation 4), the next step is to move to your great-great grandparents (Generation 5).  Search the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search using each of the 8 husband-wife sets in Generation 5 in your family tree.  NOTE:  It is likely that some of your great-great grandparents were NOT born in the United States.  However, if at least one of the people in a husband-wife set was born in the United States, search the DAR Descendants Database on that couple.

Once again your DAR number and patriot will be included in the results for the great-great grandparents listed on your application.  If no other patriots appear, the next step is to identify as many of your 32 great-great-great grandparents (Generation 6) born in the United States as possible.  Consider starting a new 5-Generation Genealogy Chart for each person in Generation 5 (i.e., 16 charts).  On each new chart, write the name and dates of one of your great-great grandparents born in the United States in Box 1.  List their parents (Generation 6) in Boxes 2 & 3.  If you do not know all of your great-great-great grandparents, search the Public Member Trees Database on Ancestry.com.

If no other patriots appear after searching on as many of the 16 husband-wife sets in Generation 6 as possible, try to identify as many of your great-great-great-great grandparents (Generation 7) as you can.  Search the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search with as many husband-wife couples in Generation 7 as possible.

Assuming that a match (other than the patriot already proven on your application) exists in the DAR Descendants Database, the likelihood of discovering a match increases the further back in your family tree that you go. This is because the number of ancestors that you share in common with others increases as you move further and further back in your lineage.

Generally, Revolutionary War patriot ancestors appear in Generations 7, 8, or 9.  If no other patriots appear after a search of the DAR Descendants Database using ancestors in Generation 7, it may be necessary to prove a completely new patriot or a new child of an established patriot in order to file a supplemental application.  Review the information on Finding a Revolutionary War Patriot in my free online tutorial.  If you are proving a new patriot, my sources of Revolutionary War service page may help you identify service for your ancestor.
   

A Simple Strategy for Proving a New Child or
a New Grandchild of A Patriot
   
 

Although it does not always work, there is a simple strategy for proving a new child or a new grandchild of an established patriot. It is worth trying early in the process as it may save you hours of research.

Proving a New Child of an Established Patriot

When you are in the patriot's profile in the DAR Ancestor Database, make note of the applications that prove a different child of the patriot for the FIRST TIME. If the DAR number for the first time a new child was proven is less than #400000, the application will probably be too old to be helpful. However, if the DAR number is greater than #400000, the application may list a source such as a will, deed, county/town history, or Bible record that also lists the child that you are trying to prove.

For example, patriot Joseph Witter (1762-1830) Ancestor #A127273 has 4 proven children. Daughter LUCY was first proven on #174729 Add Vol 142. Son JOSEPH was first proven on #252499. Son WILLIAM was first proven on #716288, and son Abraham was first proven on #848671.

The applications for daughter Lucy (#174729 Add 142) and son Joseph (#252499) are old. Thus, they probably do not list any documentation. However, the documentation that was used to link son William on #716288 and/or son Abraham on #848671 to their father patriot Joseph Witter may also mention the child you are trying to document.

Proving a New Child of an Established Child of a Patriot (i.e., New Grandchild of the Patriot)

To prove a new child of an established child of a patriot (i.e., new grandchild of the patriot), you will need to review the line of descent by clicking the little purple D for each application that is through the same child of the patriot as the lineage you are trying to prove.

Using the same example (patriot Joseph Witter A127273), let's pretend that our prospective member's lineage is through daughter LUCY and Lucy's son Tobias who has never been proven. After reviewing the line of descent for all 4 applications through Lucy, I find that Lucy's daughter Nancy Lucinda Smith is first proven on DAR #761011, and Lucy's daughter Hannah W. Smith is first proven on #174729 Add 142. Although #174729 Add 142 is probably too old to be helpful, the documentation used on #761011 to link Nancy Lucinda Smith to her parents Lucy Witter and Daniel Smith may also list Lucy's son Tobias.
   

Leaving a Legacy: Documenting the Descendants of 
Your Revolutionary War Patriot
   
 

Click here to watch a video presentation of this article.

Most women have absolutely no idea that they are eligible to join the DAR.  Basically, the purpose of this project is to create a big neon sign that tells our distant cousins that they are eligible.  The project involves creating an Ancestry.com public tree that documents the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, gg-grandchildren etc. of your patriots as far down as possible to descendants who died as recently as 1960 - present.  A critical aspect of this project is marking each direct descendant with the appropriate designation by typing it in parentheses after the surname:

         (Child of DAR Patriot)
         (Grandchild of DAR Patriot)
         (Great-Grandchild of DAR Patriot)
         (GG-Grandchild of DAR Patriot)
         (GGG-Grandchild of DAR Patriot) etc.

Below are examples of two Ancestry public trees for Revolutionary War patriots documented in this manner.

        Rebecca Waldron Yates

        Benjamin Rice

 In order to participate in this project, you must:
       * have an Ancestry.com account
       * create an Ancestry.com PUBLIC tree
        * know how to attach documents to your tree
       * allow messages through Ancestry's messaging system

There are several reasons to participate.
       * It is lots of fun.
       * You will hone your research skills.
        * You will discover distant cousins and help them join DAR.
       * This project will help us reach our goal of 250,000 members.
       * You will leave a legacy for future generations.

Step One: Start Your Tree with Your Direct Line to Your Patriot
Begin your Ancestry public tree with yourself, your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents etc. all the way back to your Revolutionary War patriot.  Ancestry.com has two tutorials for creating a family tree:

       Starting Your Tree, Lesson 1

       Building Your Tree, Lesson 2

For yourself, just list your first name and maiden name (no dates and places), and mark yourself as "Living."  If your parents are still living, do the same for them.  For all deceased Individuals, list birth, marriage, and death dates and places (if known) and attach documentation from Ancestry and FamilySearch.

Once you complete your direct lineage to your Revolutionary War patriot, mark each individual in the direct line by typing the appropriate designation in parentheses after the surname.  For example, (DAR Patriot), (Child of DAR Patriot), (Grandchild of DAR Patriot) etc.

Check Your Ancestry Settings and Update Your Profile
It is very important that your Ancestry tree for this project is a PUBLIC tree.  Check your Tree Settings to confirm that your tree is public. (NOTE:  If you already have a private tree that you want to keep private, start a different, new public tree for this project.)  In order to ensure that distant cousins can contact you through Ancestry's messaging system, check your Site Preferences.  Finally, consider updating your profile so a distant cousin will feel comfortable contacting you.  If you don't feel comfortable adding a picture of yourself, add a picture of a flower or a kitten or something nonthreatening to encourage communication.

Step Two: Find the Patriot's Children
Once you have your direct line to your patriot on your tree, the next step is to start with your patriot and add all of his/her PROVABLE children.  First, check the DAR Ancestor Database, and add all the established children listed on your patriot's profile.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  You will be using the DAR Ancestor and DAR Descendants Databases a great deal for the early generations in the lineage. Remember that if a child or grandchild of the patriot is already approved on a previous DAR application, you do not have to worry about documenting the parent-child relationship. This is true even if the application is very old assuming there is nothing indicating an EL (Error in Lineage) in the DAR patriot's profile.  However, if the most recent application for a child or grandchild of the patriot is very old and does not list dates and/or places, try to document either a circa birth date and birth place (birth state only is fine) OR a death date and death/burial place for each person in each generation.

After adding all the established children listed in the patriot's profile to your tree, look for additional children of the patriot (i.e., children that are not listed in the DAR Ancestor Database).  To find all the children in each generation, search Ancestry's Public Member Trees by typing 1) a last name in the Last Name box, 2) a first name for the Father, and 3) a first name AND maiden name for the Mother.  Leave everything else blank.  If there are possible spelling issues, use the asterisk for a wild-card search.

If you are able to document a link between the patriot and additional children through records such as wills, deeds, church records, guardianships etc., add the other children to your tree and attach or link the documents to your tree.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  Only add children and grandchildren of the patriot to your tree that are EITHER 1) already proven on a previous DAR application, OR 2) have documentation that prove a parent-child relationship.

In order to keep from getting confused, it is best to use a systematic approach for adding people to your tree.  I suggest adding everyone in each generation before moving to the next generation.  In other words, add all the patriot's provable children.  After adding all the patriots provable children, add all the patriot's provable grandchildren.  After adding all the patriot's provable grandchildren, add all the patriot's provable great-grandchildren.  Also, when you are finished with working on your tree, be sure to write down where you left off so you know where to start the next time you work on it.

Step Three: Find the Patriot's Grandchildren
After adding and documenting all the provable children of your patriot to your tree, the next step is to start working on all the provable grandchildren of your patriot.  Start with the patriot's oldest child, and document his/her proven children.  There are two ways to find all the proven children of a child of the patriot (i.e., patriot's proven grandchildren), and you should use both methods. 

1) If the patriot's child is an established child of the patriot, go to the DAR Ancestor Database and click the little purple D next to each application for that child in the patriot's profile.


2) Go to the DAR Descendants Database Advanced Search page and search on the patriot's child name and the name of his/her spouse.  This strategy is important because a patriot's grandchild may be linked to his/her parents on an application for a DIFFERENT patriot (i.e., not the patriot you are researching).  Use the wild-card search for spelling issues.

After identifying all the established grandchildren of the patriot, look for additional grandchildren that are not listed in the DAR databases.  Search Ancestry's Public Member Trees using the same strategy as before (i.e., last name, father's first name, mother's first name, and mother's maiden name). To document grandchildren that are not in the DAR databases, attach or link wills, deeds, vital records, county histories, church records, guardianships, etc. to your tree.

After adding all the provable children of the patriot's oldest child, next add all the provable children of the patriot's second child. After adding all the provable children of the patriot's second child, add all the provable children of the patriot's third child and so on. Again, only add children and grandchildren of the patriot to your tree that are EITHER 1) already proven on a previous DAR application, OR 2) have documentation that prove a parent-child relationship.

Step 4: Find the Patriot's Great-Grandchildren, GG-Grandchildren, GGG-Grandchildren, etc.
To find all the children of each couple in each generation, search Ancestry's Public Member Trees with the last name, father's first name, mother's first name, and mother's maiden name. Be sure to mark each direct descendant in each generation as (Child of DAR Patriot), (Grandchild of DAR Patriot), (Great-Grandchild of DAR Patriot), (GG-Grandchild of DAR Patriot) etc.

Once you reach the patriot's great-grandchildren, documenting parent-child relationships usually becomes much easier as the great-grandchildren are often in their parents' household in the 1850 census.  On the flip side, it starts to take a great deal more time to complete each generation because the number of people in your tree increases substantially.  You can save time if you avoid adding descendants to your tree that clearly never married or never had children.  For example, if a couple married in 1905 and they do not have any children in the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses, do not add them to your tree.

When you add people to your tree who were born after 1900, Ancestry will mark them as Living.  To add a death date, click Deceased.  Even if the person is probably deceased but you do not have an exact date of death, mark them as Deceased.

Attaching Documents
To increase the likelihood that a person will appear in the results of an Ancestry Public Member Tree database search, attach at least one Ancestry record to that person.  Thus, always try to attach at least one Ancestry.com record to both the husband and wife in each generation in your tree.  When attaching census records and marriage records listing both the husband and wife, attach the records to both of them at the same time.

Adding Links to Documents
There are many important documents and resources that are not found on Ancestry.com.  For example, Ohio death certificates from 1908-1953 are on FamilySearch and Missouri death certificates 1910-1969 are on Missouri Digital Heritage.  County and town histories contain biographies that can establish a parent-child relationship.  When you find helpful resources that are not Ancestry.com, add a link to them to your tree.

Tips for Finding Documents
1) When reviewing someone's Ancestry public tree that has lots of attached records, check the Gallery. If the owner of the tree has scanned and uploaded records, usually they will only appear in the Gallery.

2) When attaching records to an individual in your tree, choose View Record (not View Image).  Review the Suggested Records as some of these records may also pertain to the person.  Census records generally have the most Suggested Records.

3) To find missing children, enter parents' names only in a general search on FamilySearch as many birth, marriage, and death records listing parents have been indexed.  Leave the Deceased Ancestor's Name fields blank.

Uploading a Scanned Document
You may want to upload a document such as an obituary or death certificate.  You can also make that document appear on the person's main page as the profile photo so that it catches the attention of visitors to the page.  It is best to upload .jpg files rather .pdf files.

Adding Comments and Notes
You will want to add Comments and Notes to your tree.  Comments are open to the public to view.  Notes are only viewable by the owner of the tree. Consider adding this comment for your DAR Patriot in your tree, "He has been accepted by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) as a Revolutionary War patriot. His descendants are eligible to join the DAR or SAR."

Finding Obituaries
Obituaries are extremely important in this project, especially for the recent generations.  Be sure to check Find-A-Grave memorials for people in your tree as obituaries are often posted there.  Many obituaries from about 2005 to the present are available online for free.  If the death was 2005 - present, search Google with the person's name and death year.  Add a city name to the search if needed.  In addition, there are links to many free newspapers and obituaries on this page.

If you find an obituary, add a link to the obituary to your tree (see Adding Links to Documents above).  Also copy and paste the text of the obituary into a Note so you have the text of the obituary if the link is no longer active in the future.  (See Adding Comments and Notes above.)  If you decide to paste the text of the obituary in a Comment (open to public view) rather than a Note (private), be aware that there is a character limit for Comments. You will probably need to edit the obituary.  If you find an obituary in an online newspaper, follow these steps to upload it to your tree. 

1st Cousins vs. 2nd Cousins vs. 2nd Cousins Once Removed
For every direct descendant of your patriot in your Ancestry tree, the person's profile will indicate how they are related to you.  It is easy to understand the difference between 1st cousins, 2nd cousins, 2nd cousins once removed etc. without charts or other aids.  For example, if your closest shared relatives with another individual are your Grandparents and they are also the Grandparents of the other individual, you are 1st cousins.  However, if your Grandparents are the Great-Grandparents of the other individual, you are 1st cousins once removed.  If your closest shared relatives are your Great-Grandparents and they are also the Great-Grandparents of the other individual, you are 2nd cousins.  However, if your Great-Grandparents are the Great-Great-Grandparents of the other individual, you are 2nd cousins once removed. 

    *  First cousins share Grandparents
    *  Second cousins share Great-Grandparents
    *  Third cousins share GG-Grandparents
    *  Fourth cousins share GGG-Grandparents
    *  Fifth cousins share GGGG-Grandparents
    *  Sixth cousins share GGGGG-Grandparents 

When two individuals are not on the same level (e.g., GG-Grandparents for one person are GGGG-Grandparents for another person), the person closest to the common ancestors (e.g., GG-Grandparents) determines the cousin number (e.g., 3rd cousins).  The number of generations that the two are separated determines the number of removes (e.g., 2 times removed). Thus, if the closest shared ancestors are the GG-Grandparents of someone in your tree but they are your GGGG-Grandparents, then you are 3rd cousins 2 times removed.

My patriot Rebecca Waldron Yates and her husband Johannes Yates are the GGGG-Grandparents of Eleanor Roosevelt.  Rebecca and Johannes are my GGGGGG-Grandparents.  Because Eleanor is closest to our common ancestors, she determines the cousin number (5th cousins).  Because we are separated by two generations, we are 5th cousins 2 times removed. 

   

You Have Taken a DNA Test. 
Now What Do You Do?
 
 

If you have taken a DNA test and are wondering what to do next, watch this interesting video from FamilySearch.  It provides an easy-to-understand overview of reviewing and clustering DNA matches, how to use DNA to support hypothesized parent-child relationships, and how to identify biological parents in cases of unknown parentage (i.e., adoptees). NOTE: The video is divided into 6 segments.  After watching a segment, click the link to the next segment in the box to the left of the video. After clicking the link to the next segment, click the start arrow on the video to start the video.  For an introductory video about DNA and genetic genealogy (e.g., what is DNA, why is DNA valuable, what are the different types of DNA, what is the value of X-DNA, what does each testing company offer, etc.), watch this video.

Ancestry DNA Matches

Ancestry has the largest DNA database with nearly 15 million people.  If you have tested with Ancestry, the first thing to do after you receive notification that your DNA kit has been processed is to link your DNA to yourself on your Ancestry tree.  Many people fail to do this important step, and you will notice this in your DNA matches when it says Unlinked Tree.  (NOTE:  If you do not have a tree on Ancestry, you will need to build one and then link your DNA to yourself on the tree.)

Next, review your DNA matches.  Crista Cowan's video on viewing and organizing your DNA matches is informative.  Crista has a color-coded system for organizing her DNA matches within her Ancestry account.  Another idea is to develop an Excel spreadsheet of your matches.  In my Excel spreadsheet, I list all of my matches that I have identified, and I link them to their Ancestry tree in my spreadsheet.  I also add them to my tree and link them to my tree in the spreadsheet.  For each match, I list the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) that we share, the child of the ancestor in their lineage, how they are related to me (2nd cousin, 3rd cousin once removed, etc.) and the number of centiMorgans (cM) that we share.  (In general, the more cM that you share with a match, the more closely you are related.)

Ancestry's ThruLines

To figure out how your matches might be genetically related to you, use Ancestry's ThruLines.  Ancestry uses a combination of your tree and the tree of your DNA match to offer a suggested relationship.  If gaps remain in those two trees, Ancestry attempts to fill the gaps using the millions of trees in its database.  Thus, the suggested connections should be used WITH CAUTION.  It is very important to gather records to confirm or disprove the connections.  This video explains how to use ThruLines.

Organizing Shared Matches

Once you have identified how some of your matches are related to you, you can use Shared Matches to find matches that are related to you and another known match.  For example, I know that R.H. and I are both descendants of John Hecht and Maria Krueger.  By clicking on Shared Matches, Ancestry lists the matches that share DNA with me and with R.H.  Keep in mind that some of matches in the shared-match list may not share the same DNA with you and your known match.  In other words, some of the matches may be related to you through one line and related to your known match through a different line. 

Develop a coding system for your Ancestry matches using different colors representing each of your 8 great-grandparents (or your 16 great-great grandparents) similar to Crista Cowan's method.  (Video is also linked above).  This is a good strategy for figuring out how matches that do not have trees may be related to you.  Click here for an example.  For instructions on creating color-coded groups for your Ancestry matches, click here.  For another way to visually organize your shared matches, try the Leeds Color Clustering Method. Read these additional articles about using the Leeds Method:  Article 2,  Article 3, and Article 4.

Test Your Close Relatives

Next, consider DNA testing for your living relatives especially older relatives in your parents' or grandparents' generations.  For example, if your father and/or your mother are still living, ask them to test.  If your parents are deceased but their siblings are still living (your aunts and uncles), contact them about testing.  If you do not have any living older relatives, ask your brothers, sisters, and cousins to test.  Ancestry frequently offers their DNA kits at a significant discount.

Downloading Your Raw DNA Data

After testing at Ancestry (or 23andMe), you can download your raw DNA data and upload it to FamilyTreeDNA, GEDmatch, AND MyHeritage FOR FREE.  The benefits of this include: 1) access to matches who have tested at other companies and 2) access to a chromosome browser which shows exactly where you match your relatives on each chromosome (FREE at GEDmatch and a one-time fee of $19.00 at FamilyTreeDNA).  NOTE:  When downloading your raw DNA data file, be sure to access your email account on a computer rather than a phone.  If you access your email on a phone, the raw data will download to your phone.  IMPORTANT:  Leave the downloaded the file as it is (i.e., zipped).  Do NOT unzip the file.  Do NOT change the file name.

Uploading Your DNA Data FOR FREE to FamilyTreeDNA, GEDmatch, and MyHeritage

For instructions on uploading your DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA, 1)  click this link, 2) scroll down the page, and 3) under the heading "How to Transfer Your Autosomal DNA Results" click New Customers.  You should see detailed instructions with images.  After you upload your DNA data and review your FamilyTreeDNA matches, you can pay a one-time fee of $19.00 to unlock the chromosome browser and ethnicity information.  For instructions on this, 1) click this link, 2) scroll down to Frequently Asked Questions, and 3) click the question "How do I unlock the Chromosome Browser, myOrigins, and ancientOrigins?."  If you are a DAR member or a close relative, you can join the NSDAR DNA Project on FamilyTreeDNA. For instructions on finding your DNA matches within the NSDAR DNA Project, click here.  After joining the NSDAR DNA Project, DAR members can join the NSDAR DNA Project Facebook Group.

For instructions on uploading your DNA data to GEDmatch, click this link.  Be sure to write down your kit number at the end of the upload process.  NOTE:  If you are already a GEDmatch user and you have not yet made a decision about whether to Opt-In to law enforcement matching for violent crimes, consider viewing Video 1 and Video 2 for more information.

For instructions on uploading your DNA data to MyHeritage, click this link.

Using FamilyTreeDNA & GEDmatch 

For an introduction to using FamilyTreeDNA's Family Finder tools, watch Video 1 and Video 2.  (NOTE: These videos are several years old.  There is no longer a fee to transfer your DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA. Also, the interface has changed somewhat.)  This article also explains the tools at FamilyTreeDNA.

GEDmatch has a number of tools for finding your cousins and studying your DNA matches.  For information on the One-to-Many tool for viewing your match list, watch this video. After you locate an interesting match, the One-to-One tool provides detailed information about that specific match using a chromosome browser.  For information on how to use the One-to-One tool, watch this video.  A third tool called "People who match both, or 1 of 2 kits" works like "Shared Matches" on Ancestry, but this tool also shows the people that the two matches do NOT share in common.  Watch this video to learn how to use this tool.  Although most people on GEDmatch do not have family trees, there will be trees available for some of your matches.  For instructions on viewing the trees of your matches, click here.

X Matches

Both FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch offer the ability to review your matches on the X chromosome.  Because fathers cannot pass an X chromosome to their sons, the possible ancestors for an X match are more limited. Thus, when trying to determine a common ancestor with someone who matches on the X chromosome, you can immediately rule out a number of your ancestors.  This article explains the unique inheritance pattern of the X chromosome and provides charts for determining possible ancestors for an X match.

Shared cM Project Chart

The DNA testing companies provide information on how much DNA you share with a match in terms of centiMorgans (cM).  A cM is a unit of measure for DNA.  In general, the more DNA you share with a match, the higher the cM number will be and the more closely you will be related.  The Shared cM Project Chart can help you determine a likely relationship between you and a match based on the number of shared cM (e.g., 1st cousin, 2nd cousin twice removed, 3rd cousin, etc.).  For example, I share 220 cM with a match.  The Shared cM Chart indicates the relationship will most likely be in Cluster #5.  The Shared cM Project tool on the DNA Painter site calculates the probable relationship for you based on the total number of shared cM.

Uploading Your Family Tree to FamilyTreeDNA & GEDmatch

Once you have uploaded your DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA and/or GEDmatch, consider also uploading a GEDCOM file of your family tree.  It can be difficult to identify how a match is related to you on FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch because only a portion of the people in these databases have added their trees.  If you have a large tree on Ancestry or in a genealogy software program on your computer, you may want to create another smaller tree with just your direct ancestors for uploading to  FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch (i.e., yourself, your parents, your 4 grandparents, your 8 great-grandparents, etc.).  IMPORTANT:  GEDmatch does NOT remove information on living people.  Before downloading your tree, remove the names of all living people and replace their names with their initials.  Mark them as living and remove their birth dates.  (You can add this information back into your Ancestry tree after you download it.)  If you have a family tree on Ancestry, click this link for instructions on how to download the GEDCOM file of your tree. 

For instructions on uploading a GEDCOM file of your family tree to FamilyTreeDNA, click this link. 

For instructions on uploading a GEDCOM file of your family tree to GEDmatch, click this link.  Once you have uploaded your family tree to GEDmatch, watch this video on how to compare family trees on GEDmatch.

Dealing with Matches With No Family Trees

One of the most frustrating issues concerning DNA is finding a close match that has no family tree.  This presentation from Rootstech offers many excellent suggestions on how to overcome this problem.  When a match has a tree with one or two names, another helpful strategy is to build a "quick and dirty tree."  If you would also like to watch the video recommended in the quick-and-dirty-tree presentation, click here.  NOTE:  This video by Crista Cowan is older than the videos linked above in this article.  The Ancestry interface has changed.
   

Locating Land Records (i.e., Deeds)
to Document Early Generations
 
 

When a will/probate record, county/town history, or vital record is not available, usually a deed is the next record to seek out for evidence of an parent-child relationship.  Most deeds are recorded at the county level.  Microfilms of these records can be ordered from your local Family History Center.

Begin by looking for deeds in the counties where the PARENT resided.  Because some deeds were recorded years after the actual transaction, look for deeds well beyond the time period of the ancestor's residence.  If you do not locate a deed where the parent resided and the child resided in a different county, look for a deed where the child resided.

In the Family History Library Catalog, deed records are categorized under Land and Property.  When researching deeds, it is usually necessary to first order one of the following "master" indexes: 

     * Grantor Index
     * Grantee Index
     * General Index to Deeds

The Grantor is the person giving or selling the property.  The Grantee is the person receiving or buying the property.  Counties usually have BOTH the Grantor and Grantee Indexes (example1 and example2), OR they have a General Index to Deeds (example). 

When both the Grantor and Grantee Indexes are available, I recommend searching both because, through human error, deeds may have been indexed in one but not the other.  NOTE:  Unfortunately, not all counties have a "master" index (example).  Usually when there is no "master" index, the index for each deed book is located either in the front or the back of each book on the microfilm.  

When reviewing the deed index, look for 3 specific types of listings:

     * the parent as Grantor and the child as Grantee
     * the parent as Grantor and any person with the designation of et al.
        as Grantee---especially if they have the same surname
     * any person listed as Grantor with: 1) the surname of interest AND 
        2) the designation of et al.

The term et al. is Latin for "and others."  In the deed index, usually only the first person listed on the deed appears in the index.  An et al. listing in the index may refer to a deed that lists several, or perhaps all, of the children/heirs.  If the et al. listing appears in the Grantor column, it may indicate a deed in which the heirs are selling a piece of property that they inherited from the parent.

If you locate a deed, write down the volume/book, page, and year.  NOTE:  When reviewing the index, it is especially important to make note of the PAGE number so that you do not have to view 500 images to find your deed on the microfilm. 

Once you have the volume/book, page, and year information, you will need to review the particular microfilm containing the deed.  Deeds usually do not state a parent-child relationship.  Thus, other evidence is usually needed in conjunction with the deed to document the parent-child connection.  However, DAR will accept a deed as proof of parentage if the deed uses the key words of "love and affection."

   

Revolutionary War Pension Claims: 
The Best Resource You Are Not Using
   
 

The 80,000 federal Revolutionary War pension claims filed by soldiers, widows, and surviving children contain a great deal of genealogical information.  These claims are available through Ancestry.com and Fold3.com, and they should be routinely checked whenever anyone is seeking to establish a new patriot or to prove a new child of a patriot. 

What Is In a Revolutionary War Pension Claim?

Original Bible records listing the names and birth dates of all the soldier’s children are often contained in these claims.  However, there are several other types of documents in pension files that can establish parent-child relationships: 

1)  Affidavits by one or more children indicating their status as a son or daughter of the soldier

2)  Affidavits by others listing some, or all, of the soldier’s children

3)  Claims filed by the surviving children of the soldier which often list daughters by their married names

4)  An 1820 estate schedule that lists all the people in the soldier’s household by name and age (in essence this is an 1850 census in 1820).

Three Types of Pension Claims

There are 3 types of claims.  Claims designated with an S (for Survivor) were filed by the soldier.  Claims designated with a W (for Widow) were filed by a widow.  If the soldier filed a claim before his death and his widow filed one later, the soldier’s documents will be combined with the widow’s claim under the W designation.  The S claims and the W claims received pensions from the government.  However, claims designated with an R were rejected.  If surviving children filed a claim, their documents will be combined with the S claim, the W claim, or the R claim, whichever claim pertains to them.

How Do I Know if the Revolutionary War Soldier Had a Pension?

That is the big question, and there is no straightforward answer.  Do not rely solely on the DAR Patriot Index as it often does NOT indicate a pension when one actually does exist.  Of course, one strategy would be to check the pensions on Ancestry.com or Fold3.com for every soldier, but that strategy may not always be practical.  Another strategy would be to check my Bible Records Index as I am listing pensions that identify 3 or more children regardless of whether a Bible record is included.

A Little History

It is helpful to know a little about the history of our Revolutionary War pension laws.  For the first time in 1818, soldiers in need of assistance who had served in a Continental military organization (not militia) for 9 months or until the end of the war were eligible for a pension without regard to disabilities.  Prior to 1818, most of the pension acts limited pensions to those disabled during service, and the majority of the early claims were destroyed by fires in 1800 and 1814.  Thus, one might think that a soldier had to live until at least 1818 for a pension claim to exist.  However, if his widow lived a long life, a soldier who died in 1785 could have a pension file with valuable genealogical information.

As a result of the pension act of 1818, the Federal Government was overwhelmed with applications, and many of the approved claims (over 20,000) were for soldiers who were not in financial need.  Thus, in 1820 Congress passed a law that required pensioners to submit a certified schedule of their estate and income.  The genealogical benefit to the 1820 legislation is that pensioners frequently identified all the people living in their household by name and age.

In 1832, Congress opened up pension eligibility to veterans who had served at least 6 months in the militia or state troops.  Over 33,000 soldiers were granted pensions.

In 1836, widows of veterans eligible under the act of 1832 were allowed pensions if they had married the veteran before the expiration of his last period of service.  In 1838, the marriage date was extended to marriages taking place before 1794.  Ten years later the marriage date was extended to marriages before 1800.  Finally, in 1853, Congress removed all restrictions regarding the date of marriage, and widows whose husbands had served at least two weeks were eligible.

Rules of Thumb

Below are the rules of thumb that I use to identify a possible pension for a Revolutionary War patriot.

1)  If a soldier served in the Continental line and lived to 1818, he could have had a pension.

2)  If a soldier served in the militia and lived to 1832, he could have had a pension.

3)  If the final wife of any deceased soldier (Continental line or militia) lived to 1838, she could have had a pension.

Proof of Marriage

The marriage date requirement for widows’ pensions is important for understanding who might have filed a pension and why certain documents were often submitted with a claim.  Widows had to prove their marriage date.  One way to do this was to submit a Bible record that listed the marriage date and/or the birth dates of the children.  Another way was to ask friends, neighbors, or family members to testify that they had first-hand knowledge of the widow’s marriage date and/or birth dates of her children (especially the oldest children). 

From 1838 to 1848, widows had to claim pensions based on marriages that took place before 1794.  Thus, it is common to see widows with multiple marriages claiming pensions for the service of their FIRST husbands even when subsequent husbands also served.  Of course, some widows whose husbands died young never remarried, and they filed pensions some 40-50 years after the soldier’s death.  Thus, many widows’ pensions exist for soldiers who died well before the pension act of 1818. 

   

Notes on Guardianships and Church Records
   
 

Guardianships

When someone with minor children died leaving an estate that required administration or probate, the court appointed a guardian to act in the children’s interests.  If the child was over 14 but under 21, the child could select his/her own guardian.  These records can continue for many years as the guardians appeared in court regularly to report on the administration of their charges financial affairs.  When the child came of age, a final accounting was submitted to the court.  NOTE: The term "infant" refers to any minor under the age of majority (usually 21 for males and 18 for females).  Do not assume that the child is a baby.

Guardianships are usually found with probate records. Sometimes they are within the actual will books along with the wills and other probate records (see Davidson County, TN and example) and sometimes they are organized separately (e.g., see Clinton County, NY).  When reviewing the index, be aware that the guardianship could be listed in one of three different ways.  First, look for the name of the minor child of interest.  Second, look for any guardianship with the surname of interest and the designation of et al.  This means that more than one child is mentioned in the guardianship record, and often only the first child mentioned in the record is listed in the index.  Third, look for the name of the deceased parent.

Church Records

Church records are usually found at the town, township, or city level.  However, you should also check for them at the county level in the Family History Library Catalog. 

In addition to looking for baptisms, marriages, and deaths, pay attention to the membership records.  When a new member transfers into a church, the previous church is usually listed.  Armed with that information, you can then search the records of the previous church.   This might then lead you to the baptismal, marriage, and death records of your ancestor's parents. 

Tips on Documenting Lineages to Quebec Patriots
   
 

Documenting Quebec lineages is often an easy endeavor.  Baptismal records and marriage records (first marriages only) list the parents’ names.  If the marriage is a second or third marriage, the marriage record will list the name of the previous spouse rather the parents.  It will be necessary to work back to the first marriage record for the parents’ names.  Burial records list the age of the deceased and the spouse’s name.  Women keep their maiden names in the records throughout their lives.  Finally, all baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1621 to 1849 in Quebec are indexed at the Programme De Recherche En Demographie Historique aka PRDH.  NOTE:  PRDH is a subscription site, but you can search the records for FREE.

Quebec Catholic church records are available on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.  The Ancestry database for these records is Quebec, Canada Vital & Church Records (Drouin Collection) 1621-1968.  These records are indexed.  However, some of the records are nearly illegible.  If the image on Ancestry is difficult to read, you can browse the images on FamilySearch.  The FamilySearch database for these records is Quebec Catholic Parish Registers 1621-1979.  You will need to know the date and place as these records are NOT indexed.

DAR does NOT need translations of the records as they have genealogists that can read French.  However, you must underline in red all pertinent names, dates, and places.

When documenting places, keep in mind the following: 

* The correct abbreviation for Canada is CD.

* Quebec did not become a Province until 1774.  Places before 1774 should be listed as Parish/City name, CD (e.g., St Vallier, CD).

* From 1774 to 1790, places should be listed as Parish/City name, Quebec, CD (e.g., St Vallier, Quebec, CD).

* Quebec became Lower Canada in 1791.  From 1791 to 1840, places should be listed as Parish/City name, Lower Canada, CD (e.g., St Vallier, Lower Canada, CD).

* Lower Canada became Canada East in 1841.  From 1841 to 1866, places should be listed as Parish/City name, Canada East, CD (e.g., St Vallier, Canada East, CD).

* Canada East became Quebec in 1867.  From 1867 to the present, places should be listed as Parish/City name, Quebec, CD (e.g., St Vallier, Quebec, CD).

When citing Quebec Catholic records on page 3 of an application, I cite them this way for example:

Gen 6:
Baptism, Baptism, & Burial in Quebec Vital & Church Records 1621-1968 on Ancestry
Burial & Marriage in Quebec Catholic Parish Registers 1621-1979 on FamilySearch

Gen 7:
Baptism & Baptism in Quebec Catholic Parish Registers 1621-1979 on FamilySearch
Burial, Burial, 1st Marriage, & 2nd Marriage in Quebec Vital & Church Records 1621-1968 on Ancestry

If you need assistance documenting the lineage or understanding Quebec records, I am happy to help.  Contact me at debduay@yahoo.com.  I will review the Quebec lineage, and attach the baptismal, marriage, and burial records for each generation to my public tree on Ancestry.com.  You can see an example of this for patriot Francois Etienne Nadeau. 

You can find additional help with translating Quebec baptismal records, marriage records and burial records at these links to the Maple Stars and Stripes podcast.  Also, click here for a French genealogical word list, and be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for translations for numbers, dates, and times.
   

Stop Waiting for a Knock at the Door
   
 

Traditionally, DAR chapters have focused on two main groups of prospective members:

1) those with a relative who is already a member

2) those that have researched their own genealogy. 

Yet, these two groups represent a very small percentage of the population that is eligible to join our organization.  Indeed, the vast majority of eligible ladies have NO IDEA of their eligibility. 

In the first 100 years of our organization, documenting one's lineage from a Revolutionary War patriot was often a monumental task that took many years of research to complete.  With the amount of time and effort required to submit an application, most DAR chapters had no choice but to wait for eligible prospective members to approach them.  Today, however, the Internet has completely changed the world of genealogy.  With so many resources available at the touch of our finger tips, it is no longer necessary to wait for prospective members knowledgeable about their ancestry to come calling.  With a few simple websites, it is often easy to find and document the Revolutionary War patriot ancestors hidden in the lineages of women who know very little about their genealogy beyond their grandparents or great-grandparents.

Thus, today we should be taking a much more proactive approach to recruitment than ever before.  Instead of focusing solely on prospective members knowledgeable about their family tree, we should be recruiting interesting women active in other organizations in our communities who have never even thought their genealogy -- much less researched it.  When we meet a woman in the garden club or at church who we believe would be an asset to our chapter, we should be telling her about the DAR and asking her, "Would you be interested in joining the DAR if we can find a Revolutionary War patriot ancestor in your lineage?"  We should avoid asking the more traditional question of  "Are you eligible to join the DAR?" as it automatically limits our potential members to the small percentage of women in the two categories described above.

Of course, this idea of proactively recruiting outstanding women in our communities and essentially serving as their genealogists throughout the research process is a major shift in thinking for many DAR members.  And certainly not everyone will agree with this idea.  For instance, some DAR members may feel that it is still too much work for chapters to take on the responsibility of helping potential members with each and every step in the journey.  Likewise, others may believe that prospective members will not fully appreciate their membership if they have not experienced "the trials and tribulations" of documenting their lineage. 

As for the work load, the short-term effort will yield HUGE long-term benefits by providing chapters with dedicated and skilled members to serve as chapter officers, committee chairman, community fundraisers, and publicity specialists for years to come.  Keep in mind that the idea is to go out in the community and find the women that you WANT and NEED to make your chapter successful.  For those concerned that DAR membership will be taken for granted if the prospective has not "suffered" through the application process, I believe that there is very little reason to worry.  In fact, many of my chapter's most consistent participants are the ladies who never had any idea of their DAR eligibility.

If incorporated gradually, moving from a passive to an active recruitment strategy is actually a fairly easy change.  Start with your current members.  Use the connections that they already have to recruit new members.  Next, join other local organizations such as the women's club, the garden club, or the historical society.  Offer to present a brief genealogy program at one of their meetings.  

When someone indicates interest in the possibility of membership, ask her to write down her name, email address, and phone number.  Explain that you will be sending her a simple, one-page Genealogy Worksheet to complete on her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.  Tell her not to worry if she cannot fill in every name, date, and place.  Even if she only knows her parents and grandparents, that's okay.

If the potential member has an email address, the best way to send her the worksheet is through an email attachment.  This way she can either: 1) type the information into the worksheet using the computer (it's a Word document) and email it back to you, OR 2) print it out, fill it in by hand, and mail it back to you.  If she does not have email, you can mail the worksheet to her.  Click here to download the Genealogy Worksheet.  NOTE:  Be sure to put your name, address, email address, and phone in the "Return To:" box on the worksheet.

Once the Genealogy Worksheet is returned to you, start looking for the easiest-to-prove patriot in her lineage.  For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, watch the 30-minute video "How to Find a Provable Patriot in 90 Minutes or Less."
   
 

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