What’s a “real daughter”?

Lineage societies sometimes seem to speak their own language – and the Daughters of the American Revolution are no exception. Members are often referred to as daughters. So what’s a “real daughter”?

A real daughter is exactly what you’d expect. A real daughter is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution who was a biological daughter of a DAR qualifying ancestor. Some may have been the product of a younger soldier’s first marriage. Many were likely the product of a second or later marriage, some even born in the mid-1800s. As in other wars, the steady income of a Revolutionary War pension may have provided an incentive for a younger woman to marry a soldier. When the daughters of these relationships joined the DAR as adults, they were called “real daughters” as opposed to those who were actually granddaughters, great-granddaughters, and great-great-granddaughters.

Published by Bryna O'Sullivan

Proprietor of Charter Oak Genealogy, Bryna O'Sullivan specializes in assisting clients with lineage society applications and with French to English genealogical translations.

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