Category Archives: Sources of Service

Why was this source created?: Knowing the history can help your research

When we first start researching, we’re often so delighted to find an ancestor listed in a source that we may not do much in the way of source analysis. If you’ve ever found an ancestor on a list of Revolutionary War veterans or a Mayflower passenger listed on a family tree, you probably know thisContinueContinue reading “Why was this source created?: Knowing the history can help your research”

What’s the militia, and why does it matter?

In discussing lineage society applications, we often talk about militia service. The institution such a part of the colonial period no longer exists today. But what was it, and why does it matter? In the British colonies, the militia was the standing defensive force for a community. Service was required of men of a certainContinueContinue reading “What’s the militia, and why does it matter?”

Are the SAR applications on Ancestry usable as proof?

Older Sons of the American Revolution applications are available on Ancestry as part of the “U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970” collection. It can be tempting to take these applications as evidence of an accurate lineage and even to try to use them as the basis of future SAR applications. After, they’veContinueContinue reading “Are the SAR applications on Ancestry usable as proof?”

Is that service right?: Militia Elections

The presence of multiple men of the same name in your ancestor’s community can make confirming Revolutionary War service challenging. How do you know that it was your ancestor who served and not the other man of the same name? Learning how the militia functioned in your state can help. In New England, militia officersContinueContinue reading “Is that service right?: Militia Elections”