qualifying service

Joining the Dames on an ancestor from Nantucket?

To join the Colonial Dames, you have to be descended from an ancestor that fulfilled a certain role or held a certain position. For two out of the three Dames societies, the roles and positions considered to make an ancestor “eligible” depend on the ancestor’s colony of residence. If your ancestor is from Nantucket, thingsContinueContinue reading “Joining the Dames on an ancestor from Nantucket?”

A Revolutionary War spy in Connecticut?

If your family has a story of an ancestor serving as a spy in Revolutionary War Connecticut, there is a source that can help you learn more. Mark Allen Baker’s Spies of Revolutionary Connecticut: From Benedict Arnold to Nathan Hale was published by the History Press in 2014. The text starts by outlining the basicsContinueContinue reading “A Revolutionary War spy in Connecticut?”

Did Connecticut issue bounty land for Revolutionary War service?

Enjoy a final great question from our inaugural “Tracing Connecticut Revolutionary War ‘patriots'” program. First of all, what’s bounty land? This finding aid from NARA offers a great brief description. In short, bounty land was a right to “public” land (owned by the state or federal government). It was issued to Revolutionary War veterans asContinueContinue reading “Did Connecticut issue bounty land for Revolutionary War service?”

Did Connecticut pay state Revolutionary War pensions?

Another great question from our Revolutionary War program! While some states – most notably Virginia – paid state level pensions to increase participation in the American Revolution, Connecticut did not. If your ancestor were to receive a pension for his military service from Connecticut during the American Revolution, it was paid by the federal government.ContinueContinue reading “Did Connecticut pay state Revolutionary War pensions?”

Did Connecticut pay supply taxes during the American Revolution? And did paying them qualify my ancestor for DAR or SAR?

Updated 10 May 2023: While some colonies (now states) had multiple taxes that were gathered specifically in support of the War, only one has been identified in Connecticut. During most of the War, Connecticut towns gathered taxes for the running of government as they always had. In some cases, they allocated a specific portion forContinueContinue reading “Did Connecticut pay supply taxes during the American Revolution? And did paying them qualify my ancestor for DAR or SAR?”