Daughters of the Revolution 1776

This database consists of an index of all of the applications submitted by prospective members of the National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution of 1776. These applications include the direct genealogical descent from the patriot to the applicant, as well as a description of the patriot’s service.

We have provided a printable form to request a copy of an application from the Suffolk County Historical Society. When requesting a copy of the original application, please carefully copy to the request form all the information from the search Results pertaining to your desired application, and mail it along with the $10.00 fee and a SASE to the address on the request form.  Enclosing a copy of the Printable Version of the Results page will help insure  the request information is accurate.

The National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution of 1776 was founded by Mrs. Flora Adams Darling, October 11, 1890. It was organized August 20, 1891 and incorporated under the laws of the State of New York as an organization national in its work and purpose. (The article in the SCHS newsletter states the organization date as November 11, 1891)

It was founded to provide a society whose terms of membership would be based upon direct descent from Revolutionary War soldiers and statesmen of the Revolution; a distinction from the terms of the N.S.D.A.R., which at that time allowed admission to membership based on collateral claims (which terms are now long since removed by the N.S.D.A.R.).

The Society was governed by a system of State Societies and local Chapters. A State Society could be organized wherever there are at least twenty members residing within the State, and a local Chapter could be formed by five members living in the same locality. The State membership included all members of local Chapters formed in the State.

The objectives of the Society as stated in the Constitution were: "To perpetuate the patriotic spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence; to commemorate prominent events connected with the War of the Revolution; to collect, publish and preserve the rolls, records and historic documents relating to that period; to encourage the study of the country's history, and to promote sentiments of friendship and common interest among the members of the Society."

The requirements for membership, as stated in the application, were as follows:

“A woman may be eligible to membership in the Society who is above the age of eighteen years, and is descended from an ancestor who assisted in establishing American Independence during the War of the Revolution, either as a military or naval officer, a soldier or a sailor; an official in the service of any of the thirteen original Colonies or of the United Colonies or States or of Vermont; a member of a committee of Correspondence or of Public Safety, or a recognized patriot who rendered material service in the cause of American Independence.”

"The Junior Sons and Daughters of the Revolution was organized in 1897 as an auxiliary of the General Society Daughters of the Revolution.  The object is to interest its members in the history of our country, to inspire them with love for the flag and for what it stands, and to aid in preparing them for useful citizenship.  Membership in the organization is open to the children of members of patriotic societies and also to children of non-members, but who are eligible through Revolutionary ancestry."

The society disbanded in 1983, and all of the records of the national society were donated to the Suffolk County Historical Society, in Riverhead, New York.

For more information about the D.O.R. and its founder, see:

http://www.genealogycenter.info/military/revolution/search_daurevmag.php

http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/moffitt/moffitt.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/151736/Flora-Adams-Darling

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adams-7

For more information about the Suffolk County Historical Society, see:

http://www.suffolkcountyhistoricalsociety.org/

To search National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution of 1776 Database

 This project was coordinated by Ms. Dale Realander. If you would like to contribute time to other current Heritage Preservation projects, please contact Ms. Realander.

 The German Genealogy Group wishes to thank the following for their help and participation in the Daughters of the Revolution project:

We would like to thank the staff of the Suffolk County Historical Society for their assistance in this project, especially: Wallace W. Broege, Director; Edward H.L. Smith, III (Ned), Librarian; and Diane F. Perry, Administrative Assistant.