Society of Colonial Wars: Purpose and Eligibility
The Society of Colonial Wars is a hereditary lineage organization operating in the United States that restricts membership to men who can document lineal descent from an ancestor who served in a qualifying military, civil, or governmental capacity during the colonial period. This page covers the Society's organizational purpose, its eligibility structure, the evidence standards applicants must meet, and the boundaries that distinguish qualifying service from non-qualifying ancestry. Understanding these distinctions is essential for any researcher or prospective member navigating the application process.
Definition and scope
The Society of Colonial Wars was founded in 1892 and is structured as a national organization composed of autonomous state societies, each chartered under the General Society of Colonial Wars (General Society of Colonial Wars). Its purpose is to commemorate and preserve the history of military and governmental service rendered during the colonial period of North American history — specifically the period from the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 through April 19, 1775, the date recognized as the opening of the American Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord.
The Society occupies a distinct position within the landscape of colonial-era lineage societies. Unlike organizations focused on a single founding event or migration (such as the Mayflower Society), the Society of Colonial Wars spans 168 years of pre-Revolutionary colonial history, accommodating a wide range of qualifying ancestors across military campaigns, legislative bodies, and provincial administrations.
The national body coordinates standards, maintains records, and publishes the Register of the General Society of Colonial Wars, which documents approved lineages and serves as the primary reference for verified ancestral service. State societies — operating in states including New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Illinois — conduct their own application reviews within the framework established by the General Society.
How it works
Membership in the Society of Colonial Wars follows a structured application process governed by genealogical documentation standards. The process unfolds in the following phases:
- Identification of a qualifying ancestor — The applicant identifies a male ancestor who held a qualifying position of military or civil service between 1607 and April 19, 1775.
- Documentation of the lineal descent chain — Every generational link from the qualifying ancestor to the applicant must be established through primary or secondary genealogical evidence.
- Assembly of supporting records — Vital records (birth, marriage, death), military muster rolls, provincial assembly records, church registers, and land records are compiled to substantiate each link.
- Submission to a state society — The application is filed with the appropriate state society, which assigns a genealogist to review the evidence chain.
- Review and approval — The state society's genealogist and governing board assess the application; approved lineages are forwarded to the General Society for registration.
- Payment of dues and formal admission — Upon approval at both levels, the applicant is admitted and the lineage is formally enrolled.
The proof standard requires documentation of each generational step — not simply proof of the qualifying ancestor's existence. This distinguishes the Society's requirements from more permissive hereditary organizations and aligns its process with the Genealogical Proof Standard published by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), which requires a reasonably exhaustive search, accurate source citations, analysis of evidence, and resolution of conflicting evidence.
For guidance on the types of records used to satisfy each step, the documentation required for lineage society resource covers primary record categories and their relative evidentiary weight.
Common scenarios
Three common scenarios illustrate how the eligibility rules operate in practice.
Ancestor who held provincial legislative office. A man whose ancestor served as a member of a colonial provincial assembly — such as the Virginia House of Burgesses or the Massachusetts Bay General Court — between 1607 and 1775 may use that civil service as the qualifying event. The ancestor need not have held military rank. Documentary evidence would typically include colonial legislative journals or provincial records held at the relevant state archives.
Ancestor who served in a colonial militia campaign. Military service qualifying events include participation in conflicts such as King Philip's War (1675–1676), Queen Anne's War (1702–1713), the French and Indian War (1754–1763), and other recognized colonial military actions. Muster rolls, pay records, and pension files held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and state archives are the primary evidentiary sources for military service.
Ancestor who held a commissioned civil appointment. Governors, lieutenant governors, judges of colonial courts, sheriffs, and commissioned officers of provincial governments qualify under the civil-service category. Researchers pursuing this path frequently consult published colonial records series and the holdings of the relevant state historical societies.
Decision boundaries
The Society of Colonial Wars draws precise eligibility lines that exclude certain categories of ancestry despite close proximity to qualifying service.
Male-line descent requirement vs. membership scope. Membership is open to men only, but the qualifying ancestor does not need to be on the paternal line. A man may qualify through a female ancestor at any point in the descent chain — for example, through a maternal great-great-grandmother whose father held qualifying colonial service. This contrasts with societies that require strict patrilineal or matrilineal descent.
Colonial period boundary: 1607–April 19, 1775. Service that began after April 19, 1775 — even if continuous with colonial military structures — does not qualify. An ancestor who served in a colonial militia until 1774 and then continued service into the Revolutionary War period would have qualifying service only for the pre-1775 portion. This is the hard cutoff that separates the Society of Colonial Wars from organizations like the Sons of the American Revolution, which begins its qualifying period precisely where the Society of Colonial Wars ends.
Civil vs. religious service. Holding a position as a minister or church official during the colonial period does not independently qualify under the Society's rules unless the individual also held a concurrent civil or military commission. This boundary is relevant because many colonial-era figures held both ecclesiastical and civic roles, and researchers must confirm the civil or military dimension specifically.
Dual membership. Men who qualify under both the Society of Colonial Wars and a Revolutionary War society — such as the Sons of the American Revolution — may hold simultaneous membership in both, as the organizations serve distinct commemorative periods. The dual membership in multiple lineage societies page addresses the procedural considerations involved.
For researchers beginning the process of establishing lineal descent, the broader reference landscape of lineage society membership provides context on how the Society of Colonial Wars fits within the national hereditary society framework.