Rensselaer County, NY GenWeb site

Rensselaer County, NY GenWeb site - Lineage Societies

National Lineage Societies
and Their Local Chapters

This page was last updated 17 Jul 2014

The following is a list of the various lineage societies in the USA that have websites and are potentially relevant to Rensselaer County, NY. These are organizations that restrict their membership to men, women or both who can document their genealogical descent from a specific qualifying person, such as an early settler, a passenger on a ship, or a soldier or other patriot who participated in a particular war. If you know of a lineage organization relevant to Rensselaer County that is not listed here, you are welcome to email me to request being added below.

A number of you, having discovered an ancestor's grave with a GAR marker on it, have asked me about the Grand Army of the Republic organization. This was formed in 1866 in Illinois but soon took on national proportions. Because membership was restricted to men who had themselves actually served on the Union side in the US Civil War, the GAR was always going to have a finite lifespan. It boasted 409,489 members in its prime, in 1890. The GAR ceased to exist in 1956, when the last surviving member died at age 109. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) describes itself as the successor organization to the GAR; see the SUVCW entries below.

National Headquarters

Name and Website	Abbreviation	Gender
Colonial Dames of America	CDA	female only
Colonial Dames XVII Century	CD17	female only
Daughters of the American Colonists	NSDAC	female only
Daughters of the American Revolution	DAR	female only
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War	DUVCW	female only
Dutch Settlers Society	.	both male and female
General Society of Colonial Wars	GSCW	male only
General Society of Mayflower Descendants	GSMD	both male and female
General Society of the War of 1812	GSW1812	male only
Holland Society of New York	.	male only
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic	LGAR	female only
National Huguenot Society	HS	both male and female
Society of the Cincinnati	.	male only
Society of Daughters of Holland Dames	.	female only
Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims	SDP	both male and female
Sons of the American Colonists	SAC	male only
Sons of the American Revolution	SAR	male only
Sons of Mexican Border Veterans of 1916	SMBV1916	male only
Sons of Spanish-American War Veterans	SSAWV	male only
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War	SUVCW	male only
US Daughters of 1812	USD1812	female only

State Chapters

Name Parent Gender

Department of New York, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War SUVCW male only
Empire State Society, Sons of the American Revolution SAR male only
Huguenot Historical Society . both male and female
National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York CDA female only
NY Department, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War DUVCW female only
NY State Chapter, Sons of 1812 (has no website) Sons of 1812 male only
NY State Organization, NSDAR DAR female only
New York State Society of the Cincinnati . male only
Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York. This link is broken.
If you have a current URL for this organization, please contact Debby Masterson. GSCW male only
Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of New York GSMD both male and female
State of New York Society, US Daughters of 1812 USD1812 female only
Society of the Second War with Great Britain in the State of New York
(The New York State Society of the General Society of the War of 1812) GSW1812 male only

Name	Parent	Gender
Department of New York, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War	SUVCW	male only
Empire State Society, Sons of the American Revolution	SAR	male only
Huguenot Historical Society	.	both male and female
National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York	CDA	female only
NY Department, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War	DUVCW	female only
NY State Chapter, Sons of 1812 (has no website)	Sons of 1812	male only
NY State Organization, NSDAR	DAR	female only
New York State Society of the Cincinnati	.	male only
Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York. This link is broken. If you have a current URL for this organization, please contact Debby Masterson.	GSCW	male only
Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of New York	GSMD	both male and female
State of New York Society, US Daughters of 1812	USD1812	female only
Society of the Second War with Great Britain in the State of New York (The New York State Society of the General Society of the War of 1812)	GSW1812	male only

Local Chapters

Chapter Name Parent Gender

Albany Colony, General Society of Mayflower Descendants GSMD both male and female
Col. George L. Willard Camp #154, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War SUVCW male only
Fort Crailo Chapter, NSDAR, Rensselaer, NY DAR female only
Joseph Melvin Leonard Camp No. 168, Sons of Spanish-American War Veterans SSAWV male only
Lt. Colonel John E. Wool Chapter, Sons of the War of 1812, Troy, NY Sons of 1812 male only
Major George Armistead Chapter, Charter #419, US Daughters of 1812 USD1812 female only
Patroons Chapter, Holland Society of New York . male only
Saratoga Battle Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution SAR male only
Van Rensselaer Chapter, NSDAR, Troy, NY DAR female only
Watervliet Arsenal Fort No. 168, Watervliet, NY, Daughters of '98, "Fort At Large" SSAWV female only

Chapter Name	Parent	Gender
Albany Colony, General Society of Mayflower Descendants	GSMD	both male and female
Col. George L. Willard Camp #154, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War	SUVCW	male only
Fort Crailo Chapter, NSDAR, Rensselaer, NY	DAR	female only
Joseph Melvin Leonard Camp No. 168, Sons of Spanish-American War Veterans	SSAWV	male only
Lt. Colonel John E. Wool Chapter, Sons of the War of 1812, Troy, NY	Sons of 1812	male only
Major George Armistead Chapter, Charter #419, US Daughters of 1812	USD1812	female only
Patroons Chapter, Holland Society of New York	.	male only
Saratoga Battle Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution	SAR	male only
Van Rensselaer Chapter, NSDAR, Troy, NY	DAR	female only
Watervliet Arsenal Fort No. 168, Watervliet, NY, Daughters of '98, "Fort At Large"	SSAWV	female only

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Debby Masterson

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