This is a FREE data base and is open to all searchers who are seeking information on their 1600's Ancestoral family lines. Members and visitors alike will be able to make direct contact with a sources or to learn which Societies have approved various lineages that may be of help to you.
All listings here are of VERIFIED ancestors who have PROVEN lines with
descendants living today EXCEPT the entries under the code HAROLD and a
few posts, in our early days, from nonmembers. Please see below for clarification.
Posts to the Data Base are made only by America's First Families members.
As of January 1, 2001, we no longer are able to accept new posts to the
Data Base from non members. However, anyone may contact the sources listed
therein for data on the listed Ancestor.
PLEASE NOTE. The listings found under code numbers 1-001 to 1-010 are family lines leading back to a listed Ancestor. They are available to Members of the Society as part of their Research Library and provide many generation lines. HOWEVER, the sources have agreed to answer any queries about the Ancestor, their parents when available, their spouse and their children's names and birth dates. Please do not ask the ssources in this section if their posted 1600's Ancestor is related to your Aunt Grace in 1842. They can not even attempt to do that search. These people are all professionals and have much data but, a downward search from the ancestor would consist of too many lines to work through. NEVER start your family search with the immigrants. There are just too many of the same surname, especially with the English lines, to even take a guess who your immigrant ancestor was. Some of these early people will have hundreds of lines.
Before you should even consider who your immigrant ancestor was
you must prove your line, starting with yourself back through each
generation until you reach the immigrant's time period. This method will
keep you within your own family and
it is extremely important that you use primary sources only or a secondary
source that should be confirmed by other secondary
sources.
Much information available on the internet has no solid basis in proven fact. Just because a certain family line has been published either in book form, either recently or through the many family histories from the 19th century, most will be found to contain errors. Take your time and verify everything.......CDs containing family lines as presented by various searchers as such are not proven by the publishers. These are extremely dangerous and should not be taken as proof positive. You will need to prove the statements presented there through your own independent research.
If you run into brick walls and start to leap frog back in time searching
for similar surname ancestors you will run a high risk of
linking into families that are not yours. Always remember that everyone
with your surname is not related to you! Take one
generation at a time and prove it with a primary source or a combination
of secondary sources before you move backward to your next generation.
Ancestor names and spelling is given here as stated in the various records
appearing within a given source. The same Ancestor may appear more than
once and could be spelled differently within the various sources so check
all your varient spellings.
Remember there were no rules for spelling in existance within the 1600s
and the first reliable English Dictionary did not
appear until 1721 so there were many early surnames that were spelled
in different ways. Many of our Ancestors changed
their names when they came to this country for various reasons. Many
early passenger lists were written by people who were
not versed as to how the actual name was spelled and as such contain
many errors.
The Birth & Death dates ie; (1621-1697) are given here also as stated
within the given source and must all be proven to the
best of your ability. Some of these may vary within several sources
including more than one from the same Society. The entry here of IMM means
date immigrated to this country.
The Geographical Area notation is again as stated within the given source
and also could vary. Some gave the Ancestor's
first location in the country, some were given as serving in various
military locations, some listed the location of the death
of the Ancestor. You will need to verify them by primary sources. Needless
to say that some Ancestors lived in several
locations so be sure to keep an open mind.
The HAROLD entries within the Data Base are there by popular request
and are from Mr. Oliver's Virginia publications from the early 1990s.
These are entries from various Virginia sources and are listed as EVENT,
meaning events such as a birth, death. marriage, immigration date, land
records etc. These will place a Colonist at a certain place at a certain
time but, does not guarantee that this Colonist has present day descendants,
although most do.
The SOCIETY LISTINGS are by letter codes such as AFF, DAC, F&P etc. The listings and their code numbers are as follows.
AFF... Sons and Daughters of America's First
Families
AHA .or A&HA.......The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company
of Boston
CAG... The Compendium of American Genealogy.......Not
a Society but, contains much valuable information.
CD... The National Society of The Colonial
Dames of America
CD17... National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century
DAC... National Society Daughters of the American
Colonists
DCC... The Society of the Descendants of the Colonial
Clergy
DCW... National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars
F&P... National Society of Daughters of
Founders and Patriots of America
JS
Jamestowne Society
SCW... National Society Sons of Colonial Wars
WS... The Winthrop Society
When two or more Societies are given, such as DAC/DCW, this means that both Societies have approved lineages for the ancestor. In many cases they each may have several lines on the same immigrant yet each different in content.
The listings within each Society are by no means complete. Many
more listings will be posted as time permits along with other
Societies not as yet represented.
You CAN NOT reach the Societies through the Email Contact Table. You must contact them direct or through their lineage books found in most libraries or through their local offices or representatives throughout the country.
Most Societies operate under Closed Conditions, meaning that in order to join their Society you must be sponsored by a current member of that Society and even that is handled by their local county, city or state offices.
We suggest that you contact those offices first and inquire about their
procedure and fees for locating information on one of their known Ancestors.
You do that by reviewing their lineage books at either their offices or
various genealogical libraries. The Society books will lead you to many
additional surnames connected to your families.
Most of the National Societies do not have a web site. Contact us if
you have any problems.
America's First Families is an Internet National Genealogy Society and is open to anyone who can prove relationship to any male or female Ancestor who were here in this country prior to January 1st 1676/77.
We have several postings here in the 1600s Ancestor Data Base which
is by no means complete. Many more are to be added as time permits. Our
listings are coded as AFF.
Enjoy................Ryan Jackson
Data Base Manager
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