Famous Ancestors
- Leslie Ryan
- Jul 23
- 3 min read
Do you have famous ancestors? It's fun to look and see if you have a famous cousin, isn't it?
Sometimes I remember back to the 80's when everyone was obsessed with being a reincarnation of someone like Marie Antoinette or Joan of Arc in a past life. Oprah's Book Club covered Shirley MacLaine's book about her past lives, "I'm All Over That" (link below).
There is no known way yet to prove the validity of reincarnation, but a good genealogist knows you have to have documentation to prove you are descended from George Washington for example, right?
As we approach the end of America's 250th birthday month, it seems a good time to share with you the link to site of The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution we can look to see if someone has already proven descent from a common ancestor. They boast of having over 7,100,000 names!
You can do a FREE search by the Patriot's name or their spouse's name and all you need to add is their State of birth.
This will bring up a listing of all of the people who have provided documentation of their family from the 1700's to present date. Clicking on the icon there will bring up a list of Patriots you can scan through to look for your match's proof. Please note that the documentation is not visible on the site, but you can get clues as to where to look! They do have a fine print disclaimer:
This listing does not constitute proof of lineage. The databases contain DAR proprietary information which should under no circumstances be redistributed to others, assembled, reproduced, published, or posted in any form whatsoever with the exception of the following: (i) DAR membership and supplemental applications; (ii) citation in genealogical scholarship; and (iii) citing a DAR patriot name and number in publications and on third party websites. |
I rediscovered this site this week while researching a very extensive family. At Ancestry there are over 100 trees with DNA matches that show my new friend is descended from "John Milton" (name changed to protect the innocent). The only problem is, there is not one shred of evidence to prove this. Keeping in mind that the first Census was in 1790, full family names were not cited until 1850, and many records in the South of the US were lost in the Civil War, researching a Revolutionary War patriot is quite challenging!
It looks like most of my friend's matching trees were copied. When you look at the matching trees Ancestry or FamilySearch will tell you how many documents are attached. The number one Genealogy Commandment should be "Thou shalt not copy undocumented trees!"
Sadly, just because you have DNA matches does NOT guarantee you are descended from George Washington, and wishing does not make it so.
You share DNA with your matches, but the amount of DNA you share with your famous ancestor that far back will be miniscule.
I'll keep on looking for John Milton's ties to this tree, because solving genealogy mysteries is what I really enjoy. And the success of putting that missing piece in the puzzle is so rewarding! I found this quote this week about puzzle solving, "(they...solved the puzzle simply because they found it gratifying to solve puzzles. They enjoyed it. The joy of the task was its own reward.” - Daniel H. Pink, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
How's your tree coming? If you would like a little help, I'll be glad to do a FREE check of your brick wall to see if I can get you unstuck. Just send me an email to the address below.
Hope you are staying cool and hydrated,
Leslie Ryan
No compensation is received for any links or referrals herein,
No copyright infringement is intended.
DAR Ancestor lookup site:
Oprah's Book Club link about Shirley MacLaine's prior lives
