Do you have any Revolutionary War Patriots in your family?

 

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) public website has a wealth of resources for you to discover potential patriots.

(1) Ancestor Search https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=1

Try searching on Livingston for last name, and Robert for first name.

Scroll down and click on Robert Henry Livingston (1760-1804) as an example.

Now try searches for couples in your direct line that may have service. For common surnames, it's helpful to also include spouse's name in your search. Also you can search using only the first 3-4 letters of a surname since spellings can vary.

(2) Descendants Search https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=5

Try searching on Washington for last name, Martha for first name, and VA for state of birth.

Do you see Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731-1802) on the list?

Now try searches for your relatives who may have joined DAR already.

(3) Library Catalog -  https://nsdar.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01DAR_INST:DAR

This link has some helpful finding aids - See Revolutionary War Service (By State) as an example at: https://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/RevWarService.pdf

Happy exploring. Share your successes and/or add a question (in the comments field for this blogpost) to learn more.

September Genealogy News

Citations

 "The Main Citation Types" video by Lisa Stokes is available on  YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lNAFj_jWU She also offers a free Master Citation Template Starter Kit on her website https://lisa-stokes-heritage-research.kit.com/master-citation-template

New York State Death Index

NYB&G has a image browse-only collection of official Department of Health death index records for every county in New York State (excluding New York City, Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers until around 1915), covering the years 1880-1956. https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/online-records/collection/new-york-state-death-index

For more recent deaths, researchers should use New York State's Interactive Ancestry/Genealogical Research Death Index, which begins in 1957 and contains deaths up to 1974. https://health.data.ny.gov/stories/s/Interactive-Ancestry-Genealogical-Research-Death-I/x83h-k5ey

Railroad Maps, 1828 to 1900

The Library of Congress has images of  635 railroad maps on its website. Our ancestors traveled on railroads and possibly settled near the railroad. https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900

RootsMagic 11

RootsMagic 11 is available and on sale until September 30th. New Users $29.95 and Upgrades $19.95 - that's $10 off. Improvements include a clearer, more comfortable workspace, a life story at a glance, better editing and a new sources view, better searching, and an AI prompt builder. https://www.rootsmagic.com/rootsmagic/buy

Dallas Genealogical Society Fall Seminar

DGS presents "Strategies for DNA Breakthroughs" with Kelli Bergheimer on October 25, 2025.  Information is available on their website https://dallasgenealogy.org/meetings-events/2025-fall-seminar/

TxSGS Live

Texas State Genealogical Society presents "Deep In The Heart" on Friday and Saturday, November 7-8, 2025. Ten live sessions featuring nationally recognized speakers on the two live days are paired with 20+ recorded lectures that you can watch at your convenience through February 6, 2026.

Speakers and Topics https://www.txsgs.org/2025-txsgs-conference-speakers-and-topics/

Registration https://www.txsgs.org/2025-conference-registration/

DAR Annual Reports to the Smithsonian Institution

When the Daughters of the American Revolution was incorporated in 1896, it was required to submit an annual report to the Smithsonian Institution. The reports are available on the DAR website. Records for female ancestors are often hard to find. If you have an ancestor who was an officer of the DAR they will be listed. These reports also include projects the group worked on.   https://www.dar.org/collections/archives/smithsonian-report

John Grenham - Griffiths Valuation New Features

When you choose a surname you see the results for all of Ireland. You can add a county and or parish, and you can now drill down in Griffith's Valuation to the townland level. This might help locate your ancestors in Ireland. https://www.johngrenham.com/blog/2025/09/17/the-greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread/