Photo courtesy WLTW archives
Join the Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter, NSDAR, and share a love of American history, patriotism, and genealogy with women all over the world
Photo courtesy of Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk, NSDAR, Archives
Who we are:
Our members have diverse backgrounds and interests with a common bond of an American Revolutionary War Patriot. The Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter, NSDAR, is a non-profit, non-political women’s volunteer service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, patriotism, and honoring the Patriots of the American Revolutionary War.
Our chapter members share a love of American history, researching genealogy, and participating in patriotic commemorative events.
Who can join?
Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence is eligible to join the DAR. She must provide documentation for each statement of birth, marriage, and death, as well as of the Revolutionary War service of her Patriot ancestor.
Photo courtesy of Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk, NSDAR, Archives
Chapter membership steps
Volunteers in our chapter can provide assistance and guidance with the application process including genealogical research and identifying your Patriot.
Identify your Patriot ancestor
In applying for DAR membership, women must document their lineage back to an ancestor who aided the cause of American independence. These efforts may come through military, civil, or patriotic service.
The American Revolutionary War lasted for eight years, beginning with the battle between local Massachusetts militia and British troops at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775, and ending with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. If your family tree in America extends back to this time period, it is likely you can find an ancestor who had service related to the American Revolutionary War effort.
One of the best places to start your search for your American Revolutionary War Patriot is online. Data bases such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch provide good information for genealogical research, but keep in mind not all information is accurate and will need to be proven with documentation.
Starting with your parents, work back to the 18th century and trace any direct bloodline ancestors living in the original 13 colonies. Once you reach the American Revolutionary War period, look for direct ancestors who were living in 1775-1776. Anyone meeting these criteria might be an American Revolutionary War Patriot ancestor.
Do you have a Patriot in mind? See if your ancestor’s service has already been verified by the DAR by using the links below.
Trace your lineage
Once you have identified your Patriot, you will need to trace your direct lineage with documentation.
Members of the Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter, NSDAR, share a common interest in historical research and ancestral lineage discovery. Genealogy skill levels vary considerably from novice to professional. Joining our chapter does not require an interest in genealogy, but it helps to have some knowledge of one’s ancestry. At the very least, you will need to gather documents for yourself, your parents, grandparents, and possibly great-grandparents.
Start with a simple pedigree or genealogy chart and fill it out with all the information you have. Speak with relatives, look online, and visit libraries and archives for county and state records.
What kinds of documents should you look for in your search? Birth, death, marriage certificates, census records, and other official documents are some of the ways to prove lineage.
Our chapter has volunteers who can assist you with your research. Feel free to contact us to get started.
In addition to the resources above, the DAR national site provides a genealogical research system which can assist in finding already proven descendants of proven Patriots.
Complete and submit your application
Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter, NSDAR, has an officer called a registrar. The registrar is available to help you locate, gather, and document your lineage back to your Patriot. The registrar has been trained to assist you with Patriot identification, proving lineage, and filling out and submitting your application.
Once you have a proven Patriot and your line of descent, you will need to gather documentation for “proof pages.” Proof pages are made up of birth, death, and marriage certificates, census pages, and other verifiable documents that back up your generations lineage to your Patriot. These pages are arranged in a specific manner and attached to your application.
After your proof pages have been completed and reviewed, an application form is filled out. The application is submitted to the NSDAR by you, the chapter’s regent, and registrar. At the time of submission, the registrar will see that these papers are in the proper form before being sent.
Is someone in your family already a member? The Legacy program is a way for prospective members to take the easiest path to becoming a member by connecting to a mother, sister, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, niece, aunt, or first cousin. In most cases, applications will be verified upon first review and the applicant will need to prove no more than three generations. Our chapter registrar can help determine if a legacy option is for you.
Create proof pages for individuals in your lineage
- Fill out the DAR application
- Submit to the DAR with your registrar and regent
We are here to help. Volunteers in our chapter can provide assistance and guidance with the application process including genealogical research, identifying your Patriot, and organizing and completing your proof pages and application.
All photos courtesy of Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk, NSDAR, Archives
