DAR Roster Uncovers Roots of Texas Families

Texans have long been proud of their heritage (some say even inclined to brag about it), and they have been active in the genealogical field for many years--diligently collecting, preserving and publishing records.

This state was settled early by families from Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia. For the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, the Texas Society of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution published an outstanding four-volume work called “The Roster of Texas Daughters’ Revolutionary Ancestors.” Unfortunately, this work is little known outside Texas and has been overlooked by many researchers--probably due to its title.

Texas DAR members descend from Revolutionary ancestors from all areas of Colonial America. “The Roster” is arranged alphabetically by the names of established DAR Patriots (men and women). Genealogical information about the Patriot is included, as well as details about his or her service; names of the children (often including their birth dates and spouses’ names) and the names of the Texas DAR Society members and their national DAR numbers.

While the majority of the Patriots in this outstanding collection have Southern connections, many New England and mid-Atlantic family roots also appear. “The Roster’s” great value is it allows you to discover genealogical data about thousands of Patriots and their extended families. It will help to establish (or eliminate) potential Revolutionary ancestors, to untangle a pedigree or to determine the identity of ancestors with the same given names or with common surnames. Many of these DAR lines were established from Bible and family records that may no longer exist.

Additional research in the DAR Library’s records may provide you with the proof you need to identify your ancestor. Evidence in these records often provides clues to continue research in primary records. Once you find a Patriot in this collection, check the DAR Patriot Indexes (available in many libraries) to see if a pension was paid. If so, you will want to obtain a copy of the pension documents from National Archives.

If no pension is shown, you should double-check just to be sure, or send for the military papers to learn more about your ancestor’s participation in the Revolutionary War. However, many Patriots provided wagons, horses, food, and other supplies for the American forces or served as an official in some governmental capacity outside the military.

The four-volume set of “The Roster” is large, beautifully printed and arranged. Each volume contains about 550 pages--a valuable addition to a genealogical library’s collection. The set is available from Southern Historical Press, P.O. Box 738, Easley, S.C. 29641-0738 for $154 (postpaid). Individual volumes may also be purchased for $40 each (postpaid). Volume 1 includes Patriots with surnames from A-C; Volume 2, D-H; Volume 3, I-Q, and Volume 4, R-Z.

“Genealogies of Texas Families: Biographical Notes of Pioneer Settlers” is a new 400-page book containing information on many families. A collection of brief histories of pre-1900 residents, it includes information about families whose ancestors were cowboys, farmers, Confederate veterans or immigrants from the old countries. Arranged alphabetically, most biographies or genealogies run one to three pages in length, followed by the name and address of the submitter. Some photographs of pioneers are included.

The book is available for $37.50 (postpaid) from Datatrace Systems, P.O. Box 1587, Stephenville, Tex. 76401. You may obtain a complete list of the surnames appearing in the book (which usually includes the surnames of related families as well as areas of residence) by sending a No. 10 self-addressed stamped envelope to the publisher. James Pylant, the editor/compiler of this book, also edits American Genealogy Magazine (a quarterly available for $10 per year) available from Datatrace Systems at the above address.