MEMBERSHIP

When you become a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (SMDRI), established in 1901, you also become a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD), established in 1897. 

To become a member, you must prove that you are a descendant of one or more of the passengers aboard the Mayflower, the ship that landed in Plymouth, New England, in December of 1620. The fifty-one Mayflower passengers known to have descendants living today are: 

Benefits

Benefits of Membership Include: learning about your family history as well as about the broader historical context of your ancestors; having your relevent genealogical records recorded and safely preserved by the Rhode Island Society as well as by the General Society, in Plymouth; contributing to the perpetuation of the memory of our ancestors and adding to what is known about them; the opportunity to attend meetings and events featuring special guest speakers & guides; becoming acquainted with others with whom a common heritage is shared; opportunities for travel to places of historical interest as organized by the General Society; learning from the General Society's recorded Lecture Series; and the opportunity to contribute to the strength of the Society as a member of the Board of Assistants or as part of a committee. Members also receive the General Society publication "The Mayflower Quarterly" and may enjoy free use of the General Society library, in Plymouth.

Establishing a Mayflower Lineage

Proving a Mayflower lineage can be challenging. It is a substantial undertaking to compile documentation that proves a line stretching from 1620 to the present. To establish a Mayflower lineage, complete documentation is required for both the line-carrying ancestor and the other parent. The line is to be supported by primary source evidence that clearly proves the connections between the generations. 

When, after a reasonable search, birth, marriage and death records cannot be found, various secondary and circumstantial evidence sources, including probate, land, military and census records, etc., can be combined to support the lineage. Please see the Sources page for details on The Mayflower Society's source criteria.

Documentation Assistance from our Historians

Like every member society, SMDRI has volunteer "historians" who are tasked with helping each applicant prepare their application for submission to Plymouth for verification and approval. They are not only experts in getting all the information in the approved format, but are willing to help with finding elusive documents and sometimes write proof arguments pulling a set of non-primary documentation together to prove a step in the lineage. There will always be some documents that you will need to obtain yourself, especially for more recent generations, and you should be aware that there are often fees for these. The historian can help you figure out who to contact to get these.