First Families Application

Lawrence County Genealogical Society Annual deadline for submission to be honored at First Families Chairman that years banquet, is the first Tues, in Sept. PO Box 1035 Proctorville, OH 45669-1035 OBJECTIVES OF -- FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO The prime objectives of THE FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO is to identify and honor the memory of those who settled in LAWRENCE COUNTY by Dec. 31, 1840, and to show the proved settler's lasting mark on the County they helped to settle. The research and work necessary to discovering the settlers and their descendants is to promote and encourage interest in the people who contributed in any way - great or small - to the establishing of LAWRENCE COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO, and its customs, culture, genealogy, and history. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO Only members of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society may apply for membership in the First Families of Lawrence County. You may join by filling out a membership form, and mailing it and your dues with your First Families application and fee to the address at top of this page. Applicants must fill in First Family of Lawrence County application, showing their Lawrence County Ancestor(s), listing their line of descent from the applicant back to the ancestor(s), proving each line of descent with acceptable documents. The ancestor must have been a resident of Lawrence County by Dec. 31, 1840. Proof may not be omitted for any step. Copies of documents must be (1) Copy machine, photo or other facsimiles of the original document: or (2) EXACT copies of the original document, certified as TRUE COPIES by the Courthouse official, Genealogical librarian or other official. EACH PROOF MUST SHOW IT'S SOURCE. The application and documents must be accompanied by a NON-REFUNDABLE $15.00 (one time only) application fee, which covers as many ancestors as can be proven, either at the time of first application or later as supplements. First Families of Lawrence County applications may be legibly hand written, printed, typed, or computer generated. The FFLC committee will review the application and proof of lineage. The applicant will be notified of acceptance or the need of further information. If further information is needed, the application will remain inactive until the requested information is received by the committee. Basic Rules of Evidence For First Families of Lawrence County, Ohio The nature and extent of the evidence submitted as proof in this application shall be sufficient to prove that the applicant is directly descended from the pioneer ancestor(s) named in paragraph "E" of the First Families of Lawrence County application, and sufficient to differentiate between any two persons of the same name residing in the same area at the same time. The evidence must also plainly show that the ancestor(s) were residing in the area which is now Lawrence County, OH by Dec. 31, 1840. Residence does not have to permanent or continuous. 1. Primary or collateral evidence from vital statistics, court house or other Government Records, Church and School records, etc., are considered usually to be beyond doubt, and excellent proof. 2. Secondary evidence, such as census records, newspaper clippings, old letters, bible or other family records are considered almost as authentic. 3. Circumstantial evidence, implied facts, or hearsay are not considered as proof, unless backed up by primary or secondary evidence. 4. Oral, written, or published family traditions are often wrong, and are not accepted as proof. 5. Printed or manuscript genealogies, genealogical records, or genealogical compilations are not accepted as proof, unless they are well documented and proved in themselves, or unless backed up by other acceptable proof. Family group sheets and unsupported information from an amateur or professional genealogist are considered in this context as genealogies, and not acceptable as proof. 6. Lineage papers from other patriotic or hereditary societies, by themselves are not considered proof. The document copies used for proving the lineage might be considered proof, if they follow these rules of evidence. 7. Material authored by the applicant, or his family, cannot be considered as proof. 8. Documents used as proof must, either by themselves, or in conjunction with other acceptable documents, actually state the fact to be proved. If the document merely implies the fact, this is not considered proof. An example is the expression, "heirs" or "heirs-at-law" used in some estates. This indicates different things in different states, and at different times, and is not necessarily a proof of direct descent. If these statements are to be used as proof of direct descent, the applicant must include with his application, copies of the inheritance law of the state, showing that, at the year the proving document was dated, it was proof of descent "in blood line", and must also include proof that the testator had at least one child. Ohio's laws on inheritance have changed many times through its history, and what is true during one period, may not be true at another. Other examples of implied evidence which is not acceptable as proof are: A. Census records which show the name of the head of the family only, with numbers to represent the other residents by age grouping. These unnamed persons are not proved as children of the wife of the family head, nor as residents, no matter how well they match with other records. Next door or close neighbors on a census record are not proved as related merely by their closeness on the census. B. A father is not proved as being in the area just because a child was born there. A birth proved only that the mother was certainly there on the birth date. C. Blood descent is not necessarily proved by owning the same land as an earlier owner by the same name, whether the land was received by inheritance or purchase. 9. Old letters, family records, etc., can be accepted as proof for only the facts the writer of the record or letter would logically know, of his own knowledge. They cannot be accepted as proof for facts the writer could only have obtained by hearsay from older generations, or other sources. Identification of the writer and the date of the letter or record are a must. This same rule is true of County Histories or other published biographies. The person who probably gave the biographer the information must have been able to know the information of his own knowledge. 10. Land transactions (Deeds, Warrants, Grants, etc.) can only be accepted as evidence of settlement in Lawrence County by 1840, if the record actually states that the individual was "of Ohio", and was dated prior by 1840. There were many absentee land owners and speculators in early Ohio land, who never set foot in the state. 11. A tax list of 1840 is usually a record of taxes levied for 1839, and therefore could prove residence by 1840, if the individual is shown as a resident, and not as "absentee" owner. Personal property tax is on residents only. 12. Proving female ancestors may be difficult. They must be proved as individuals by their maiden name. Marriage records, church records, newspaper obituaries, family bibles, etc., sometimes show their maiden name. Birth and death records of their children usually do. These, or similar records, in conjunction with a dated deed showing: (1) her married name with her husband's and (2) their place of residence as Ohio. 13. The ancestors(s) proved in Lawrence County, Ohio by 1840 must be in a direct line back from the paternal or maternal ancestors of the applicant. "Collateral descent" as sometimes used recently, is not descent at all, but relationship to a brother or sister of a direct ancestor, and is not an allowed line for the First Families of Lawrence County. 14. All proof documents must indicate their source. Bible records must be submitted with their Title page, showing the publication date. Newspaper clippings must be identified by both the name of the newspaper, and the date of the clipping's appearance. Owner/writer's name of bible should be shown. 15. Typed, hand-written or printed copies of original documents, to be considered as proof, must be certified as a "true copy" by a COURTHOUSE OR OTHER OFFICIAL, LIBRARIAN, etc. An applicant or member of his family CANNOT CERTIFY HIS OWN COPIES AS TRUE! If copy machine or photocopies of an original document show changes or corrections to the original document, those changes must be verified and signed as "True Copies" by the same type of unbiased official. 16. When a Father or Mother are above the normal age for having children, the parentage claimed is suspect, and MUST BE PROVED BEYOND A DOUBT. 17. Married female applicants must include a copy of their marriage record to prove their change of name. 18. If more than two ancestral lines are to be submitted, an ancestral chart must be included to show the inter-connected relationships, and the ease the burden of the reviewer, trying to puzzle it out. 19. Photographs of tombstones usually prove only birth and death dates. However, sometimes relationships are shown and are usually considered good proof. Printed compilations of cemetery inscriptions are usually accepted as proof, unless it is obvious or known that the compiler has added information which doesn't appear on the tombstone. 20. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. Only photo copies of documents are necessary. Certified copies are required only when a document is typed or handwritten by a Court House or other Government official. All applications with proofs - when approved by the First Family of Lawrence County Committee become the property of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society, and will be deposited in the Hamner Room for Local History and Genealogy of the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library in Ironton, Ohio. 21. Please list proof being used for each line of descent in spaces provided. PLEASE take a few moments to: (1) Number each sheet of paper on the back left hand TOP beginning with the number 1 and continuing to the end of your papers; (2) Place your name and address directly across from number on all papers; (3) Place your Lawrence County Genealogical Society Membership number below your name, on each sheet of paper. FFLC Application. Revised June 2005 APPLICANT MAY COPY FORMS TO PROVIDE AS MANY SETS AS NEEDED INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT: Fill in block B, D, E, and F on this page. List your main ancestral line on pages 2, 3 & 4 beginning with yourself as #1. Type or hand print clearly all information. A check for $15.00 must accompany the initial application. A. LCGS OGS USE ONLY B. Application filled out by approved Ancestor name.__________________________ 1._______________________________ (print) 2.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________________ 3._______________________________ C. LCGS of OGS use only 4._______________________________ First Families 5._______________________________ of LCGS number_______________ 6._______________________________ 7._______________________________ Date Application 8._______________________________ Received ___________________ 9._______________________________ 10.______________________________ Date Accepted_________________ 11.______________________________ 12.______________________________ Fee Received _________________ E. APPLICATION for FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO APPLICANT’S NAME Street Address County City State Zip Phone E-mail *************************************************************************************************************** E.ANCESTORS OF THE ABOVE NAMED APPLICANT, WHO WERE SETTLED IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO, ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 1840 PLEASE LIST ONLY THOSE ANCESTORS WHO ARE FIRST FAMILIES ELIGIBLE NAME OF ANCESTOR Year first proved County first proved State of Country of Origin ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ F. I am member # ______ and my Lawrence County Genealogical Society dues are paid for the year ________. *********************************************** *********************************************** APPROVED BY: Lawrence County Genealogical Society Chairman:_______________________________________________Date______________________ Com. member____________________________________________Date______________________ Com. member____________________________________________Date______________________ FFLC Lineage 1 DIRECTIONS . Please put your name, address, and membership number on the back of each page. Number each proof on the top front right corner, and enter that number on the lines provided. (i.e. Birth Certificate #1 , Death record #2, Obit #3 and so on) 1. I_______________________________________________ was born on ________________________ at _________________________________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for birth and any name changes__________________________________________________ 2. I am the child of _______________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at______________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at______________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., & d. ____________________________________________________________________ and __________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d. & mar. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3. The said ____________________________________was the Son Daughter circle correct answer of ___________________________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at_______________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., & d. _____________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. ________________________________________________________________ 4. The said _____________________________________was the Son Daughter circle correct answer of___________________________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at_________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. __________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. __________________________________________________________________ FFLC Linage 2 5. The said ____________________________________was the Son Daughter circle correct answer of ___________________________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at__________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., & d. ________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. ___________________________________________________________________ 6. The said ____________________________________was the Son Daughter circle correct answer of____________________________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at__________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., & d. ________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. ___________________________________________________________________ 7. The said ____________________________________was the Son Daughter circle correct answer of____________________________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at__________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b. & d. ________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at__________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at___________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. ___________________________________________________________________ FFLC Lineage 3 8. The said ____________________________________was the Son Daughter circle correct answer of____________________________________________________________, who was born on ___________________ at________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b. & d. ______________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at_________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. _________________________________________________________________ 9. The said ___________________________________was the Son or Daughter circle correct answer Of____________________________________________________, who was born on____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., & d.______________________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at_______________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at________________________________________________________ City County State Proof for b., d., & mar. ________________________________________________________ SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO Any member of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society may become a member of THE FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO, if they can document that they are a direct descendant of an individual who settled in the area now known as LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO no later than Dec. 31, 1840. The completed application accompanied by the required proofs and a NON-REFUNDABLE (One time only) $15.00 application fee may be filed at any time. Applicants who file before the first Tuesday in September, will usually be approved in time to be honored at the annual banquet in Nov. This application must be examined and approved by the FIRST FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO, committee, who may ask for additional information. Please include a five-generation chart that includes the ancestors whose residence you are proving. ******************************************************** I, ________________________________ do hereby swear that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements set forth in this application are true. Signature of Applicant _______________________________Date_________________ This application, information, and all supporting documents and data become the property of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society. Personal Information Privacy Policy This complete application and all submitted supporting documents will be scanned and stored digitally, for internal use by the society. Any documents stating exact dates for events pertaining to any living person will removed from the application, and the month and day of birth for living persons will be deleted from the accepted applications before they are donated to the Hamner Room. Any request for the personal information submitted with the application will be forwarded to the submitter if that person is still living and if their address is known.