National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century

The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century (also written as National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century) is an American lineage-based heraldry society and non-profit service organization for women who are directly descended from American colonists who lived in the Thirteen Colonies prior to 1701. The organization, established in 1915, holds one of the largest collections of Coats of Arms in the United States. The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century has 45 active state societies in the United States and one active international society in Canada.

National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century
Colonial Dames 17th Century
FoundedJuly 15, 1915
FounderMary Florence Taney
TypeNon-profit, lineage society, heraldry society
FocusHistoric preservation, education, patriotism
HeadquartersBrigadier General George P. Scriven House
1300 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, D.C., United States
Membership
11,000[1]
Yvonne Hiteshue
Websitecolonialdames17c.org

History

The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century was founded by Miss Mary Florence Taney of Kentucky during the meeting of the International Genealogical Congress at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California.[2] It was established on July 15, 1915, as a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C.[3] Taney, along with Alice Hardeman Dulaney of New York, Anna Taylor Hodge of Kentucky, Georgena Hodge Bailey of Kentucky, Florence May Washington of Kentucky, and Grace Marie Cheever of Ohio, formed the organization as a lineage society.[2][4]

The headquarters was established in the 1884 Victorian home of Brigadier General George P. Scriven in Dupont Circle located at 1300 New Hampshire Avenue, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5][6] The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century purchased the home from the Veterans of Foreign Wars on May 15, 1957, for their headquarters, meeting place, library, and repository.[5]

Plaque marking location of Princess Anne Port in Colonial Williamsburg, at current College Landing Archeological Site, placed by the organization along with the Virginia Historical Society and the City of Williamsburg.

The organization was founded for women, at least eighteen years of age, who are lineal descendants of an ancestor who lived and serverd prior to 1701 in one of the Thirteen American Colonies: the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the Province of Georgia, the Province of New Hampshire, the Connecticut Colony, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of New Jersey, the Province of New York, the Delaware Colony, the Colony of Virginia, the Province of Maryland, the Province of North Carolina, and the Province of South Carolina.[3] The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century states on their official website that their members are "devoted to preserving the memory of those that settled in the United States of America prior to 1701."[3] The organization preseves historic sites and records, promotes heraldry and coats of arms of colonial families and organizations, and supports education at local, state, and the national level.[3]

A plaque from the organization at the Old Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida.

The organization sponsors and places historical markers throughout the United States.[7]

Organization and structure

The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century has over 11,000 members throughout forty-five state societies in the United States and one international society based in Canada.[1][8] Each of the societies are made up of individual chapters.[1]

The organization is led by the president general, who is elected for a two-year long term by members in attendance of the organization's annual conference.[1] The national executive board, which is headed by the president general, is composed of thirteen elected members.[1]

Notable members

References
  1. "Overview". The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  2. "Background to the Society". The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  3. Hiteshue, Yvonne. "Yvonne Hiteshue 2023 – 2025 President General". The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. "Colonial Dames XVII Century, Governor Philip Ludwell Chapter Records". Western Regional Archives. State Archives of North Carolina. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  5. "Brigadier General George P. Scriven House". National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  6. "George P. Scriven House". DC Historic Sites. DC Preservation League. February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  7. "The Colonial Dames XVII Century, National Society Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Historical Marker Database. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  8. "National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century records, 1915–1983". Arkansas Digital Archives. Arkansas State Archives. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.