For applicants
Acceptable Proof of Ancestry
Every generation between you and your Lee ancestor must be documented. The following records are accepted by the Registrar.
Preferred records
- Birth, marriage and death certificates issued by a civil authority
- Wills, estate inventories and probate records naming the relationship
- Deeds and land records that establish a family connection
- Church registers of baptism, marriage and burial
- Federal and state census returns, used together with other evidence
Also accepted with care
- Family Bible records, with photographs of the title page and the entries
- Published, well-sourced genealogies and county histories
- Cemetery and tombstone records, including those held by the Society
- Approved lineage papers from other hereditary societies
Not sufficient on its own
Online family trees, undocumented compiled charts and family tradition cannot stand alone, although they are welcome as a guide to the records that will support your line.
How to submit
Send legible copies — never originals — with your application. A $50 initial research fee is included in the life membership payment, and the Registrar will write to you if further evidence is needed.