SNGF -- Your Revolutionary War Era Ancestors

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

It's Saturday Night again - 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Our assignment Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings, is to:

1)  We all have ancestors who were alive in 1776, and some of them may have celebrated the signing of the Declaration of Independence or even served in the military during the War. 

2)  Describe one or more of your ancestors who lived in that time or served in the military.  

Here's mine:
Well, one cannot assume that every genealogist has an ancestor in America during the revolution. I do, but I have not documented many of my ancestors in that time period. My husband does have some early German immigrants who may have been here then, too, but I also, have not documented them.

I first searched my RootsMagic database for “revolution” to see what folks might turn up. This is what I found. None of these people have been documented by me.

William Whitfield, father of Elizabeth Whitfield who married John Keathley, was said to have served. Looking on the ancestor lists on the Daughters of the American Revolution website, I found at least two women who have joined under William Whitfield Jr. through his daughter Elizabeth. He is said to have done civil service, patriotic service in North Carolina. The service listed was commissary in state regiment, and justice of the peace. Something to investigate.[1]

Dempsey Welch, grandfather of Melissa Ann Welch who married James Madison Coor, lived in Wake County, North Carolina, too. He is said to have “furnished supplies and took an oath of allegiance to make land entry, 1778.”[2]

My husband’s line:

Henry Bishop (1713-1830) of Pennsylvania. He was listed as paying supply tax in 1779, 1780, and 1781. None of the members joined through his son, Henry, my husband’s line.[3]

If I want more information about the applications, the sources they used, and the descendants to the applicant, I can order the file for $15 and get a digital copy. I haven’t been interested in joining the DAR but the information could still be useful for me if I want to do further research.

National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR)[4]
One can also check the SAR database and order those records as well. I did find William Whitfield, Dempsey Welch, and Henry Bishop. None of them seem to descend through my ancestors.

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[1] DAR entry for William Whitfield, Jr., ancestor no. A124694, Daughters of the American Revolution (https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_member/?Action=full&National_Number=484224).

[2] DAR entries for Dempsey Welch, Daughters of the American Revolution (https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/default.cfm).

[3] DAR entries for Henry Bishop, Daughters of the American Revolution (https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A203456).

[4] “Patriot Search,” National Society of the Sons of the Revolution (https://sarpatriots.sar.org/patriot/search). 

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