Revolutionary War ancestors

This is the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. The celebrations have begun, notably the Boston Tea Party and the battles at Lexington and Concord. Do you have an ancestor who fought in the Revolution or aided the Revolution in some manner? How do you find out?

There are written records published by the Daughters of the American Revolution. These lineage record books can be found in larger libraries, and you can search at dar.org/library/collections/dar-lineage-resources. These aren’t all the men who served, but it’s a good starting place. 

The Sons of the American Revolution also have searchable lists of ancestors at www.sar.org/faq/list-of-patriots. Printed volumes, including the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution or Record of Service of Connecticut Men, contain lists of men who served from either of these states. Remember, Maine was part of Massachusetts at the time, so your Maine ancestor may be found in the Massachusetts records.

Online resources such as those at FamilySearch.org (free to use) offer abstracts of information about soldiers from muster rolls and other documents. Ancestry.com and Fold3.com (fee-based but free at many libraries and family history centers) offer images of payrolls, and most importantly pension and bounty land applications.

State archives also often hold records of men who served during the Revolution. Many of these state records can also be found on FamilySearch.org. 

Before searching online, try to obtain the name of the soldier or sailor ancestor. Keep in mind, spelling was a creative art at the time of the Revolution, so be sure to try different spellings, including how the name may have been pronounced. It also helps to know which state your ancestor may have served in. People moved around more than we realize, especially when bounty lands were offered. That means your ancestor may have served in more than one state. If you know the dates of the service, it’s a plus, and of course, if there is a family history that your ancestor served in the infantry or Navy, that also helps.

A good reminder is that there may be many men serving with the same name. For example, my ancestor David Foster Porter served at Bunker Hill, among others, but there are many David Porters who also served at this time. My David Porter moved to New Hampshire and then to Maine, which also makes identifying him difficult.

What sort of information can you find in these records? At least his last name, rank, regiment, state of service, date, term of service and injuries. Pension application records usually contain lots of information a genealogist wants including birth date and place, marriage date and place, children, death date, etc. 

There are also records to be found at county historical societies and in town records, especially in southern New England. Sometimes local libraries have lists of men who served. While you search, will you find a Loyalist among your ancestors as well as Patriots? I did, so be prepared. 

Columnist Nancy Battick of Dover-Foxcroft has researched genealogy for over 30 years. She is past president of the Maine Genealogical Society, author of several genealogical articles and co-transcribed the Vital Records of Dover-Foxcroft. Nancy holds an MA in History from UM. Reader emails are welcome at nbattick@roadrunner.com.