Membership in the Jamestowne Society is by invitation and in accordance with the Society's bylaws. Begin the application process by contacting a member of the Jamestowne Society or the Jamestowne Society Company most convenient to you, and expressing your interest in becoming a member. Prospective members must demonstrate descent from a Qualifying Jamestowne Ancestor to the satisfaction of the Society genealogist.
 

Upon your receipt of an invitation from the Society to apply for membership, and your acceptance of the invitation, you will be sent a preliminary application to complete. This form has a space for you to indicate your qualifying Jamestowne ancestor. The preliminary application also serves as an order form for the Jamestowne Society Application Software. All applications must be completed using the Society's computer software. After review of your preliminary application, if it appears that you are a candidate for Society membership, you will be sent the application software on your choice of either a CD or a floppy disk. E-mail your completed application to Bonnie Hofmeyer, Office Manager, at jamestowne.society@verizon.net, and mail two copies of your application to her at Jamestowne Society, POB 6845, Richmond, Virginia 23230. The lifetime membership fee for new members is $400. Members may submit supplemental applications on additional ancestors with a fee of $125 for each submitted.

The following criteria are used to determine whether an early settler may be included as a qualifying ancestor for purposes of membership in the Jamestowne Society. The individual (1) was a stockholder in the London Company or the Virginia Company; (2) owned land on Jamestown Island or lived on the Island prior to 1700 (owning land in a neighboring area or neighboring county does NOT of itself qualify an individual; (3) was a resident in Virginia at the time of the 1624/25 Muster;  or (4) served as Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Clerk of the General Court, Member of the Council or House of Burgesses prior to 1700; these persons shall be conclusively presumed to have had their domiciles on Jamestown Island during their terms of office.

The Jamestowne Society will consider adding an individual as a qualifying ancestor upon receipt of a completed application for membership, accompanied by acceptable proof of the ancestor's service in any one of the above mentioned categories. The proof must be in the form of copies of primary source (original record) documents, such as court records, wills, census records, or the like, that conclusively establish the individual's eligibility as a qualifying ancestor.

Not all early Virginians who might meet one of the above criteria are in the Jamestowne Society's roster of qualifying ancestors. If we believe descent cannot be proven from an individual, we may omit him or her to prevent people from applying through this line and subsequently being rejected. Likewise, some early settlers who were on our list in the past have been removed because new evidence either disqualifies them outright or we believe that successfully proving their line would be extremely unlikely.

You may access the current Qualifying Ancestors Index and List here.

For information on ordering the softbound "Jamestowne Society Register of Qualifying Ancestors,"click here.

Further questions regarding the Membership Application Process should be directed to the Executive Director by e-mail or by US mail at the following address:
Bonnie Hofmeyer, Office Manager
Jamestowne Society
POB 6845
Richmond, VA 23230

Comments? Click here for e-mail to Webmaster Susan Godman Rager

Assistance needed from Headquarters? Click here for e-mail to Bonnie Hofmeyer, Office Manager 

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