G2G: Is certification by the Society of Mayflower Descendants proof of lineage, if so?

Question

I recently obtained the submission my father submitted to the SoMD in 1986, approved in 1987.  Listed in this document are some missing pieces the I am hesitant to enter into the WikiTree database until it is reviewed by those charged with maintaining the Mayflower Trees.  If I were to do so it would disconnect me from hundreds of individuals and form a similar number of new connections.  Whom do I send the information to?

Comments

You could check with the GSMD and ask if the line is still considered valid. Sometimes prior documentation is not consistent with current standards, or it has been proven to be incorrect by later research.

Answer 1

Have you checked your lineage with the Silver Book(s) for your ancestors? Those cover 5 generations from the Mayflower. Also, is the lineage your father used still accepted by the Mayflower Society? A lot can change in 30 years.

Answer 2

However, once they have approve your application and admitted you as a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and given you a number, you can trust their genealogy.

Morag

Comments

Yes, newly approved lineages tend to be pretty solid. Some old ones were disproven later. All lineage societies have had to improve their requirements.

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Nah, not really so, "given you a number, you can trust their genealogy." A few years back, The Great Purge  reexamined approved applications and some were found to not be worthy of approval by today's standards. E.g., Matthew Fuller as a Edward or Samuel Fuller descendant. And sometimes, already approved lines are closed for application because the References on old approved applications are not to today's standards.

It's best, and easy, to submit a GSMD Mayflower Lineage Match, for $75. You will be informed of which individuals are not already approved and you will know which generations you must work on.