Acceptable Sources

Summary: Documents and source types that SAR accepts as admissible evidence for Revolutionary service and lineage, organized by category.

Sources: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.md (GCP Sections 4.5000–4.5003, 5.4000–5.4000), # Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).md (APG, Sources and Source Documentation), raw/guidelines-1.md, raw/difficultcases.md

Last updated: 2026-04-20

Evidence Hierarchy

A supplementary framework from [[guidelines-1]] organizes evidence into three tiers:

Tier	Label	Description
1	Primary	Originates with someone directly involved in the event, near the time of the event (e.g., government records, contemporary Bible records, diaries, letters)
2	Secondary	All other evidence; usable for corroboration but not as standalone proof (e.g., census records, newspaper clippings, county histories contemporary to the facts)
3	Circumstantial / hearsay	Not accepted as proof unless supported by Tier 1 or Tier 2 evidence

SAR's own GCP uses the terms primary information and secondary information somewhat differently — see [[genealogical-proof-standard]] for the GCP definitions. The Greenwood tiers above are a useful organizing lens but do not replace GCP analysis.

General Rule

Admissible documents must trace information back to: - A person living at the time who was in a position to have personal knowledge, OR - An institution (government, church, funeral home) keeping records at the time

Personal knowledge does not require the person to have been an eyewitness — for example, an ancestor did not remember their own birth but usually knew their parents' names. (source: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.md, GCP 5.4000)

Admissible Sources for Revolutionary Service (GCP 4.5000)

Contemporary sources (1775–1783) (GCP 4.5001)

Muster rolls, pay rolls, and class rolls
Records and journals of the Continental Congress
State and local records naming local soldiers, oath signers, elected officials, committee members, jurors, suppliers
Newspaper articles or broadsides
Letters or other correspondence

Official post-war records (GCP 4.5002)

Produced later but by persons living at the time of service and in a position to have knowledge: - Federal and state pension records (including rejected pensions — the reason for rejection is weighed) - Bounty land records - Final payment vouchers - State public claims records - Compiled military service records - Officially published compilations (e.g., Pennsylvania Archives series) - Memoirs or accounts by persons living at the time

Publications (GCP 4.5003)

Admissible if they quote/abstract records of the above types, or provide information from a credible witness living at the time of the service.

Admissible Sources for Lineage and Vital Statistics (GCP 5.4000)

Government records

Vital records, probate records, land records, sworn testimony.

Church records

Birth, baptism, death, marriage, and burial records. Include pages identifying the clergy who officiated.

Other institutional records

Records of hospitals, funeral homes, cemeteries, and similar institutions contemporary with the event.

Newspaper accounts

Must be contemporary with the persons, relationships, and events reported. Obituaries, wedding announcements, and birth notices are acceptable. The name, location, and date of the newspaper must be provided — include a copy of a page bearing that information.

Family records

Bibles and letters containing names, relationships, dates of births, deaths, and marriages — provided the author was in a position to have knowledge. Copies of original records are stronger than transcripts or abstracts. For Bible records: - Submit the title page (showing publication date) - Submit all pages showing family information — even pages about non-ancestors - Entries apparently made long after the event reduce usefulness but are still considered - Cite the document's provenance and present location if known

Tombstone inscriptions

From tombstones erected at or near the time of death. Readable photographs are strongly preferred to transcriptions and abstracts. Include the name and location (city/county/state) of the cemetery. Important: Tombstone inscriptions claiming Revolutionary War service do not constitute proof of service. New stones with historical information about events from years ago are not acceptable. (source: # Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).md, APG Tombstones)

For Find a Grave entries: only acceptable if they include a legible photograph of the actual tombstone and the memorial page states where the subject is buried. User-entered information on a memorial page is not acceptable. Index pages from Ancestry or FamilySearch are not acceptable — the actual Find a Grave pages must be submitted. (source: # Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).md, APG Appendix B)

Affidavits

Of people having personal knowledge of relationships or vital dates. Applicants should not submit affidavits about themselves unless information is unavailable elsewhere (e.g., sealed adoption records). Written details about unavailability are required.

Published books

Transcripts, abstracts, summaries, or quotations of the above records. Must include: - Copy of the title page (title, author, date of publication) - Any pages with source information (foreword, preface) - Headings relevant to understanding the evidence - Note: An applicant must submit source material rather than pages from a book authored by himself or an immediate family member.

Census Records

What each census contains

Years	Family members	Relationship to head	Indexed
1790–1840	Head only	No	Yes (1790 partially reconstructed after British burned D.C. in 1812)
1850–1870	All members named	No (family grouping only)	Yes
1880	All members named	Yes	Only households with a child under age 10
1890	All members named	Yes	Mostly destroyed by fire; scattered fragments remain
1900–1940	All members named	Yes	Mostly yes

(source: raw/difficultcases.md)

State censuses: Many states conducted censuses between federal censuses. These provide comparable information and are often overlooked. Available on microfilm at federal branch archives and larger genealogical libraries. (source: raw/difficultcases.md)

Proof of lineage

SAR accepts 1850–1870 census household groupings as proof of parent-child lineage unless conflicting information exists (GCP 3.4001). Pre-1850 censuses name only the head of household and may support a proof argument but do not prove a parent-child link on their own.

Note — conflict with supplementary source: [[guidelines-1]] states that the 1850–1870 census "cannot be used as proof of relationship." SAR's own GCP 3.4001 explicitly overrides this — GCP governs for SAR applications.

Always use actual census images, not older published transcriptions. Include the entire census page to allow context evaluation. (source: # Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).md, APG Census Records)

Mortality schedules

For census years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880, separate mortality schedules recorded persons who died in the preceding year. Contents: name, age, sex, race, marital status, occupation, birthplace, parents' birthplace, length of residence in county, month of death, cause of death, and attending physician. Schedules do not exist for all jurisdictions. (source: raw/difficultcases.md)

Indexing caveats

Census enumerators often spelled names phonetically; volunteer indexers sometimes misread handwriting. Indexes are imperfect — consider alternate spellings. See [[research-strategies]] for search tips.

Land and Tax Records

Land or tax records are acceptable for proof of residence only if they: 1. Specify that the individual was a resident of the county (landowners and speculators who never lived in the county do not qualify), and 2. Were dated prior to the date required for proof

Tax lists, census records, and township trustee records generally concern only residents of specific townships and are considered excellent proof of residence. (source: raw/guidelines-1.md)

Vital Records — Long vs. Short Form

When both short-form and long-form vital records are available, always request the long form. Short-form certificates confirm only the name, date, and place. Long-form certificates include parents' names and often additional information. Death certificates are particularly useful: may contain date and place of death, date and place of birth, next of kin (spouse or children), and parents' names and birthplaces. (source: raw/difficultcases.md)

Many states provide official copies through vitalchek.com.

City Directories

City directories (historical equivalents of phone books) are acceptable as circumstantial evidence that a person was alive and living at a specific address during a given year. A dropped listing or change in listing can suggest an approximate death date. Not standalone proof of any relationship — they corroborate other evidence. (source: raw/difficultcases.md)

Fraternal, Military, and Academic Records

Records of fraternal organizations (e.g., Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks, Knights of Columbus, B'nai B'rith, Hibernians, Red Men) may document birth date and place, parents' names, and lead to other records. Military records and academic records serve similarly. County biographical histories from the late 19th century often contain extended family biographies and general population listings. Available at county/state history libraries and college libraries. (source: raw/difficultcases.md)

Documents in Foreign Languages

Must be accompanied by an accurate English translation of the pertinent facts. If the document is in an archaic handwritten style, also provide a transcription including diacritical marks. (source: National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.md, GCP 3.8000)

[[inadmissible-sources]]
[[record-copies]]
[[genealogical-proof-standard]]
[[proof-argument]]
[[lineage-proof]]
[[source-citation-format]]
[[research-strategies]]
[[difficultcases]]