Membership

Joining the Jamestowne Society

Members of the Jamestowne Society are descended from early settlers who lived or held colonial government positions in Jamestowne, Virginia before 1700. 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; or was a current member of one of the Guilds owning stock in the aforesaid companies during the period of investment; or was a signer of one of the three charters of the Virginia Company of London during the joint-stock company period of 10 April 1606 and 24 May 1624; 
  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 earlier; 
  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; 
  5. was an Anglican Church (Church of England) minister in Virginia prior to 1700; or
  6. served as an official Indian Interpreter in Virginia prior to 1700. 

Our FMC Membership Committee, formed in 2017, is comprised of the FMC Genealogist and two members; this committee’s task is to recruit, to communicate regularly with applicants, and to assist them with the application process. Potential new members who are exploring avenues to membership are given professionally produced push cards that list reasons to join the Society and explain the Society’s Revolutionary War Era Project. The latter lists adults alive during the Revolutionary War era, one or both of whom are themselves descendants of a Qualifying Ancestor. Potential Society members who know the name of a Revolutionary War era (1770-1783) ancestor may purchase applications naming adult couples alive during that era and use that documentation to tie the potential member’s own ancestral line into proven generations.  The FMC Genealogist can assist the applicant with this process.  

The Life Membership Fee is $400.  Members may also submit supplemental applications for additional ancestors.  The fee for each supplemental application is $175.

Qualifying Ancestors