Society Eligibility

In order to pay 2023 membership dues, click here (will open in a new window). NOTE: do not pay dues if you are not already a member. If you wish to become a member, follow the instructions below. Thank you.

How can I become a MEMBER?

We are a lineage organization that is open to anyone reaching the age of 18 who can satisfactorily demonstrate descent from a Mayflower passenger. Any person, who is able to document their line of descent from one or more of the passengers on the Mayflower voyage, which terminated at Plymouth, New England, in December 1620, is eligible to apply for membership. The following are the passengers on the Mayflower known to have left descendants:

• John Alden • Bartholomew Allerton • Isaac Allerton • Mary (Norris) Allerton • Mary Allerton • Remember Allerton • Elinor Billington • Francis Billington • John Billington • William Bradford • Love Brewster • Mary Brewster • William Brewster • Peter Browne • James Chilton • Mrs. James Chilton • Mary Chilton • Francis Cooke • John Cooke • Edward Doty • Francis Eaton • Samuel Eaton • Sarah Eaton • Moses Fletcher • Edward Fuller • Mrs. Edward Fuller • Samuel Fuller • Samuel Fuller (son of Edward) • Constance Hopkins • Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins • Giles Hopkins • Stephen Hopkins • John Howland • Richard More • Priscilla Mullins • William Mullins • Degory Priest • Joseph Rogers • Thomas Rogers • Henry Samson • George Soule • Myles Standish • Elizabeth Tilley • John Tilley • Joan (Hurst) Tilley • Richard Warren • Peregrine White • Resolved White • Susanna White • William White • Edward Winslow

Uncertain if you may be eligible?

First, we suggest you review the Mayflower Families books.  These publications (known as “the Silver Books”) about the Mayflower passengers are completed to the fifth generation. (Sixth through eighth generational books are in progress or complete.) These books document the first five generations of descent from the head of the family and are very helpful to support your research. 

The Silver Books can be purchased from the General Society here or can be found at these Missouri libraries:

• Kansas City Public Library – Central Library
• Midwest Genealogy Center (Independence)
• St. Louis County Public Library – Headquarters
• St. Louis Public Library – Central Library

Please note

• The Society is unlike many hereditary societies, which require that only a bloodline be established. This is a timely process as data is gathered and reviewed. The information that you establish will be used for current and future generations.

• It is to be stressed that the dates and places of birth, marriage, and death be established or avenues to find that information be exhausted.

• But do not despair! The General Society has an extensive database of all proven Mayflower descendants. Any data already proven will be used for your application. Any gaps will your responsibility. (See the FAQ below regarding the Mayflower Lineage Match service provided by the General Society.)

Membership Application

Fill out the form beginning with the name of your Pilgrim ancestor, listing the offspring and spouse through which you descend until your own name is reached.

Send this preliminary application form and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
State Historian
4712 Pittman Rd
Kansas City, MO 64133

If it is determined that you are eligible for membership, complete instructions on how to proceed will be returned from our Historian.

Membership FAQ

Will the Society do research for me?

The Missouri Society does not research, but the General Society does provide a Mayflower Lineage Match service for a fee.

“The purpose of the Mayflower Lineage Match service is to determine what portion of your Mayflower lineage has already been documented in a previously approved application, and for what portion you will need to provide documentation. After comparing your proposed lineage to our over 200,000 previously approved lineages, we will send you a detailed report on our findings, along with instructions on how to proceed with the membership process.”

What will be needed to complete my application?

Mayflower Application DOs and DONTs (10-minute YouTube video)

You will need documentation to support the dates and places of births, deaths and marriage for each generation.

What records would be considered as documentation?

The Silver Books from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and the lineages of previous members are your greatest source of acceptable materials. For these, contact the General Society, or local libraries (see above for the list of Missouri libraries that carry these books).

Records that support the facts of your line of descent include:

Vital Records of birth, marriage or death of an individual.

Official records that support the date of an events include probate records, land records, contemporary family bible records, county histories, federal census records, and printed genealogies, to name a few. These are available from State, County and City Historical Societies.

US Census data may mention the location of birth for each person enumerated.

We do not require certified copies of records; photocopies are acceptable. Copies from any publication should contain a copy of the title page and any additional pages that affect and support the date. We do not accept materials of other lineage organizations. Vital Records are required for dates occurring since 1900.

It is a gratifying experience when you have made a big step toward learning of your family background that qualifies you and future descendants of the unique opportunity of membership in the Mayflower Society.

Family papers have a habit of being ‘lost’ through the years, and people fail to remember who was who. But to register your material is to preserve it for the future. The General Society strives to protect these valuable materials by the most current means possible. They have a large, climate-controlled vault in which to store all relevant documents which gives one a sense of security and safekeeping. Nothing is infallible but the General Society does an excellent job.

How long will the membership application process take?

Since the advent of the 400^th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower, our Missouri Society and the General Society have been overloaded with applications.  Once your preliminary application has been reviewed, you will be told what outstanding information is required.  You can get ahead of the curve by fully documenting your generation and then each successive generation above you.

Our state relies on volunteers to process applications, so we ask for your patience.  Once your application is approved by the state Historian and sent to the General Society, the turnaround is approximately four months (assuming no errors are found).

Junior Membership

The Junior Committee

A child or grandchild of a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Missouri may be eligible, beginning at birth through age 18, for membership as a Missouri Mayflower Society Junior. The applicant must be nominated by a current member of the Mayflower Society, and there is a one-time fee of $25 for Junior membership.

Upon joining, each new Junior member will receive a packet with a membership certificate and age-appropriate material about the Pilgrims. The upper age limit for Junior members is 25 years; between the ages of 18 and 25 years each Junior member will be welcomed to submit an application for full adult Mayflower Society Membership. For more information about Mayflower Juniors membership, contact Juniors Chairman Christy Scott.

Junior Member Application Form

Christy Scott, Chairman
2045 Spielhagen Road
Troy, MO 63379-3507
(636) 528-3534 ~ rickandchristyscott@hotmail.com