Barbara Hensley Carpenter
President General 2021-2024
President General 2021-2024
Welcome! Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century, Inc., is one of the country’s oldest lineage societies. It was established in 1896 to commemorate the men, women, and events of the colonial period in our nation’s history -- to preserve their memory and the history of the colonial period. The Society is educational, historical, and patriotic in purpose.
Our members are women over the age of 18 who descend from the very earliest settlers of the colonies - 1607 to 1699 - who rendered distinguished service prior to 1700.
Over the past 125 years, the Daughters have actively pursued projects that pertain to the colonial period and that carry out the objectives of the Society. A few of the projects the Daughters have undertaken or provided support for include:
- Award of scholarships to students majoring in American or Colonial History;
- Presentation of awards at the Naval Academy at Annapolis and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point;
- Replacement of rare books originally given to the College of William and Mary by Royal Governor Nicholson in 1698, but subsequently destroyed by fire;
- The search for the original fort on Jamestown Island in Virginia;
- Support of Jamestown Rediscovery;
- Establishment of an archeological Library at St. Mary’s City in Maryland;
- Donation of a portrait of King James I to commemorate the 375th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown; and
- Support for the colonial weaving and textile program for students, re-enactors, and historians at New France in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
We welcome new members! Our 41 categories of eligible ancestor service are listed on the “Membership” page. Our chapters and their locations are listed on the “Chapters” page.
Interested in learning more? “Contact Us”.