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both were directly descended from par- in 1898, the BOMC is a charitable organi- of which are held in the United King-
ticipants of the Revolutionary War. In- zation committed to the preservation, his- dom – two in the British Library, one at
spired by this shared connection, they tory and modern relevance of the Magna the Lincoln Castle and one at Salisbury
decided to apply for membership in the Carta. To be considered for membership, Cathedral in Southern England. No one
Daughters of the American Revolution, applicants must be able to prove their single master copy of the document is
a women’s service organization which descent from one of the 25 Magna Carta known to exist.
celebrates history, community and pa- Surety Barons. With 600 years between
triotism. The application process was the Magna Carta and their common SLEUTHS WITH A BOND
rigorous, requiring not only proof of the ancestor, it was a tall order. Months of
ancestor’s name, residence, service and research would be required, and if their Of the 25 signers of the Magna Carta,
dates of birth and death, but documen- family was not descended from one of the only 17 are known to have surviving
tation of each subsequent generation as signers, membership would be out of the descendants, further limiting the odds
well. Once gathered, both ladies applied question. But with a passion for history that Ann and Phyllis would find their
and were accepted. In 1991, they proudly and their forces combined, it was tally-ho forbearers among them. Yet, amazingly,
became charter members of the Permian and the hunt was on. the distant cousins found they were re-
Basin Chapter of the National Society lated not to one but to five of the charter’s
Daughters of the American Revolution LAW & ORDER: THE MAGNA CARTA signatories. Delighted and surprised,
in Andrews, Texas. this revelation set them off on yet an-
Much celebrated in England, the Magna other quest together, to Charlemagne
Having traced their family lines back to Carta is regarded as the foundation of and beyond, ever deeper back in time.
the American Revolution, it was easy to the Rule of Law, limiting authoritarian
look a little further back to the Colonial rule and laying the groundwork for de- It’s often said that friends can become
days of British America. Interestingly, mocracy. Though signed in 1215, it took family. For Ann and Phyllis, this senti-
this task proved easier than finding their some time before the Magna Carta was ment rang true in more ways than one.
Revolutionary War ancestors due to the fully adopted by the English monarchy, With 28 years of genealogical research
great number and variety of records from but once enshrined, the rights it pro- under their belts, the fruits of their ef-
this period, many of which are safely claimed became, as they say, inalienable. forts can be seen in the thick binders
archived in historic places. Committed and obscure texts which now line the
in their quest, Ann and Phyllis trav- The Magna Carta celebrated its 800th bookshelves of their homes. Yet it is
elled to 13 different states, gathering anniversary on June 15, 2015. Today, also evident in what cannot be seen – a
documents from churches, courthouses only four copies of the original 1215 docu- bond rooted in history, revealed through
and local historic societies. With their ment are known to have survived, all friendship.
lineage formally documented, they excit-
edly contacted and were accepted to the Research can be full of surprises, and genealogy is no exception. These close friends
Colonial Dames of America, a nonprofit encountered many unexpected twists as they traced their ancestries together.
organization of historic preservationists
who are descended from settlers of the
original Thirteen Colonies.
UNCANNY COUSINS
It was during this exciting research that
these sleuths of yesteryear made a sur-
prising discovery: a common ancestor.
Not only were they dear friends, they
found they were also cousins 13 times
removed. Now joined in their lineage,
Ann and Phyllis set to seeing just how
far back they could go.
Their family tree now rooted in England
and filled with many branches, the ladies
gave themselves a goal to help focus their
research. Already proud members of two
American lineage societies, Ann and Phyl-
lis set their sights on the Baronial Order
of the Magna Charta (BOMC). Founded
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG DECEMBER 2015 SUNRAYS | 53
