First Families

To apply to the First Families of Butler County Lineage Society you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a member in good standing of the Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.
2. Have an ancestor who resided in Butler County not later than 31 December 1820 and be able to prove that residency.
3. Be able to prove generational relationship from yourself all the way back to the qualifying ancestor(s).

When submitting your completed application for consideration, please include the following:

1. A check made out to the Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society for $20 for each ancestral line being submitted:
   • This fee is non-refundable in the event the lineage is not adequately proven for approval in First Families. Our researcher will do everything possible to assist you in having a successful application but there may be instances in which the documentation is insufficient to prove lineage.
   • Application for two or more qualifying ancestors in a direct line (father/son, father/daughter, etc.) are considered as one family line and only requires one application and one application fee.  In the event you submit applications for two or more qualifying ancestors resulting from a split at some generation into two lineage lines (one line for the husband’s parents and one line for the wife’s parents) this is not considered one ancestral line; therefore a second application would be required as the second line would be considered as a supplemental application, requiring an additional application fee.
2. Copies of proof documents proving each birth, marriage, and death as well as generational relationship (parent-child) must be submitted with the application. 
   • These documents must provide the source of the record for verification. Please record on copies provided where the record was found (a couple of examples: Ohio County Marriages online database at FamilySearch.org noting volume and page or image number; County, State, “Death Register,” volume number, page number and person’s name; etc)
   • Recommended documents for the first three generations (you, your parents, and your grandparents) include birth certificates, marriage records, and/or death certificates. At least one of these documents must clearly show parents’ names and identify them as parents. 
   • In early generations when vital records are not available or easily found other types of records can be used to meet the criteria for proving lineage. These can include court records, marriage records,  birth records, death records, wills, probate documents, census records, photos of grave markers, obituaries, etc. 
   • Various documents can be used to prove residency. In addition to the early census records (1820 federal census, 1806 Butler County census, and 1810 tax list), the Butler County Records Center and Archives (http://www.butlercountyohio.org/records/) has a volunteer genealogist who can help locate government records that can be used to prove residency. The Butler County Recorder’s Office (http://recorder.butlercountyohio.org) holds copies of all deeds recorded in the county from 1803 through the present time. Deeds are an excellent source of proof.

Submit your completed application, supporting documents, and check to our society’s post office box: Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society P.O. Box 13006 Hamilton, OH 45013.

Once your application has been received, the date received will be noted and it will be placed in the queue for verification by our genealogist/researcher. This work is done on a volunteer basis as time permits but is given priority. Once the application has been verified it is then submitted to our full Executive Committee for final approval at the next quarterly Committee meeting. This process can take a few months. You may be contacted by our genealogist during this process either by email or phone in order to complete the verification process so please be sure to clearly show both your email address and phone number on your application form.