City of Thomasville Mayor Greg Hobbs presented a proclamation to the John Lee of Nansemond Chapter, National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century, designating October as Colonial Heritage Month in the city of Thomasville. Citizens are encouraged to observe October as a means for reinforcing the priceless legacy that we inherited from our ancestors who braved the treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean to settle the 13 original colonies.

The National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century was organized in 1915 and now has a membership of 11,000. The Georgia Society was established in Atlanta in 1931, today boasting a membership of 750 in 21 Georgia chapters. The local chapter, John Lee of Nansemond, was organized in 2007, by Rosemary Lee Henderson, and currently has 38 members. The chapter is named for Henderson’s ancestor, John Lee of Nansemond County, Virginia, who owned property in Virginia by 1675. To be a member, a woman over the age of 18 must prove lineal descent from an ancestor who aided in the settling of one of the 13 original colonies before 1701.

Some of the main objectives of the society are to found chairs of historical research in institutions of higher learning, to commemorate heroic deeds of our ancestors, to preserve records and historic sites, to promote historical colonial research on any level, to aid in the education of our youth, to establish a library specializing in the 17th Century colonial era, to award scholarships to college-bound students majoring in history and to recognize outstanding teachers of history.

The best place to begin searching for one’s probable colonial ancestor is the Thomasville Genealogical Library, located on the Forbes Campus of Thomas University, 1501 Millpond Rd., Thomasville. The library is an excellent repository for historical materials, including the 13 original colonies and genealogical information to help you trace your ancestral lineage. The library’s collections include over 10,000 volumes, access to Ancestry.com (library edition), Fold 3, newspaper archives and Georgia Virtual Vault.