A society uniting the descendants of King William III & Queen Mary II of England and their families — to trace our lineage, share our research, and preserve a heritage worth remembering.
Trace Your Lineage
Establish and document your descent through guided genealogical research and verified family records.
Access Research Tools
Draw on curated archives, registers, and scholarship that connect families to the seventeenth-century record.
Collaborate & Connect
Join a community of members and researchers sharing discoveries, sources, and shared ancestral lines.
Preserve Your History
Safeguard family stories, documents, and proven lineages for the generations still to come.
Our Mission
Honoring those who came before & the families they began.
The William & Mary Lineage Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the descendants of King William III and Queen Mary II of England and the wider families bound to their era. We exist to help members establish their ancestry with rigor, to celebrate a shared inheritance, and to keep that record alive.
Through careful genealogical work, accessible research resources, and the fellowship of fellow descendants, we turn scattered names and dates into a living lineage — one that honors our heritage and preserves our legacy for those who follow.
A Shared Inheritance
William III & Mary II of England
Joint sovereigns of England, Scotland, and Ireland, William and Mary reigned together at a turning point in history. Their story — and the families woven through it — forms the heritage our members carry forward.
A Marriage of Houses
William, Prince of Orange, married his first cousin Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York — joining two branches of the House of Stuart and the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau.
Joint Sovereigns
Following the Glorious Revolution, William and Mary were crowned together as joint monarchs — a rare shared throne — and assented to the Bill of Rights that reshaped the constitution.
Queen Mary II
Mary II, esteemed for her governance during William's absences abroad, died at Kensington Palace. Her memory was mourned across the realm she had helped to steady.
A Lasting Legacy
William III reigned until his death, leaving a legacy carried on through allied families and descendants — the lineages our Society is devoted to documenting and preserving.
Membership & Eligibility
Is the Society for you?
Who May Join
Membership is open to those who can establish one of the following connections.
- Documented descent from King William III or Queen Mary II and their extended family lines.
- Descent from a family historically allied with, or connected to, the royal house of their era.
- Associate members — historians, genealogists, and friends of the Society who support its mission.
- Lineal kinship demonstrated through a documented, generation-by-generation chain of evidence.
How to Apply
Four steps from inquiry to confirmed membership.
- InquireContact the Society to confirm your interest and receive an application packet.
- Document your lineCompile records — births, marriages, wills — linking each generation.
- ReviewOur genealogy committee verifies the chain of descent and supporting evidence.
- WelcomeUpon approval, you are enrolled and joined to the community of descendants.
Unsure where your family fits? Our researchers are glad to help you begin. Reach out to the Society →
Research Resources
Tools for the journey back
Registers & Records
Parish registers, wills, and civil records that anchor a family line to the documented past.
Explore archivesResearch Guides
Step-by-step guidance for tracing descent, evaluating sources, and building a proof standard.
Read the guidesHistorical Context
Essays and references on the seventeenth century and the families of the period.
View the libraryPedigree Charts
Templates and worked examples to help you assemble a clear, defensible family pedigree.
Get the templatesMember Exchange
Connect with fellow members researching shared lines, and pool sources and findings.
Join the exchangeAsk a Researcher
Stuck on a difficult generation? Our volunteers can point you toward the right record.
Request helpSupport the Society
Help us preserve the record & keep it free to follow.
As a not-for-profit, the William & Mary Lineage Society relies on the generosity of members and friends to digitize records, support research, and welcome new descendants. Every gift helps preserve a legacy.