Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (SDLKJ) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Augustan Society, Inc. Online data is here.
The SDLKJ was founded in 1967 to further interest in, and show the contributions of, the Latin (Christian) Kingdom of Jerusalem as it existed during the period of the Great Crusades. It was believed by those founding this society that sufficient information was being distributed in the daily press, on television, radio, etc. for the Jewish and Arab positions in the Holy Land.
It was further believed that the Latin (Christian) contributions were being over-shadowed by the incessant warfare of the present contenders for this historical area of the Near East, and that by the presentation of articles, the furtherance of research, and the publication of materials concerning the Latin (Christian) Kingdom of Jerusalem, a more accurate point of view may be obtained.
The SDLKJ is governed by the Dean of the SDLKJ, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Dean of Studies.
Membership in the SDLKJ is open to those who meet the qualifications for one or more classes of membership; Augustan Society membership is no longer required.
Membership Classes
Applicants must join in one or more of the following non-exclusive classes:
Crusader Class — Must be a recognized member of an Order of knighthood having fought in the Crusades in the Holy Land, or being the legal successors of such Orders. A list of those orders presently recognized is here.
Outremer Class — Must prove descent from an ancestor who resided or fought in the Holy Land during the Crusades or during the existence of the various Latin Kingdoms of the Holy Land. Once submitted, lineages are reviewed by the Genealogy Committee, whose fees, policies, and standards apply.
Pilgrim Class— Must submit documentation showing evidence of a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or to the one of the countries of the Holy Land or of the Latin Kingdom (e.g.: Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Cyprus, or Turkey). There is no fixed definition of adequate evidence, each case being reviewed individually by the Dean of the SDLKJ, or in the vacancy of that office by Headquarters Staff.
Note: The Reconquista of Spain does not qualify for this group.
Insignia
| The arms of the SDLKJ is an inescutcheon of the Kingdom of Jerusalem upon the shield of The Augustan Society. |
| The insignia of the Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem is a lapel pin bearing the arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (Argent a cross-crosslet Or). This may be worn on the left lapel. Augustan Society members may wear the pin on the ribbon of the Medal of Membership when appropriate. |
Induction Process
- Petitioners must submit to Headquarters a completed petition, payment of the Entry Fee, payment of the Genealogist Fee (for Outremer Class), and such other evidence of qualification as may be needed. Headquarters Staff may complete the petition form if all data is supplied in another format.
- Headquarters Staff will determine which classes of membership are being applied for, and deal with them as follows:
- Crusader Class — Requires a recognized membership in an Order which fought in the Holy Lands during the Crusades. Headquarters Staff will confirm that an appropriate membership has been recognized by the Society. If not, they will send a petition for such to the petitioner.
- Outremer Class — Requires a proven lineage to an ancestor who lived or fought in the Holy Lands during the Crusades. Headquarters Staff will forward the lineage to the Genealogy Committee for review.
- Pilgrim Class — Requires the petitioner to have made a religious pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. Evidence of such a pilgrimage is reviewed by the Dean of the SDLKJ, or if that office is vacant by Headquarters Staff. Each will use his judgment on whether they evidence is sufficient.
- When petitioners apply for membership in more than one class, these reviews will be conducted in parallel. Failure to qualify in one class will not impact acceptance in another.
- If qualifications in one class of a multi-class petition are defective, but appear curable, the petition will be placed on hold pending resolution of the defects, unless the petitioner asks for an immediate membership, in which case the incomplete classes will be dropped and the petitioner obliged to make a new petition and payment for additional classes.
- The qualifications proven, Headquarters Staff will create a letter of welcome and a certificate of membership, these may be signed by the Dean of the SDLKJ either physically or electronically at his discretion. If there is no Dean or they are unresponsive, a member of Headquarters Staff will sign. The Assistant Secretary will apply the corporate seal to the certificate before it is sent.
- Headquarters Staff will notify the Assistant Secretary of the induction for inclusion in the next Board Agenda.
- Headquarters Staff will notify the Augustæum Editor of the induction if the petitioner is an Augustan Member.
- Headquarters Staff will notify the Custodian of Insignia of the induction that insignia may be sent.
- The Custodian of Insignia will send the appropriate insignia with a cover letter.
The entry fee is $100 for any number of classes at once; $50 for adding classes later; plus the Genealogist Fee for each lineage submitted, including corrections and extensions. No fees need attach for lineages or portions of lineages already recognized by The Augustan Society, or for historical figures, generations documented in Wikipedia, and a credit will be issued for any such duplication.
