There are an even greater number of women who, while possibly not contributing anything historically significant, nonetheless managed to lead very interesting lives. The fact that they survived at all is a credit to their courage and stamina. There was nothing "ordinary" about our female ancestors who risked their lives traveling in tiny ships across the ocean, living on the frontier and giving birth to numerous children. Most were uneducated. Many of their lives went unrecorded, or at best, are only noted in the records by their married surname and a few dates. The lives of some women are known to us only because of the historical circumstances that pushed them, often unwillingly, into the limelight, such as the colonial women who were accused of witchcraft or taken captive by warring Native Americans.

Those of us who are genealogists know that our female ancestors are every bit as important as our male ones and we know how frustrating it is to find ANYTHING in the records about them. Let it be to us, then, the family historians and record-keepers of this generation to uncover the long-hidden stories our female ancestors are waiting to tell and to share them with our families, other genealogists, teachers and historians.

This web page has been designed with the intent of honoring all of our notable women ancestors, offering both historical and genealogical information about them, as well as an occasional amusing anecdote, and making that information available to other genealogists, students of history and the general public. What makes Notable Women Ancestors unique is that nearly all of the biographies here have been contributed by actual descendants or relatives of these women. So if you wonder why there is no page yet for a particular individual, it is simply because a descendant or relative has not yet submitted a biography about her. (Please don't e-mail me and ask why someone is not here - if you want her here, submit a biography!)

As you browse the database, you will discover many links to other related web sites. I hope that you will be educated, amused, and even prompted to submit your own female ancestor for inclusion. Enjoy the rich heritage our foremothers have given us!