When The Clan Wallace Society (CWS) was formed in 1966, the founders included in the Articles of Incorporation (Charter), “This Corporation shall never engage, however, in specific genealogical research for its members or other persons.” One reason for this article may have been because CWS is an open society, wherein a person does not have to be or prove to be a Wallace to become a member. The co-founders did not want to mimic some Scottish Societies whereby the prospective member has to prove his or her bloodline or family origins in Scotland. Due to the expected broad range of family names that could potentially be represented in CWS, one can imagine the many paths genealogical research could take and the monumental task that would be involved for an assigned genealogist.
Although the Charter forbids CWS from directly providing genealogical services, it does not prohibit providing guidance to assist members in independently conducting their own family genealogy. The Board has recently addressed this issue in a manner that remains faithful to the Charter. The Society is happy to announce that a handbook has been developed to provide this guidance.
Download a copy of the CWS Genealogy Handbook, Genealogy Handbook – Researching Wallace Family Genealogy (438 Kb PDF)