A Tree Without Roots The Guide to Tracing British, African and Asian Caribbean Ancestry

by Crooks, Paul

• ISBN13: 9781905147816
• ISBN10: 1905147813
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-09
• Publisher: Arcadia Books

Summary

"From a man who dedicated eleven years of his life to uncovering the saga of his African slave ancestors comes a guide for others to capitalize on his informed techniques and discover just what it means to know where one is from. Offering groundbreaking insights on how to delve into one's past, this book is intended both for beginners and experienced researchers and provides inspiration to those who believe that their search may be hampered by having a mixed parentage or a history of migration through the ages. An instructive guide for those interested in finding out more about their family connections with the Caribbean islands, it nevertheless offers techniques and approaches that can be applied to anyone researching their ancestors around the world."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Paul Crooks devoted 11 years to tracing his African family tree after being told by experts that it would be impossible to find historical records. He persevered, locating documents that led from London to Jamaica to Cuba, and ultimately back to the Gold Coast of Africa—an effort that has brought him international recognition for his breakthroughs in African Caribbean genealogy research. He is the author of Ancestors, a novel based on his family's history.

Table of Contents

Tracing Back in Time	p. 7
Identifying Your Quest?	p. 16
Breaking Down the Psychological Barriers to Moving Forward	p. 18
That First Go at Creating a Family Tree	p. 22
Oral Tradition: the Key to Unlocking the Past	p. 24
Why Is It So important?	p. 24
But I Have No Information About Father or Mother?	p. 26
Making the Best Use of Relatives	p. 27
Public Records and Their Hidden Treasures	p. 35
The Internet	p. 36
The Family History Centres	p. 38
Royal Geographical Society	p. 45
The National Libraries of the Caribbean	p. 52
The National Archives, London	p. 54
Monumental Inscriptions	p. 68
The Newspaper Library, London	p. 69
The National Maritime Records	p. 75
In Summary	p. 78
Potential Pitfalls	p. 80
Interpreting and Documenting Your Findings	p. 87
Recording Interviews	p. 87
Recording Information from Original Documentation	p. 89
Presenting Information	p. 89
History Unmasking the Mystery	p. 93
The People of the Caribbean	p. 95
Helping You to Trace Back	p. 95
African People	p. 113
Introduction	p. 113
African History Doesn't Begin with Slavery	p. 114
Trafficking of Africans to the Caribbean	p. 115
Plantation Society	p. 122
Genetics	p. 126
The Islands of the Caribbean	p. 131
Notes	p. 141
Appendices
Parish Index of Baptisms 1800-1836	p. 146
Parish Index - Jamaica 1868	p. 147
Parish Registration - Baptism Record, Jamaica, 1813	p. 148
Mass Baptisms 1814	p. 149
Passenger List for the Ship Irpinia, 1957	p. 150
Slave Register - Hanover, Jamaica, 1817	p. 151
Triennial Update 1823	p. 152
Slave Register Triennial Update - 1826	p. 153
Compensation Claim, Cousins Cove, Hanover, Jamaica, 1834	p. 154
A List of Inhabited Islands in the Carribean	p. 155
Map of Properties - Extract Jamaica West, 1768	p. 158
African Slaves Advertisement	p. 159
Africans Disembarked in the Caribbean, 1776-1800	p. 160
Extract From the Crooks of Jamaica Website	p. 161
Resources	p. 165
Family Tree Template	p. 166
Websites	p. 167
Public Records - Britain and the Caribbean	p. 169
Family History Centres in England	p. 173
Family History Centres in Scotland	p. 178
Family History Centres in Wales	p. 179
Family History Centres in Northern Ireland	p. 180
Family History Centres in Ireland	p. 180
Caribbean Newspapers	p. 180
Lloyd's List	p. 190
Bibliography	p. 199
Acknowledgements	p. 201
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.