JOURNEY WITH US.
A research guide to ancestry, family history, and genealogy resources for St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Uncover with Ancestors of Paradise the untold stories of your St. Johnian ancestors!
”From Anegada to Virgin Gorda, tour the Caribbean in this gorgeous site packed with resources, historical photos and videos…”
101 Best Genealogy Websites of 2024
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records.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through census records, court records, deeds, naturalization records, military records, ship passenger lists as well as birth, marriage, and death records.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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FAMILYSEARCH RESEARCH WIKI | USVI
The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a free, online genealogical guide created and maintained by FamilySearch, a non-profit organization. It contains links to genealogy databases, websites, other resources, research strategies, and genealogical guidance to assist in the search for your ancestors. Articles included are locality pages for countries around the world and topic pages that include pertinent genealogy record types explaining how to use the record, what it contains, and how to find it.
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CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY LIBRARY
The Caribbean Genealogy Library (CGL) is a unique and valuable research library located on the island of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Established in 2000, CGL is a leading resource for family history research in the Virgin Islands and in the Caribbean at large.
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DANISH FAMILY SEARCH | DANISH WEST INDIES
Danish Family Search er stedet man finder sine danske aner. Søg i danske kirkebøger, folketællinger og lægdsruller.
Danish Family Search is the place to find your Danish ancestors. Search in Danish church registers, censuses and parish registers. -
Rigsarkivet - The Danish National Archives
The Danish National Archives has digitized five million pages from the local and central administration of the Danish West Indies that you can browse through this website. But there are also archive groups and cases concerning the Danish West Indies in the archives of other authorities.
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SHIPINDEX.ORG: A VESSEL RESEARCH DATABASE
ShipIndex.org simplifies vessel research. Whether you’re a genealogist, a maritime historian, a researcher, or just curious, we can help you learn more about the ships that interest you. We tell you which maritime resources, such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, CD-ROMs, websites, and online databases mention the ships that interest you. We enhance these references by noting which ones include illustrations or crew and passenger lists, and where you can find or purchase the resource.
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SlaveVoyages
The SlaveVoyages website is a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history. Search these records to learn about the broad origins and forced relocations of more than 12 million African people who were sent across the Atlantic in slave ships, and hundreds of thousands more who were trafficked within the Americas. Explore where they were taken, the numerous rebellions that occurred, the horrific loss of life during the voyages, the identities and nationalities of the perpetrators, and much more.
collections.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through our collection of diverse genealogical resources.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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ANCESTRY MESSAGE BOARDS | CARIBBEAN
Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.
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ANCESTRY MESSAGE BOARDS | USVI
Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.
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CHRONICLING AMERICA HISTORIC AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS | VIRGIN ISLANDS
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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DIGITAL LIBRARY OF THE CARIBBEAN
The Digital Library of the Caribbean is a cooperative digital library for resources from and about the Caribbean & circum-Caribbean.
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THE EARLY CARIBBEAN DIGITAL ARCHIVE
The Early Caribbean Digital Archive is an open access collection of pre-twentieth-century Caribbean texts, maps, and images. Texts include travel narratives, novels, poetry, natural histories, and diaries that have not been brought together before as a single collection focused on the Caribbean. The materials in the archive are primarily authored and published by Europeans, but the ECDA aims to use digital tools to "remix" the archive and foreground the centrality and creativity of enslaved and free African, Afro-creole, and Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean world.
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Here, St. John!
Here, St.John is an oral history about Virgin Islands National Park and St. John made possible by a grant from the National Endowment For The Humanities. It serves to give voice to the heritage, culture and natural history as told by born St. Johnians and resident scientists. These stories recall historical details of the people and the natural life of the island that shape this place.
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HISTORY HUB
History Hub is a research support community for everyone, including genealogists, historians, and citizen archivists.
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A LIST OF INHABITANTS IN THE DANISH WEST INDIES FROM 1650 -1825 | ROYAL DANISH CONSULATE
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The Virgin Islands Daily News
The Virgin Islands Daily News is a daily newspaper in the United States Virgin Islands headquartered on the island of Saint Thomas.
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VIRGIN ISLANDS EXODUS: 1917 IDENTITY CARDS
Virgin Islands Exodus contains material extracted from the first one hundred and seventy-three (out of an orginal one hundred and eighty-four) United States Citizen's Identification Card applications submitted by Virgin Island residents between May 21, and October 9, 1918.
cemeteries + memorials.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through cemetery records, grave records, tombstone inscriptions, and funeral booklets.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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The Danish Cemeteries of the Virgin Islands | Royal Danish Consulate
The book of The Danish Cemeteries of the Virgin Islands was commissioned and paid for by the Danish Cemetery Restoration Fund, a fund with the sole purpose of maintaining, repairing and restoring the three Danish Cemeteries located in the United States Virgin Islands. Through the support of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and generous donations from both corporate and private benefactors, the Danish Cemetery Restoration Fund has been able to continue the monumental tasks of preserving these historical grave sites so they may be visited and studied for years to come.
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FIND A GRAVE | Saint John
Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.
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Maria Smith Cemetery Database
In 2012 genealogist Maria Smith donated her database of Virgin Islands death and cemetery records to Caribbean Genealogy Library. A name listing only of the St. Thomas and St. John database is linked below. Complete records, often including images of original documents or headstones/gravesites, is available upon request.
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UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS: FUNERAL BOOKLETS
The Enid M. Baa Library of the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DLAM) has acquired an extensive collection of memorial booklets since the early 1970's for U. S. Virgin Islands residents. Booklets are usually more than 10 pages long and give details of the life and family connections of the deceased.
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Virgin Islands Funeral Booklets
The Caribbean Genealogy Library's Funeral Booklet Collection currently includes almost 4000 funeral booklets for people originally from, or who lived in, the U.S. Virgin Islands and some from the British Virgin Islands also.
historic images.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through early photographs, studio portraits, historic landscape images and film.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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DANSK VESTINDISK SELSKAB Gallery
In the Gallery you will find photos, postcards and illustrations from the time both before and after the handover to the USA in 1917.
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HARRY ALVERSON FRANCK PHOTOGRAPHS | USVI
Harry A. Franck (1881-1962) was a University of Michigan graduate (1903), avid traveler, and veteran of both world wars. He wrote thirty-three travel books describing Europe, South and Central America, China, Japan, and many other places. His most popular books include A Vagabond Journey Around the World (1910) and Zone Policeman 88 (1913). His books routinely featured photographs he took during his journeys: landscapes, street scenes, working people with the tools of their trade, portraits, and snapshots.
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Jack Delano FSA Photo Collection
Hired by the FSA in 1940 as an itinerant photographer, Jack Delano was assigned in 1941 to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Delano captured moments of daily life on the islands in both black and white and color.
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The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs | Saint John
The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs is a singular collection of more than 3,500 historical images from 34 countries including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. This visual record contains studio portraits, landscapes and tourist views and brings to life the changing economies, environments and communities that emerged post-emancipation. The Collection includes nearly every photographic format available during the years 1840 to 1940, including prints, postcards, daguerreotypes, lantern slides, albums, and stereographs.
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M/S MUSEET FOR SØFART (M/S MARITIME MUSEUM OF DENMARK) | IMAGE ARCHIVE
M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark tells the story of Denmark as one of the world's leading maritime nations in an evocative and dramatic way.
You can visit the digital image archive here where more than 60.000 photos are digitalized (in Danish).
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VIVID-PIX
Easy-to-use software that helps you fix your pics and documents fast! Free to try - no credit card required.
HISTORIC MAPS.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through historic maps.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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David Rumsey Map Collection | Virgin Islands
The David Rumsey Map Collection was started over 35 years ago and contains more than 200,000 maps. The collection focuses on rare 16th through 21st century maps of North and South America, as well as maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, wall maps, school geographies, pocket maps, books of exploration, maritime charts, and a variety of cartographic materials including pocket, wall, children's, and manuscript maps. Items range in date from around 1550 to the present.
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OLD MAPS ONLINE | VIRGIN ISLANDS
Our mission is to give old maps a new life in the online world via the Old Maps Online search catalog that allows visitors to explore and discover the beauty of historical maps depicting a past geographical place of their interest.
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PERRY-CASTAÑEDA LIBRARY MAP COLLECTION | VIRGIN ISLANDS 1920
The Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) Map Collection website is archived as of 2021 and no longer being updated. Links to external sites may no longer work as expected. Please visit the Texas GeoData portal and Collections portal for map files and the UTL Map Collections LibGuide for additional information.
cultural institutions.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through libraries, museums, historical societies, and community cultural centers dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Caribbean culture.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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DANSK VESTINDISK SELSKAB | DANISH WEST INDIAN SOCIETY
Dansk Vestindisk Selskab with the English subtitle "Danish Westindien Society" was founded on Valentine's Day 15 June 1917 as the club "Danish Westindien" and later reorganized. In 1969, the name was changed to Dansk Vestindisk Selskab, which is nationwide with its headquarters in Copenhagen.
One of our hallmarks of the Danish West Indian Society is to help and guide members in finding their way back in history. This is done partly by means of information and links on this page, partly by personal contacts with other members with experience and partly by contacts with our sister organizations on the islands. -
Elaine Ione Sprauve Public Library and Museum of Cultural Arts
The library houses a small Virgin Islands and Caribbean Collection at the library.
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Fireburn Heritage
Fireburn Heritage, Inc. is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to foster transformative change through collaborations with other nonprofits and like-minded individuals. With a focus on cultural preservation, the humanities, gender equality, zero hunger, and environmental sustainability, our vision is to create a more equitable and inclusive world.
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Friends of Virgin Islands National Park
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park programs aimed at sharing and preserving the island's rich cultural heritage and history include funding the Park’s archeological program, restoring and maintaining ruins, supporting the Folk Life Festival, and hosting cultural seminars and workshops.
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INDO-CARIBBEAN CULTURAL CENTRE
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre (ICC) is a non-profit, independent, educational organization recognized by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. ICC was established in 1999 with its axiom being “Celebrating unity in cultural diversity in the Caribbean.” It is dedicated to publishing two magazines every year – a Divali souvenir magazine, and an Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine. ICC is primarily committed to the production of information about people, issues and events affecting Hindus and Indians in multi-ethnic Trinidad and the Caribbean.
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M/S MUSEET FOR SØFART | M/S MARITIME MUSEUM OF DENMARK
M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark tells the story of Denmark as one of the world's leading maritime nations in an evocative and dramatic way.
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MUSEUM OF DANISH AMERICA | GENEALOGY
The Museum of Danish America explores the Danish-American experience, the historic and modern influences of Denmark on the United States, and the continuing story of how a nation of immigrants shape American identity.
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St. George Village Botanical Gardens | Historical Documents
St. George Village Botanical Gardens is located on pre-historic grounds which have been studied by scholars and archaeologist over the years. This page contains a library of records reflecting the unique history of St. Croix, it’s people and culture.
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St. John Heritage Collective
Known as “St. JanCo,” The St. John Heritage Collective is a community land trust, on the small island of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). St. JanCo is on a mission to preserve the history, identity, and culture of St. John’s people, especially those whose ancestry on St. John predates the 1917 American Purchase of the USVI from Denmark, and the 1956 establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park.
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St. John Historical Society
Since 1974, the St. John Historical Society has been dedicated to the study and appreciation of all aspects of the history of St. John through educational programs, research, archeological projects, preservation advocacy, the collection and preservation of fine arts and archeological objects, printed and manuscript materials and maps, and other historical artifacts.
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St. Thomas/St. John Friends of Denmark Society, Inc.
Group that helps foster friendship with our counterparts in Denmark.
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US Virgin Islands Maritime Museum
The US Virgin Islands Maritime Museum was created in order to promote the understanding of the maritime history from the time of the Danish West Indies (pre-March 31.1917) to the present-day US Virgin Islands (March 31.1917, Transfer Day, to present).
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VIRGIN ISLANDS CARIBBEAN CULTURAL CENTER
In harmony with the mission of the University of the Virgin Islands and its College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center collaboratively serves as a liaison designated to create a reservoir of resources and initiatives for faculty, students, administration, staff and the community to maintain and sustain access to materials that nurture, preserve, research, document, restore, promote, protect and respect Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture.
virgin islands DIASPORA.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through our collection of diverse genealogical resources.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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Houston Virgin Islands Association (HVIA)
Let’s turn your nostalgia and passion into a changing and progressive action. Houston Virgin Islands Association (HVIA) has its own unique structure allowing it to promote Virgin Islands culture and heritage by those living in the Diaspora, thereby creating a pride and joy of Virgin Islands “NICE.”
HVIA holds very simple mandates:
Enhance the cultural, educational, civic and general well-being of its members;
Showcase our values, traditions, heritage, and culture as a means of increasing public awareness;
Educate members and our community about the Virgin Islands: our history, culture and traditions.
Involve our members in community developments and charitable causes, within the meaning of Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
books.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through our collection of books for beginners, research guides, records guides, case studies, memoirs, family histories, oral histories, and photography collections.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
blogs + articles.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through history, culture, and genealogy blogs.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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CREOLES AND CONTINENTALS
Reflections on the History and Culture of St. John in the Virgin Islands of the United States.
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die creol taal
In 2013, we started to build this website to present as much information as possible about texts in and about Virgin Islands Dutch Creole. A lot of sources are already digitally available and by presenting the links to these texts we hope to help you obtaining the information you need to study the language and language related subjects.
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From Enslavement to Emancipation: Naming Practices in the Danish West Indies
The focus of this article, the Danish plantations in the West Indies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, were multicultural colonies inhabited largely by enslaved Africans and slave owners and administrators from Britain, Ireland, and the Netherlands, with small numbers of Danes, French, and North Americans. In this paper we aim to add to historical and anthropological discussions on names and naming practices in the context of Caribbean slavery, through our analysis of historical documents and datasets from the island of St. Croix. Louise Sebro has remarked that close examinations of population databases for the island “will undoubtedly throw light on traditions of name giving” (2010: 198). Our contribution here consists of an analysis of 197 names from a plantation register taken for tax purposes in 1785, as well as the names contained in 1,426 baptismal records pertaining to two churches in St. Croix. One is a Lutheran church (1780–1794) in the capital city of Christiansted (image 1), whose congregation was made up of white, free colored, and enslaved individuals; another is Friedensthal Moravian Church (1744–1832), located on the outskirts of Christiansted, whose congregation consisted primarily of enslaved individuals from nearby sugar plantations as well as free people of color. Our analysis is further illuminated by details from the lives of three former slaves from the Danish West Indies.
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INSIGHT INTO DANISH COLONIAL LIFE | ROYAL DANISH CONSULATE
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Vintage Virgin Islands
Vintage Virgin Islands features over 300 blog posts about the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
podcasts.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through on-topic podcast episodes and series.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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CARIBBEAN MYSTICS
The Caribbean Mystics Podcast features true supernatural stories that take place in the Caribbean region. Told from first person perspective, these stories reveal the extensive unexplainable phenomenon that occurs in this region of the world. Hosts Paulina and Gabrielle, join together at the end of each story to provide key historical background, cultural context, and meaningful elaboration through their lenses of being ancestral Virgin Islanders and Caribbean Mystics.
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CHATTING WITH DR. LEONARD RICHARDSON
Dr. Richardson will take you down Memory Lane and challenge you to dates, places, and people past and present of the Virgin Islands.
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Di hou creol - Podcast over Virgin Islands Dutch Creole
From about 1991 on I study the Dutch related Creole language Virgin Islands Dutch Creole. In this podcast I pay attention to texts, linguistic aspects of the language, history of the language, history of the study of the language and field work.
Vanaf ongeveer 1991 bestudeer ik de aan het Nederlands gerelateerde creooltaal Virgin Islands Dutch Creole. In deze podcast besteed ik aandacht aan teksten, taalkundige aspecten, de geschiedenis van de taal, de geschiedenis van de bestudering van deze taal en aan het veldwerk dat gedaan is om deze taal beter te leren kennen.
social media.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through social media discussion forums, networks, groups, and pages.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY | FACEBOOK
This group is for sharing resources and assisting with research relating to Caribbean ancestry and history.
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CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH COMMUNITY | FACEBOOK
Welcome to the Caribbean Research Community! This group was created to give people researching the region a place to ask questions, collaborate, and share research with one another.
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THE CUTLASS MAGAZINE
A progressive podcast and platform dedicated to the Indo-Caribbean community and other descendants of Indian indentureship from around the world.
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Gabrielle Querrard | Instagram
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GENEALOGICAL TRANSLATIONS | FACEBOOK
Genealogical Translations was established to provide amateur family researchers a place to have their genealogical documents translated. We are a global volunteer group whose members help other members by offering free translation of their genealogical documents such as vital records, postcards, obituaries, and more, in languages including – Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and many others!
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St. Croix St. Thomas St. John DNA Registry | FACEBOOK
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Virgin Islands Ancestry Discovery Group | Facebook
VIADG helps Virgin Islanders research and preserve their family histories, stories, traditions, customs and, culture; provides a forum for developing research skills, sharing knowledge of resources available, and involving the Virgin Islands community in the ancestry discovery process.
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Virgin Islands and Caribbean Historical Knowledge | Facebook
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Virgin Island History Keepers | Facebook
We are the ones responsible to keep our history and stories from our grandparents, parents or the woman or man down the street. We have lost so much of them. Why not share yours so other can pass it on, our culture our stories, soon it will be gone. We are not shamed of our people, tell the stories that came from the soul if not now, when.
GENEALOGY VIDEOS + TUTORIALS.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through tutorials, lectures, roundtable discussions, and genealogy webinars.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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INTRODUCTION TO AFRO-CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY RESOURCES WITH SHARON WILKINS
Learn how to trace your Afro-Caribbean ancestors from the West Indies, including Barbados, Jamaica, and other places. Presented by Sharon Wilkins, President of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society - New York.
hire a professional genealogist.
Uncover the rich lives of your St. Johnian ancestors through collaboration with a professional genealogist.
The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!
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Legacy Tree Genealogists
Are you looking for details about your Caribbean ancestry? Do you need help getting started or have you hit a brick wall?
Caribbean genealogy can be challenging, and the professional genealogists at Legacy Tree Genealogists can help with your research needs.
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