TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO GENEALOGY

At the core of the project is a database containing, first, the identity of all slave-owners in the British colonies at the time slavery ended and, second, all the estates in the British Caribbean colonies. As the two earlier phases of work unfolded, we amassed, analysed and incorporated information about the activities, affiliations and legacies of all the British slave-owners on the database, building this Encyclopedia of British Slave-Owners.

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.

In 1807 The Abolition of Slave Trade Act came into force. The act made the trade in slaves from Africa to the British colonies illegal. To combat illicit transportation following this act many of the British Colonies began keeping registers of black slaves who had been so-called “lawfully enslaved”. In 1819 the Office for the Registry of Colonial Slaves was established in London and copies of the slave registers kept by the colonies were sent to this office. Registration generally occurred once every three years. The registers continue through to 1834 when slavery was officially abolished.

La provincia de Venezuela en la era colonial comprendía Isla Margarita y la isla de Trinidad.

Un índice alfabético por apellidos se ha publicado como Catálogo XXII del Archivo de Simancas, Secretaría de Guerra (Siglo XVIII), Hojas de Servicios de América (en la FHL es un libro con el número de clasificación EUROPE 946 M23e).

Spaniards in the Province of Venezuela (Viceroyalty of New Granada); military service records, 1787-1800. For a surname index to these records, refer to Catálogo XXII del Achivo de Simancas, Secretaría de Guerra (Siglo XVIII), Hojas de Servicios de América (Family History Library book call no. EUROPE 946 M23e).

In 2017 the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago launched an introductory guide on tracing family history in Trinidad and Tobago. The guide was launched during the institution’s sixth annual Archives Awareness Week from 20-24 November 2017, held under the theme “Celebrating Our Ancestral Roots” for which there was also an exihibition.

The guide takes interested persons through the first steps in tracing their family history and lists official government and other records which may be useful in their searches. Historical documents related to various ethnic groups are also cited, along with a directory of where to find the records.

The guide was developed based on heightened interest by members of the public in tracing their family history.

British manumissions: manumissions for slaves from Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica; correspondence with David Barclay; manumissions for David Barclay's slaves Indentures: Masters names, A - Perrot

Welcome to the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago (NATT), the custodian of our country's documentary heritage. The National Archives is responsible for preserving and protecting Trinidad and Tobago's memory and maintaining the democratic rights of citizens to have access to the records of the government. In order to fulfil our mandate we acquire, process, manage, and make accessible to citizens and researchers quality records documenting the broad spectrum of activities undertaken throughout the history of Trinidad and Tobago. These include government records, immigration records, photographs, audio visual material, maps and more. Many of these records are unique and can only be found at the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago.

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.

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.

Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.

Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.

The British Newspaper Archive is a partnership between the British Library and Findmypast to digitise the British Library's vast collection of newspapers.

In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience presents a new interpretation of African-American history, one that focuses on the self-motivated activities of peoples of African descent to remake themselves and their worlds. Of the thirteen defining migrations that formed and transformed African America, only the transatlantic slave trade and the domestic slave trades were coerced, the eleven others were voluntary movements of resourceful and creative men and women, risk-takers in an exploitative and hostile environment. Their survival skills, efficient networks, and dynamic culture enabled them to thrive and spread, and to be at the very core of the settlement and development of the Americas. Their hopeful journeys changed not only their world and the fabric of the African Diaspora but also the Western Hemisphere.

The Digital Library of the Caribbean is a cooperative digital library for resources from and about the Caribbean & circum-Caribbean.

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.

History Hub is a research support community for everyone, including genealogists, historians, and citizen archivists.

The Trinidad and Tobago family history research page lists data collections relevant to Trinidad and Tobago.

Start your search here to find ancestors originating from Trinidad and Tobago and to research historical records pertaining to Trinidad and Tobago.

The West Indies in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1704–1950 was curated in association with the Bodleian Library.

This collection contains records compiled by the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), a UK-based Anglican missionary organisation that operates globally. From the eighteenth to the early twentieth century, the USPG went by the name of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG).

This collection contains information on the West Indies from the perspective of missionaries from the SPG. The documents cover Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, and Trinidad.

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.

We have successfully collected information about thousands of Jewish cemetery sites all over the world along with information on the location of the cemetery, and how to obtain more information. Each Jewish cemetery or burial site listed in the project by town or city, country, and geographic region is based on current locality designation. Some listings include links to other websites with additional information such as burial lists or a name to contact by email or snail-mail.

The collection that Stadsmuseum Tilburg manages is divided into the Stadscollectie Tilburg, the photos Caribbean Heritage and the Zwijsen collection.

Earl Leaf was a well-established photojournalist who settled in LA in the 1940s.

Granger Academic provides access to Granger's vast and vibrant archive of historical pictures. Many of these images are not available anywhere else, and for the first time we have made our collection available free of charge to teachers, librarians and students.

HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library is an archive of images from the Jewish world. Jewish communities in the Caribbean featured include Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nevis, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. Thomas, and Trinidad.

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.

We are a team of dedicated film archivists who aim to help you produce the best archive content for your project.

Our collections are vast and varied - the sum of over fifty years of service to production and to film archiving. Our footage starts around 1895 and we cover the places and people of the 20th century comprehensively and globally. Our holdings are mostly documentary with the addition of behind the scenes Hollywood, Bollywood and a special collection of pioneer film makers. It is with great pride that our source material is still on celluloid for quality and that filmic texture. Our films are housed in purpose built film vaults and our staff expert in their field.

Our mission is to shed light on the Indian indenture system in the Caribbean, honouring the experiences and resilience of our Indian ancestors.

We welcome you to join us on a personal journey rooted in uncovering the forgotten archives of this period.

In the process, we will be rewriting the archaic colonial narratives that have traditionally accompanied the historical artefacts of this time, from the critical perspective of Indian indenture descendants.

The Library's first digitization project was called "American Memory." Launched in 1990, it initially planned to choose 160 million objects from its collection to make digitally available on laserdiscs and CDs that would be distributed to schools and libraries. After realizing that this plan would be too expensive and inefficient, and with the rise of the Internet, the Library decided to instead make digitized material available over the Internet. This project was made official in the National Digital Library Program (NDLP), created in October 1994. By 1999, the NDLP had succeeded in digitizing over 5 million objects. The Library has kept the "American Memory" name for its public domain website, which today contains 15 million digital objects, comprising over 7 petabytes.

Mary Evans Picture Library licenses images for use in books, newspapers, exhibitions, websites and all manner of other media. Our images cover a broad range of topics, with the overarching themes of history and film. Our range, however, extends far beyond most people's perception of historical pictures, to include areas such as fashion, design, society and, uniquely, the paranormal.

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.

The National Archives manages 15 million photos. You can view more than one million photos online. The photo collection provides an overview of events from the period between 1865 and 1990.

These images from the Colonial Office library photographic collection (CO 1069) and the Central Office of Information British Empire collection of photographs (INF 10) have been added to Flickr so that you can comment, tag and share them easily. The images are also being used to develop exciting national community outreach projects.

This digital compilation was developed in support of the NYPL website, "The African American Migration Experience," a sweeping 500-year historical narrative from the transatlantic slave trade to the Western migration, the colonization movement, the Great Migration, and the contemporary immigration of Caribbeans, Haitians, and sub-Saharan Africans.

Easy-to-use software that helps you fix your pics and documents fast! Free to try - no credit card required.

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.

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.

We aim to provide a space for meaningful reflection and education, where visitors can engage with the stories, artefacts, and landmarks shaping this community and its broader context. Through our exhibits, programming, and outreach efforts, we strive to foster a deeper understanding of the diverse peoples, cultures, and events that have contributed to the vibrant tapestry of our shared history.

Formerly referred to as the "Meyler House", this house is protected under the National Trust Act of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Heritage Library Division (HLD) is a reference library that encapsulates the culture of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean. At HLD we are committed to acquiring, preserving and presenting our diverse cultural heritage.

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.

The National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago focuses on improving communities through the safeguarding of the built, cultural and natural heritage of Trinidad and Tobago.

This is a NPO registered in Trinidad and Tobago from July 2020 with the purpose of preserving of our archaeological sites and built assets in Tobago.

The West Indian history is kept alive in part by the Afro-Caribbean Museum. The Museum is housed in what was formerly the Christian Mission Church, which was built in El Marañón, Calidonia, by Barbadian workers in the year 1910.

It is a wooden structure that reflects a Caribbean style of architecture, and there is only one main exhibit space that contains historic photographs and domestic items that portray the history and living conditions of the West Indian immigrants who began migrating to Panama for the construction of the railroad in 1850 and later arrived in greater numbers for the construction of the Panama Canal in the first two decades of the twentieth century.

The Migration Museum explores how the movement of people to and from the UK across the ages has made us who we are – as individuals and as nations.

Inspired by the stories that my Grandmother told me about our ancestors in Trinidad, I started researching my family history in my youth. My research has resulted in me accumulating vast amounts of information not only on my immediate ancestors but also related families (something we refer to as “pumpkin vine family” in Trinidad). I have since found out that my ancestors were not only from Trinidad, but also Barbados and Guyana with other branches moving to Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent, Suriname and Venezuela. I have realised that although our forebears may have lived on small islands, they were certainly not isolated and often maintained connections with relatives many miles away. Within the Caribbean region we have a shared history and this has encouraged me to utilise this connectivity to create this resource.

This article explores the origins, contributions, and legacy of the Windrush generation, with a focus on how to research family history linked to this significant group. 

This is a podcast about Caribbean History and a good resource for individuals researching their family history.

The Island Archives Podcast is an audio series created to honor the Caribbean heroes/sheroes of the past and present and highlight their immeasurable contributions in different areas/disciplines. We feature their achievements by retelling their stories in an interesting, engaging, and insightful way by blending humor, history and highlights.

On today’s episode, Maurini Strub shares introspective and warm memories of her grandmother, Honora Georgina John, who was born in Trinidad in 1926 and had profound effect on her life. Born and raised in the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Maurini emigrated to the US in the early 1990s to pursue her higher education. She spent over 20 years in Detroit and just shy of 5 years in Louisville, KY before moving to Rochester, NY. She has been a swim instructor, lifeguard, and even an insurance cold caller (yes, she's been that person) and hopes to one day bike her first century.  

This group was established in February 2010 when in a fit of boredom, I decided to share online , some of the photos of my beloved homeland on Facebook. Since then, what began as a whim has grown into a platform where many great and colourful individuals have kindly come on board to share their pearls of wisdom, humor and experience.

This group is for sharing resources and assisting with research relating to Caribbean ancestry and history.

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.

A progressive podcast and platform dedicated to the Indo-Caribbean community and other descendants of Indian indentureship from around the world.

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!

Discover the rich tapestry of Trinidad's past on our new Facebook page, Historic Trinidad! Dive into fascinating stories, iconic landmarks, and lesser-known historical gems that shaped the vibrant culture of this Caribbean island. Join us as we uncover the layers of history and celebrate the legacy of Trinidad's diverse heritage.

A group created to share Trinidad and Tobago genealogy information and connections.

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.

This session introduces a 5-Step Research Methodology to guide family history study and research in the West Indies. Resources available in the U.S. and the U.K. are identified and civil registration and church records are illustrated through exploration of a family line. Emphasis is on the British West Indian experience.

Actor Naomie Harris’s dramatic discoveries in this episode inspire her to anger, sadness and tears of joy. On a journey from Trinidad to Grenada to Jamaica, Naomie exposes her four-times-great grandfather’s involvement in the exploitation of so-called 'liberated Africans' shortly after the abolition of slavery, is delighted to discover the identify of her African five-times-great grandmother, and, in nearer generations, uncovers a family story of tragic poverty in Jamaica’s capital, Kingston.

Actor and film-maker Noel Clarke grew up in west London with his single-parent mum, and this left one side of his family tree a mystery to him.

His search starts in Trinidad, where both his parents are from, but soon takes him on a trail to other islands, ending on one of the smallest and most beautiful in the Caribbean. There he learns of an extraordinary great-great-great-great-grandfather called Glasgow Bedeau, who was born into slavery. The music Glasgow's enslaved parents and grandparents passed down reveals the part of Africa from which Noel's ancestors were taken.

Please join RELIC as we welcome Phillip Nicholas for a presentation demonstrating the resources and techniques used to conduct family research of the West Indies, primarily the British West Indies.

Learn about the British Army's service in the Caribbean, how their presence influenced life in the region and how West Indians have contributed to the British Army over the past 300 years. Made with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

In this video, Researching Female Ancestors of the Caribbean, Sharon Tomlin delves into ways we can research African-Caribbean female ancestry. Encouraging dialogue across the generations to understand the pioneers of the past and to discover the pioneers within their own family.

This presentation was part of RootsTech Connect 2021.

In this recorded National Library of Scotland event, David Alston discusses his new book, 'Slaves and Highlanders', with Juanita Cox of Guyana SPEAKS.

In his book, Alston presents a major contribution to the debate on reparation by reappraising Scots involvement and complicity in the slave trade. He explores the prominent role of Highland Scots in exploitation of enslaved Africans and their descendants in the cotton, sugar and coffee plantations of the 18th and 19th centuries.

In this talk Matthew Lee, a PhD student co-supervised by staff at the Library, examines Scotland’s relationship with the Atlantic slave trade through our collections, based on a recent cataloguing project.

Associate Curator of Photography Julie Crooks about The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs, 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.

Learn tips, tricks, and more for researching ancestry in the Caribbean! Special guest, Anaisa Bayala.

Learn how you can learn about your past for free through the National Archives in Kew, London.

In todays episode I will be speaking with Carlston Walters of Caribbean Family History. This group assist family history researchers with overcoming their obstacles in researching their roots.

In todays episode I will be speaking with Carlston Walters of Caribbean Family History. This group assist family history researchers with overcoming their obstacles in researching their roots.

In this episode I speak with Dr Dexter Gabriel about Emancipation & Apprenticeship System in British Caribbean.

In this episode, we delve into the rich world of the Early Caribbean Digital Archive (ECDA) with the insights of Professors Nicole Aljo and Elizabeth Dillon, alongside their dedicated team.

We explore the origins and objectives of the ECDA, a publicly accessible archive platform that houses a vast collection of pre-20th century Caribbean materials. Learn about their mission to decolonize and democratize knowledge by surfacing hidden narratives, such as those of enslaved individuals, embedded within historical texts.

The team also shares their experiences and methodologies in curating and digitizing these invaluable resources, offering a glimpse into some fascinating exhibits like Obeah practices and Jamaican Heirs. Discover how you can navigate the archive, contribute to ongoing projects, and even use these resources for family research and educational purposes.

Join us for a compelling discussion on the importance of preserving and accessing Caribbean history, both for understanding our past and informing our present.

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating Indo-Caribbean heritage with our special guest, Jess from the Kalapani Archives. Jess discusses the significant history of the East Indian indenture labor system that spread across the Caribbean, Africa, and the South Pacific.

Learn about the inception of the Kalapani Archives, a repository that aims to shed light on this overlooked history and its relevance to present-day family research. Discover how Jess and her co-founder Tony, who met online through a shared interest in Indo-Caribbean history, have created a vibrant online community to unite descendants of Indian indentured laborers.

Join us as Jess provides insights into the origins and significance of the Kalapani Archives, the challenges faced, and the future initiatives planned to continue expanding this essential historical resource.

Use the strategies and hints in this video to trace your Caribbean ancestors. Before you know it you'll be on location just like on 'Who Do You Think You Are.' West Indian family history research is challenging but NOT impossible.

Myths and Misconceptions are holding you back from tracing your Caribbean Ancestors. Challenge your assumptions and take your research forward.

In this video, I dispel four common myths about West Indian family history.

How I traced my Caribbean ancestors back to the 18th century! The process of working on my family tree has helped me grow tremendously. Now I want to help you trace your Caribbean ancestors as far back as you can!