While Afro-Caribbean genealogy research can be difficult, knowing where to look for records can make progress possible. We share 3 resources that can help as you research your Afro-Caribbean family history.
Many persons of Caribbean descent have African roots and the majority of those were enslaved. Genealogical research into Afro-Caribbean enslaved ancestors is possible, although the methodology is different than for their U.S. counterparts. While research can appear to be confusing due to the many countries that have been historically involved in Caribbean island land ownership, it does not have to be so.
Understanding Historical Context of the Caribbean
Today, there are more than 7,000 individual islands in the Caribbean covering an approximate 1 million square mile region. Of those 7,000, there are 13 sovereign nations and 12 dependent territories. Historically, the majority of those islands were divided amongst territories owned by the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Danish, all utilizing slave labor to harvest products such as sugar. Depending on which island or group of islands an ancestor derived from, it becomes essential to create a timeline of that island’s history and determine in what language those records were created and where they are housed today. Moreover, depending on that island’s history, records that were once created might no longer exist, or exist in an archival facility on the island, or exist in a collection within the former or current dependency such as the Archives Nationales d’Outre Mer (National Overseas Archives), located in Aix-en-Provence, France for records associated with former and current French colonies and dependencies.

Afro-Caribbean Genealogy: Enslaved Persons
As in the United States, enslaved persons in the Caribbean had no rights. They were considered property and were subject to the country’s individual laws regarding ownership. Different regions practiced different types of law, therefore created different types of records. In the early 19th century, British owned dependencies, such as Jamaica and Barbados, began creating an every name slave register once every three years. In the late 17th century, the Danish, who were diligent record keepers, began keeping Emancipation records, registers of free persons of color, slave auction records, and plantation records.
Moreover, each region emancipated those who were enslaved at different points in history. Haiti was the first in 1793. The British West Indies officially ended slavery on 1 August 1834, although most enslaved over the age of 6 were required to serve a forced apprenticeship for four years, thus, making the official date of emancipation in British-owned islands, 1 August 1838. In French-owned territories, slavery was abolished in 1848. The Dutch abolished slavery on 1 July 1863. Puerto Rico, under Spanish control, did not end slavery until 22 March 1873, while Cuba was the last Caribbean nation to end slavery on 7 October 1886.
It was also typical for islands in the Caribbean to have been contested and under different ownerships throughout their history. The island of Dominica, part of the Leeward Islands, was first established as a failed Spanish colony, then was a French colony, then British. Other islands are divided geographically. For example, St. Martin, a French collectivity, and St. Maarten, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is Dutch, but share the same geographic area. Some islands are independent, such as Barbados, while some are under a dependency, such as Aruba, which can make locating records confusing. The basics of Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean research begin with understanding the laws of the time, place, and history of the island before commencing. Many records documenting those formerly enslaved in the Caribbean are held in respective archival facilities, but some records can be located online. Below are three online databases which are useful to get started in Afro-Caribbean genealogy research:
Slave Registers: British Colonial Dependencies
Online and at the National Archives UK, Kew, microfilm publication T71
In 1807, England passed the Abolition of Slave Trade Act, making the trade in slaves from Africa to British colonies illegal. Thus, many of the British Colonies in the Caribbean began keeping registers of those enslaved. The online record collection, entitled Former British Colonial Dependencies, Slave Registers, 1813-1834 can be found on Ancestry.com and houses slave registers for various years in multiple countries. Additional records that have never been microfilmed are only available at the National Archives United Kingdom, located in Kew, Surrey, England. Examples of represented countries in the registers include Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, and Antigua. Slave registers will typically record the owner, their male and female enslaved, the enslaved diminutive name, then in parentheses with their baptismal name, the person’s color (negro or mulatto, or dark or light skinned), their age, if the person derived from Africa or were Creole (born on the island), and remarks, which are most often the name of their mother.
The image below shows a return of male slaves for the Parish of Manchester, Jamaica, 28 June 1829, in the possession of a John Daly acting as a trustee for John White. Note that mothers were named for persons of Creole descent, but not for persons of African descent. Also, many of the baptismal names had a different surname than their owner, disputing the myth that enslaved persons did not have surnames. Many of the formerly enslaved went by their baptismal name after Emancipation, therefore the names in parentheses are important to note when tracing a family forward or backwards in time.

Increases, or persons born on the plantation that year, were also recorded. The last entry on the page above was for James Forbes, a mulatto Creole child, age 1, with the remark, Kitty Wright, most likely his mother. Cross referencing the next page of the return, a slave register of the females, identified Litty, baptismal name Kitty Wright, as a 17-year-old Creole. Thus, James Forbes’ mother was most likely located along with her age.

Danish West Indies Slave Records
Online and at the National Archives, Washington D.C., microfilm publication M1883, Record Group 55.2
Danish West Indies, otherwise known as the Danish Antilles, consist of the islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix. They were occupied by the British from 1801-1802, again from 1807-1815, then sold to the United States in 1917. In most of their history, the islands were under Danish control, with records created in Danish. Because the United States acquired the Virgin Islands from Denmark, it also acquired many of its archival records and are housed at the National Archives in Washington D.C.
Original records regarding slavery in the Danish Antilles are held in the National Archives in Washington D.C. under microfilm publication M1883, Record Group 55.2, Records of the Government of the Danish West Indies 1672-1917. The record set can also be located on Ancestry.com in a database entitled U.S. Virgin Islands, Danish West Index Slave Records, 1672-1917 or for free on FamilySearch.org at Selected Records of the Danish West Indies, 1672-1917: essential records concerning slavery and emancipation by searching for Virgin Islands (U.S.) > Slavery and Bondage. These records are not indexed but contain information such as registers of free persons of color, slave censuses, and slave auctions. Researching these records require a solid grasp of the Danish language and dependent on the record, Gothic script.

Puerto Rico, Slave Census 1872
Online and at the National Archives, Washington D.C microfilm publication T-1121 , Record Group 186.2
Estimates of the total volume of enslaved Africans who landed in the Spanish Americas were between 200,000 and 300,000, some of whom arrived on islands such as Cuba and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico emancipated their enslaved on 22 March 1873, while Cuba did not free their enslaved until 1886. In 1872, the Spanish Government ordered that a special slave census be administered in Puerto Rico so that owners could be compensated for each freed slave. The schedule contains a wealth of information, such as name, slave owner, names of parents, names of children, and a physical description. The census is available at the National Archives in Washington D.C, microfilm publication T-1121, Record Group 186.2 under Records of the Spanish Governments of Puerto Rico, 1767-1880 or online for free at FamilySearch.org under the collection Registro central de esclavos, 1872 (slave schedule of Puerto Rico, 1872) by searching under Puerto Rico > Slavery and Bondage.

While the above examples can be located online, the majority of records for Afro-Caribbean genealogy are not. When beginning research into the enslaved era of the Caribbean, it is important to determine where each island’s documents are housed (whether locally or abroad), what is extant, and if those records are available to the public. Many times, that means contacting the representant archival facility though a phone call or email or sending a local researcher to examine record collections.
Legacy Tree Genealogists has a worldwide network of onsite researchers who can assist in gathering documentation and analyzing its contents to help extend your family history. Contact us today to request a free quote.
Do these records also cover the island of Bermuda?
Hi Jean. No, the record collections mentioned do not specifically cover this area. FamilySearch has slave registers for Bermuda for 1821,1827-1834. Here is the link for that collection: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/436939?availability=Family%20History%20Library. That’s the only collection we’re aware of that’s online. They are digitized with no restrictions. Good luck!
Your article caught my attention because I received an update last summer from 23&me stating a branch of my paternal lineage had genetic cousins tied to the Bahamas. I am researching the Black Laniers and Sheppards of Autauga County, Alabama. My research into the White Laniers show they had a presence there before the 1840s. I also understand the eastern most islands were a stop over point for west bound slave ships bringing their cargo to Cuba and eventually to the US. Would slave ship manifests of slaves from west Africa before 1840 likely be found in Bahama or UK archives? Thanks!
Hi, John. We would like to direct you to this guide on the British Trans Atlantic Slave Trade published online by the National Archives UK: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-transatlantic-slave-trade-records/. Please refer to item 4: “Records relating to transportation of slaves and goods,” which will describe which records have survived for which years and where they are located. If you would like additional assistance with your research, we would be happy to assist.
Hello,
I am researching My Husbands family tree,
Surnames so far
Solomon,Gordon, Lewis, and Jack.
all Born in either St Vincent or Trinidad.
I am in UK and unable to find anything on Ancestry,
many thanks
Hi Sarah. We would be happy to help you learn more about your ancestry. To get started, you may request a free quote here. We look forward to learning more about your research goals and how we can help!
Hi there, my family is from Jamaica and I have been running into some walls as far as where to begin looking for my ancestry. My mother’s last name is Smart and my father is Lloyd. Any advice for a starting point or any info based on those last names to start looking?
Hi Empress. This article on our blog serves as a great reference for getting started with Jamaican genealogy research: https://www.legacytree.com/blog/jamaican-ancestry. Good luck!
Hello, I am researching ancestors from Barbados, Grenada, possibly Venezuela. Surnames Atherley, Dottin/Dutton, and Estavia. I have found numerous Atherley’s and Dottin/Dutton’s in Barbados, however it is proving difficult to find out who is my ancestor. What tips can you give?
Hello, I am interested in finding out more about my Puerto Rican and Dominican DNA cousins. Recently i found this out thru DNA. I was always told i looked Spannish but I always said I was not and then DNA came about. This is relaly new to me. There is not a lot of Spanish, but it did come up. According to 23 and Me, I have a gggg grandparent/s that lived between 1710-1830. It could be greatter, but this is the time frame they gave me. This person or persons would be of Spanish and Portuguese descent. I do have an ancestry tree and I took DNA tests. 23 and Me indicates Spanish descent while ancestry does not however, ancestry.com has most of my cousins with Spansish descent. This is interesting. Your help would be appreciated. With all honesty, I have DNA cousins from different Spanish countries, however these are the two, I am more interested right now. Puerto rico and the Dominican Republic
Note: I am black, so I know this may be a little more difficult to find out info but I am willing to keep trying.
we’re does Gilbert come from our own place said just last name of holder am I just lost too the trade from trans Atlantic??????
Hi – this research can be challenging, but also very rewarding. Happy to help if you’d like!
Hello,
I am looking for information on my great grandfather whose last name was PHILLIP. I have got his assumed birth and accurate death date ( he died in Trinidad). He was black or mulato.
I have done research on Familytree archives, Myheritage, Ancestry….
There were a lot of Phillip s in Barbados, a few in Trinidad…
Information is really difficult to trace, probably because of slavery….
Could you please help ?
Thank you so much !!
Henriette
Hi Henriette,
Thank you for reaching out to us! I would like to get you in touch with one of our genealogists to help you to find the missing pieces. We can point you in the right direction and give you a free estimate if research is needed. Please contact us by filling out the form on our Get in Touch page.
I’ve been looking for documents from the 1800’s from Tortola and Jost van Dyke, which were part of Leeward Islands between 1876-1956 and LinkedIn to Barbados. However I can barely find any on familysearch (only church registrations) and on the UK national archives. Do you know any other website where I might be able to find such documents (maybe census)? Thank you!
Hi Gwyneth,
Thank you so much for the reply. This question is better answered by one of our researchers who can help you if you seemed to have hit a brick wall in your research. Please fill out our contact form to get a free estimate on a consultation or research.
I am searching for my paternal great-grandmother. My grandmother was Leotta Elgiva Taylor, married to Harcourt McClean. Both were born in Barbados, possibly St. Michael’s parish. Thank you for any and all assistance.
Hi Cynthia, sometimes family histories can seem confusing, especially without detailed background information. Our team conducts detailed, personalized research in millions of family history records, spanning hundreds of years to tell you who your ancestors were, where they lived, and much more. Please consider scheduling a consultation with one of our client solutions specialists on our Get in Touch page. They can point you in the right direction or provide a free estimate if a research project is needed.
I am looking to verify the routes of my ancestors on both my Father and Mother’s sides. Maternal Great-Grandfather was Chung-a-Sam (or Sang), listed as a Native of Suriname (Dutch Guiana) on my Grandmother’s birth certificate. The oral history was that he was of Chinese descent. I am inclued to believe Indonesian as well. My Maternal Grandmother was born in 1918 in Guyana (British Guiana), South America.
Maternal Grandfather has written and spoken about his ancestor Satira/Sataira having been born in Louisiana on or about 1792 and “marrying” a Captain John Millington (allegedly a Scotsman), thus acquiring his name. I need to verify if she was born, lived and worked enslaved in Louisiana and/or Virginia before being sent on a ship about 1820 to British Guiana. She birthed several children with the surname Millington in Guyana.
Paternal Grandmother was Erskine of a Haynes (Barbados) mother and Erskine (Barbados or British Guiana) Father. Need to confirm travel from Barbados to Guiana in mid-late 1800s.
Hi, Dela! What an interesting history to uncover! If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our experts to help you find what you’re looking for, you can fill out the form here: https://www.legacytree.com/contact-us
Finding information on my grandmother’s relocation from Salamanca, Spain, to Cuba in 1907 is very significant to me. Josefa Sillero is my grandmother; she was born in Spain’s Valero Salamanca. a 24 July 1880 birthdate. Father Juan Sillero and mother Agueda Munoz were both names for her parents. I would like proof of how she traveled to Cuba and that she lived in Cuba. Can you help with this request. Thank You
Hi Lily! We’d love to help you out with this project. You can fill out a form on this webpage to get the ball rolling!