Ancestors from the Caribbean

Records of the former Colonial Office are now held by TNA (opens new window) and these can be of great use. They include:

• Original correspondence - this includes: 
  • Accounts of rebellions and invasions
  • Payments for relief following such events
  • Land grants
  • Reports and proceedings from courts
  • Grants of freedom returns
  • Militia lists
  • Inhabitants lists
  • Petitions
  • Testimonials for grants of naturalisation
  • Civil servant applications.
• Registers of correspondence - these are most useful as finding aids for original correspondence.
• Entry books and out letters - volumes of letters sent out by the Colonial Office to governments, officials and individuals between the 17th century and 1926.
• Blue Books - the books record population, education, employment, religion and import and export statistics for each colony. They also hold lists of public employees.
• Sessional papers - these are local government proceedings and include grants of freedom and government appointments.
• Government gazettes - information contained in these varies across the colonies, but some may contain useful information including: 
  • Births, marriages and deaths notices
  • Probate matters
  • Tax lists
  • Voters lists
  • Notices of the arrival and departure of shipping (some with lists of first class passengers)
  • Lists of public servants
  • Lists of applicants for gun, liquor and dog licences
  • Sales and transfers of land and property
  • Grants of naturalisation.
• Acts - These include: 
  • Grants of freedom
  • Grants of land
  • Grants of naturalisation
  • People transported or deported
  • Sales of land for debt recovery
  • Appointments of officials
• Naval Office returns - These record information about ships arriving and departing.