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Historical books online
*Also see External links and Historical books online, below.
*Also see [[General Register Office]] [United Kingdom] for general information about birth, marriage and death records for British nationals abroad.
*Also see [[Chaplains Returns]] for general information about birth, marriage and death records for British Army soldiers and their families abroad, as there were British Army regiments stationed in the West Indies.*FamilySearch, a free website, contains transcribed records relating to the Caribbean, and in addition many images. From the list of all [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list Historical Record Collections], use the filters on the left right hand side of the webpage to select "Caribbean and Central America". Note there are some overall Caribbean databases, and also specific country databases. There may be additional databases found by [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search/ Searching the Catalog]. Alternatively, from the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/ Records/ Search page], first click on Browse Places, then click on the map for the Caribbean/West Indies area, and select a country. However, check that the overall Caribbean databases are also included through the specific country pages.
:Historical Images, reached from FamilySearch/Search/Images is an alternative way of accessing records available as images on your home computer, but will not access databases only available as transcribed indexes, or records which are only available at Family History Centres, or FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries.
:Also see External records below for the FamilySearch Wiki page.
**[https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP1013 Digitisation of Wills, Deed Books and Powers of Attorney for St Vincent, 1785-1865 (EAP1013)]. Related digitised projects are [https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP345 EAP345], which includes one Book of Wills, and [https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP688 EAP688] Deed Books.
** [https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP1086 Preserving and digitising the historic newspaper, ''The Barbados Mercury Gazette'' (EAP1086)]. Editions from 1783 to 1848 (broken range). These same digital files appear to be also available on the Digital Library of the Caribbean, see External links, below. '''Update''' 9 August 2021. Also available as “Free to View Pages” on the otherwise pay websites Findmypast and British Newspaper Archive. Pages are searchable. Details<ref name=BNA>[https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/free-newspapers "Explore over one million historical newspaper pages for Free"] 9 August 2021 Findmypast Blog. [https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2021/08/09/introducing-free-to-view-pages-on-the-british-newspaper-archive/ "Introducing Free to View Pages on the British Newspaper Archive"] British Newspaper Archive Blog 9 August 2021. It is necessary however to register. Searching is generally better on BNA.</ref>.
**[https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP1251 Digitisation of the Historic Newspaper, The Barbadian (EAP1251)] (1822-1863) from Barbados. These same digital At least some of these files will probably are also become available on the Digital Library of the Caribbean (but they do not appear to be there at 5 Sept 2020). '''Update''' 9 August 2021. Also available as “Free to View Pages” on the otherwise pay websites Findmypast and British Newspaper Archive. Pages are searchable. Details<ref name=BNA/>.
**[https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP914 The Turks and Caicos Islands (EAP914)] and [https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP408 The Turks and Caicos Islands (EAP408)]. The former collection includes birth, marriage and death records, at least some of which have been indexed and are available as three free databases on the otherwise pay website Findmypast, see next item.
*[https://search.findmypast.co.uk/historical-records Findmypast: Search A-Z of record sets] (located as an option under the Search tab). [[Findmypast]] is a pay website. Use Search terms such as Caribbean, or West Indies, or individual island names such as Barbados, or Jamaica. Findmypast indicates that at least some of the Barbados records are sourced via the International Genealogical Index<ref>[https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-febraury-2629656939.html Findmypast Friday February 22nd 2019].</ref> (from [[FamilySearch]]), although the databases themselves do not give this information. Some of the Jamaica databases are stated to be created through the International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) and it is possible that others (perhaps most) also come from FamilySearch. The database "St Kitts & Nevis Baptisms 1716-1881" was added 9 July 2021, from Anglican parishes, source not otherwise stated, but probably not FamilySearch. These records will generally require what was previously called a Findmypast World subscription, now called a Pro subscription, (however FamilySearch records are free on FamilySearch, see above).
:** ''St. Kitts Daily Express'' (Details of this publication<ref name= Feb08/>.) [https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/st-kitts-daily-express BNA page]. Added Feb 2, 2021. Available years 1884, 1886, with 1884–1915 planned. Added Jul 27, 2022 newspapers for 1906, 1909-1915.
:*St. Lucia
:**''Voice of St. Lucia'' (Details of this publication<ref name=June21/>.) [https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/voice-of-st-lucia BNA page]. Added Jun 14, 2022 and Jun 22, 2022 with earliest issue: January 31, 1885 and latest issue: December 25, 1915 with planned coverage to 1927. Added Jul 20, 2022 newspapers for 1889. 1916 added Feb 22, 2024.
:*Trinidad and Tobago
:**''The Trinidad Chronicle'' (Brief details of this publication <ref>[https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2022/08/15/hot-off-the-press-new-titles-this-week-3/ "Hot Off the Press – New Titles This Week"] 15 August 2022. britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.</ref>.) [https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/trinidad-chronicle BNA page]. Added Aug 10-12, 2022 with earliest issue: November 11, 1864 and latest issue: September 30, 1885.
*[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/cardcatalog.aspx Ancestry Card Catalogue of all Record Databases] (located as an option under the Search tab). Ancestry is a pay website. Use Search terms such as Caribbean, or individual island names such as Barbados, or Jamaica. Note some of the databases are FamilySearch data, see above (where it is free data).
:Also included is the Ancestry database "Caribbean, English Settlers in Barbados, 1637-1800" (located in BMD) from a series of six books (one of baptisms, two of marriages and three of wills) published 1979-1984 by Joanne McRee Sanders using data from copied parochial registers in the Barbados Department of Archives. The books ''Barbados Records Baptisms 1637-1800'' and ''Barbados Records Marriages, 1643-1800, Volume 1'' which are part of this Ancestry database are available online (free), see below.
:Ancestry also includes the database [https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1897/ "England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976"]. This is part of the Birth, Marriage & Death, including Parish, section of pay website Ancestry database and holds some genealogical information relating to countries "abroad" [from England], compiled from from newspapers and various official sources. Search by name or individual country such as Jamaica. Includes filings under the Colonial Probates Act of 1892 (which recognized probates from courts in British possessions).
:Ancestry also includes databases from the books ''Scots in the West Indies, 1707-1857'' by David Dobson 1998 (there was subsequently a Volume 2 published in 2006, which appears '''not''' to be included in the Ancestry database, which is located in "Immigration & Emigration") and ''The Original Scots Colonists of Early America. Caribbean Supplement 1611-1707'' by David Dobson 1999 (located in "Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Reference"). See [[Scotland]] for some background about the Scottish diaspora.
*For further books by David Dobson available online, see Historical books online below.
**[https://dloc.com/cndl Caribbean Newspaper Digital Library]. [https://dloc.com/title-sets Explore Title Sets] Search for newspaper titles. [https://dloc.com/title-sets?title=Gazette Titles including Gazette] Includes Government and official Gazettes. Mainly online editions appear to date from the 1950s, although there are some earlier ones, such as
***[https://dloc.com/title-sets/AA00047511 ''Barbados Mercury, and Bridge-town Gazette''] 1783 to 1848.
***[https://dloc.com/title-sets/AA00071028 ''Barbadian''] 1822-18251832, and 1855.
***[https://dloc.com/title-sets/UF00094730 ''Port of Spain Gazette''] Trinidad. 1825 to 1920s.
***[https://www.dloc.com/title-sets/AA00079373 ''San Fernando Gazette''] Trinidad 1850 to 1896.
*:These seven volumes are available as a database on Ancestry (pay website), searchable with images, as "U.S., Directory of Scottish Settlers in North America, 1625-1825", located in "Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal", introduced 2021/08/05.
*[http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00001365/00001 ''The Jews of Jamaica: Tombstone Inscriptions, 1663-1880''] Richard D. Barnett and Philip Wright c 1997. Digital Library of the Caribbean.
:[https://archive.org/details/the-jews-of-eighteenth-century-jamaica-a-testamentary-history-of-a-diaspora-in-transition/mode/2up ''The Jews Of Eighteenth Century Jamaica. A Testamentary History Of A Diaspora In Transition''] by Stanley Mirvis 2020. Archive.org
*[https://archive.org/details/naturalizationso24grea/page/n27/mode/2up Pages 1-6] ''Naturalizations of foreign Protestants in the American and West Indian colonies : (pursuant to statute 13 George II. c. 7)'' being Volume 24, ''The Publications of the Huguenot Society of London'' edited by M S Giuseppi 1921 Archive.org. These records relate to Jamaica 1740-1751 and most relate to Jewish persons.
*[https://archive.org/details/medicalregisterf1783lond/page/168/mode/2up "West Indies"] pages 169-172 ''The Medical Register for the year 1783''. Archive.org.
*[https://archive.org/details/b24850135/page/n11/mode/2up ''The Barbados Handbook''] by E Goulburn Sinckler 1912 Archive.org. [https://archive.org/details/hndbk-barbados-1913/page/n9/mode/2up ''1913 2nd edition, New and Revised''] Archive.org
:[https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-rbsc_royal-register-jamaica_octavo-6805-17591 ''The Royal Register and Jamaica Almanac, for the year 1810''] including [https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-rbsc_royal-register-jamaica_octavo-6805-17591/page/n149/mode/2up "Jamaica"] page 134 and [https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-rbsc_royal-register-jamaica_octavo-6805-17591/page/n153/mode/2up "Jamaica Lists"] page 136. Archive.org
:[https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcscd.00411437553/?sp=9 ''Jamaica Almanac for the year 1846''] Ninth year of publication. Compiled by William Cathcart. Library of Congress loc.gov. [https://archive.org/details/jamaica-almanack-1846/page/n7/mode/2up Archive.org mirror version].
:[https://archive.org/search?query=title%3A%22Handbook+of+Jamaica%22&sort=date ''The Handbook of Jamaica'' at Archive.org] broken range of editions from 1881 to 19371949, (not published 1940-45). Archive.org. One of the editions catalogued 1908 is in fact 1903.
: Other sources: 1791, 1795 and 1798 editions are available on the library subscription website "Eighteenth century collections online". 1825 edition is believed to be on the Gale library subscription database "The Making of the Modern World". See [[Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories]].
*''The Grenada Handbook, Directory and Almanac''. [https://archive.org/details/grenadahandbook00unkngoog/page/n5/mode/2up 1897] compiled by Edward Drayton, Colonial Secretary. 1897. Second Year of Issue. [https://archive.org/details/grenadahandbook01unkngoog 1902] compiled by The Colonial Secretary. Seventh year of issue. Archive.org.
*[https://archive.org/details/st-lucia-handbook/page/n21/mode/2up ''The St. Lucia Handbook, Directory, and Almanac for the year…1901''] compiled by Everard G Garraway 1901 Archive.org.
*[https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00000050/00001 ''The Trinidad almanac and public register, for the year of our Lord, 1827''], [https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00000050/00001/9j Index]. Digital Library of the Caribbean.[https://archive.org/details/trinidad-almanac-images/mode/2up Archive.org mirror version]
:''The Trinidad Official and Commercial Register and Almanack. Compiled from Official Records, Etc. By Authority''
:*[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=o7E0AAAAMAAJ&pg=PP3 1882] 17th Year of publication; [https://books.google.com.au/books?id=hQJQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3 1888] 23rd year of publication. Both by R J Lechmere Guppy. Google Books. Archive.org mirror versions [https://archive.org/details/trinidad-register-1882/page/n1/mode/2up 1882], [https://archive.org/details/trinidad-register-1888/page/3/mode/2up 1888].:* Title change to ''The Trinidad and Tobago ...'' [https://books.google.com.au/books?id=WMUj72AR5VMC&pg=PP1 1894] published 1893. 29th Year of Issue; [https://books.google.com.au/books?id=E29EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 1896] published 1895. 31st Issue. Both by James Henry Collens. Google Books. Archive.org mirror versions [https://archive.org/details/trinidad-register-1894/page/n1/mode/2up 1894], [https://archive.org/details/trinidadt-register-1896/page/n3/mode/2up 1896]. [http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~guppyross/genealogy/trinidad/TrinidadAlmanac1899.pdf Limited transcriptions, 1899 edition] from an edition held at the National Archives of Trinidad & Tobago. freepages.rootsweb.com/~guppyross.
:*The title subsequently changed to''Trinidad and Tobago Year Book''. Initially compiled by J H Collens, then by C B Franklin and alternatively titled ''Franklin's Year Book''.
::[https://archive.org/search?query=title%3A%28%22Trinidad+and+Tobago+Year+Book%22%29&sort=date ''Trinidad and Tobago Year Book'' at Archive.org] broken range from 1911-1948, plus 1966. Archive.org
:[https://archive.org/search.php?query=title%3A%28The+history%2C+civil+and+commercial%2C+of+the+British+colonies+in+the+West+Indies%29&sort=-date Additional editions Archive.org]
*[https://archive.org/details/b21459484/page/n7/mode/2up ''Observations on the diseases of the army in Jamaica and on the best means of preserving the health of Europeans in that climate : also, Observations on the hepatitis of the East Indies''] by John Hunter 3rd edition 1808, first published 1788, (2nd edition 1796) Archive.org. He was in charge of the military hospitals in Jamaica from the beginning of 1781 until May 1783.
*[https://archive.org/details/west-india-directory-norie-1827/page/n7/mode/2up ''West India Directory; containing instructions for navigating the Caribbee or Windward and Leeward Islands, Porto Rico, Hayti ... Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas; together with the harbours ... of America, etc.''] by J. W Norie 1827 Archive.org. There were also later editions. [https://navalmarinearchive.com/bibliography/norie.html John William Norie, 1772-1843] navalmarinearchive.com
:''West Indies Directory'' [Sailing Directions], in Six Parts by James Imray and Son, London (Publisher). All Archive.org
:*[https://archive.org/details/west-indies-directory-part1-1869/page/n1/mode/2up ''Part 1 Cuba, with the Bahama Islands and Banks, the Florida Reef, and the Windward Passages''] 1869
:*[https://archive.org/details/west-indies-directory-part2/page/n3/mode/2up ''Part 2 Haiti or San Domingo, and Jamaica''] 1870
:*[https://archive.org/details/west-indies-directory-part4/page/n1/mode/2up ''Part 4 The Gulf of Mexico''] 1870
:*[https://archive.org/details/widirectorypart1to4-1902/page/n7/mode/2up ''Parts 1-4, including Part 3 The Bay of Honduras from Cape Gracias to Cape Catoche''] 1898-1902
:*[https://archive.org/details/west-indies-directory-part5/page/n5/mode/2up ''Part 5 Puerto Rico and the Caribbee Islands; Part 6 The Coasts of Colombia and Mosquito''] 1897
*''Jamaica: its Past and Present State'' by James M Phillippo, Baptist Missionary 1843. [https://archive.org/details/jamaicaitspasta00mursgoog/page/n10 London Edition 1843], [https://archive.org/details/jamaicaitspastpr00phil/page/n7 USA Edition 1843] Archive.org.
*[https://archive.org/details/west-indies-capadose/page/n7/mode/2up ''Sixteen Years in the West Indies, Volumes 1 and 2''] by Lieutenant Colonel Capadose [Henry] 1845 Archive.org.
*[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=hA9cAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP5 ''Sessional Papers, House of Lords Session 1847-8. Volume 40 Reports from Commissioners: Colonial Possessions''] Includes Bermuda from page 33 and West Indies from page 44. Google Books.
*[https://archive.org/details/moraviansinjamai00buch/page/n5 ''The Moravians in Jamaica: History of the Mission of the United Brethren's Church to the Negroes'' ...] by J. H. Buchner 1854 Archive.org.
*First World War period: [https://westindiacommittee.org/historyheritageculture/category/the-caribbeans-great-war/ The Caribbean's Great War] includes links to a number of books including ''The Trinidad Merchants and Planters Contingent 1915-1918 Records of service'' by Henry Dow, 1925, [https://westindiacommittee.org/historyheritageculture/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Record-of-Service-of-Member-of-The-Trinidad-Merchants-and-Planters-Contingent.pdf direct pdf link]. Alternatively [https://westindiacommittee.org/historyheritageculture/archives/ Search the Archive] westindiacommittee.org.
*[http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00078553/00001 ''The Red Book of the West Indies historical and descriptive, commercial and industrial, facts, figures, & resources''] by Allister Macmillan 1922. Digital Library of the Caribbean.
*[https://archive.org/details/guideforthestudy010969mbp/page/n3/mode/2up ''A Guide for the Study of British Caribbean History 1763-1834 including the Abolition and Emancipation Movements''] by Lowell Joseph Ragatz 1932 . [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.85514/page/n3/mode/2up 2nd file]. Both Archive.org
*[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.80481/page/n7/mode/2up ''In The West Indies. Sketches and Studies in Tropic Seas and Islands''] by John C Van Dyke 1932 Archive.org. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles_Van_Dyke John Charles Van Dyke] Wikipedia. American art historian, critic, and nature writer.
*[https://archive.org/details/WhenceTheBlackIrishOfJamaica/page/n4/mode/1up ''Whence the "Black Irish" of Jamaica?''] by Joseph J. Williams, SJ 1932. Archive.org
**[https://archive.org/details/british-honduras-gregg/page/n1/mode/2up ''British Honduras''] by A R Gregg 1968
**[https://archive.org/details/jamaica-abrahams/page/n1/mode/2up ''Jamaica. An Island Mosaic''] by Peter Abrahams 1957
*[https://archive.org/details/historyofbahamas0000mich/page/n5/mode/2up ''A History of the Bahamas''] by Michael Craton 1962. Archive.org Books to Borrow
*[https://archive.org/details/travellerstreejo0000ferm_p3m3/mode/2up ''The Traveller's Tree : a journey through the Caribbean Islands''] by Patrick Leigh Fermor 1986, first published 1950. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
*''History of the Jews of the Netherlands Antilles'' by Isaac S and Suzanne A Emmanuel 1970. [https://archive.org/details/BNA-DIG-HISTORY-JEWS-NA-I/page/n7/mode/2up ''Volume 1 History''], [https://archive.org/details/BNA-DIG-HISTORY-JEWS-NA-II/page/n5/mode/2up ''Volume 2 Appendices''] Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
*[https://archive.org/details/islandsofcommonw00medi/mode/2up ''Islands of the Commonwealth Caribbean : a regional study''] by Sandra W. Meditz and Dennis M. Hanratty, Library of Congress, Federal Research Division 1989. Includes a
**[https://archive.org/details/islandsofcommonw00medi/page/12/mode/2up historical overview of the region] from page 12.
*[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.85514/page/n3germansintrinida00deve/mode/2up ''A Guide for the Study of British Caribbean History 1763-1834 including the Abolition and Emancipation MovementsThe Germans in Trinidad''] by Lowell Joseph Ragatz 1932. Anthony de Verteuil 1994 Archive.orgBooks to Borrow.
*[https://archive.org/details/bibliographyofca0000gosl/page/n5/mode/2up ''A Bibliography of the Caribbean''] by Marian Goslinga 1996 Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library
*''The Sugar Barons : Family, Corruption, Empire, and War in the West Indies'' by Matthew Parker, first published 2011. [https://archive.org/details/sugarbaronsfamil0000park_a8m5/mode/2up File 1, 2011], [https://archive.org/details/sugarbaronsfamil0000park_x6r6/mode/2up File 2, 2012] Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. Barbados, Jamaica and the Leeward Islands from 1650.
*[https://archive.org/details/bwb_KR-252-420/mode/2up ''A Guide to Records in Barbados''] by M J Chandler 1965. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
*[https://archive.org/details/tracingancestors0000lane/mode/2up ''Tracing Ancestors in Barbados : a Practical Guide''] by Geraldine Lane 2006. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. '''Note''', due to the date of publication, any references to digital sources are likely to be out of date.
*[https://archive.org/details/tracingyourcarib0000gran/mode/2up ''Tracing your Caribbean Ancestors : a National Archives Guide''] [UK] by Guy Grannum. 3rd edition 2012, (first published 1995, 2nd edition 2002). Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. '''Note''', due to the date of publication, any references to digital sources are likely to be out of date. However, also see the website ''Caribbean Roots'' above, by the author.
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