>
Source: 
http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/148594/7263/156730

(27 apr 2007) The names of 100,000 slaves registered in Barbados in
  1834 go online today on an ancestry-tracing website that by the end
  of the year will contain the names of three million slaves in 23
  British colonies.
 





Here are some other resources
to consider when starting black
family history research:

ancestry

*www.everygeneration.co.uk* <http://www.everygeneration.co.uk>
A site dedicated to empowering
and influencing the black
community through history,
family genealogy and heritage.

ancestry

*www.black-history-month.co.uk* <http://www.black-history-month.co.uk>
Offers a wide range of detail and
forum space for celebrating and
learning about African and
Caribbean history and culture.

ancestry

*www.movinghere.org.uk* <http://www.movinghere.org.uk>
One of the biggest databases of
digitized photographs, maps,
objects, documents and audio on
black history. This site also has
some excellent guides on tracing
your black history.

ancestry

*www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
pathways/blackhistory* <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/>
This section of the national archives
has a great overview of black
history that helps put the bigger
picture in perspective.

ancestry

*www.channel4.com/history/
microsites/U/untold/* <http://www.channel4.com/history/>
This channel 4 resource has a
good section on how to trace
ancestors from the West Indies.


www.black-history-month.co.uk <http://www.black-history-month.co.uk>

*English Settlers in Barbados,
1637-1800. Search Here* <http://www.ancestry.co.uk/s31378/t10196/rd.ashx>

ancestry*
Former British Colonial Dependencies - Barbados Slave Register. Search 
Here * <http://www.ancestry.co.uk/s31377/t10197/rd.ashx>

ancestry
*Begin your family tree today for FREE* 
<http://www.ancestry.co.uk/s31335/t7746/rd.ashx>

ancestry*
Discover your ancestry with a
14 Day Free Trial* <http://www.ancestry.co.uk/s31334/t6414/rd.ashx>


	Barbados in the 18th and 19th centuries was a cornerstone for the 
British slave trade to the Caribbean, a British colony which enriched 
the Empire through its vast sugar producing plantations.

Over almost 200 years from the mid-1600s many thousands of black slaves 
were
transported from Africa to work the sugar plantations: the slave trade 
was not
abolished until 1807 and slavery until 1834.

Today, people all over the world are the descendents of these slaves and 
efforts
to trace their slave ancestors are being expedited by the increase in 
historical
records available online, the growing popularity of black family history 
and the
overcoming of research obstacles specific to black history.

Tracing black ancestry can be challenging, due mainly to inconsistent 
record
keeping in the 18th and 19th centuries in regard to slave ownership and low
literacy levels within black communities at the time.

Here are some helpful tips on getting started tracing your black ancestry
Step 1 – Family First

Your immediate relatives are the first step when it comes to tracing your
bloodline. Find out all you can from parents, grandparents,
uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters. Also look for any
family records lying around the house, in the attic, or at the
back of old cupboards. Write everything down and discard
nothing – it may be the piece in the puzzle you need later
on. If you can trace your four grandparent’s
lines to 1901 or before, then you can
take the next step.

Step 2 – Using the Census data

For any relatives that were living in the UK
before 1901, the *UK Census* 
<http://www.ancestry.co.uk/s31333/t7652/rd.ashx> can be used to
add branches to your family tree. These census
records were taken every 10 years from 1841
to *1901* <http://www.ancestry.co.uk/s31332/t7652/rd.ashx>. This data 
also has details of birthplace,
which you can use to trace the origins of
your family.

If your relatives came to Britain after 1901, then
search their couives (*www.nationalarchives.gov.uk* 
<http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk>), which has records of all
immigrants to Britain.

Step 3 – Tracing the slave owner
Once you know the country of origin of your ancestors, you can use local 
records
to trace when they came to that area, and if they were slaves, when they 
were
set free. And don’t just rely on the surname of your ancestor 
corresponding to
the slave owner’s surname, as this is not always the case – also use 
occupation
and address, age and birthplace (if listed). Parish records should also be
searched.

Step 4 – Research the slave owner and slavery
Once the name of the last slave owner is identified, the next step is to 
research
the history of slavery and understand the conditions, laws, customs, and
practices that governed slavery and enslaved Africans. Then you need to 
research the
slave owner to see what he did with his property, because slaves were 
property
— bought, sold, and traded. At this point you are doing the genealogy of 
the
slave owner as well as the genealogy of the slave. While it is twice the 
work, it
will also help you better understand the life and circumstances of your 
slave ancestor.

The Barbados Slave Register is an excellent place to search both your 
ancestors,
and their slave owners, while the Barbados Baptisms, Marriages and Wills 
may
help in further establishing the identity of slave owners.

ancestry



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