Barbados Genealogy

Barbados Genealogy

Barbados genealogy starts off with knowing that when Pedro a Campos, a Portuguese, first arrived on the island in the early 1500s, the island was uninhabited. Evidently, Barbados means bearded in English. And this name came about because Pedro saw moss hanging from the trees. Therefore, he name it Barbados because the moss looked like beards.

While time went on, the British would settle on the island in 1627. British settling on the island would lead to bringing Africans enslaved against their will. Consequently, through the cruelty of slavery, the island would grow crops that includes tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane. Enslaved people would not gain their freedom until 1834 but were taken advantage in other forms by their oppressors.

Barbados would gain their independence from Britain in 1966. Finally in 2021, Barbados announced that they would be building a museum, designed by architect David Adjaye. The site will be built next to the Newton Enslaved Burial Ground where 570 bodies of enslaved West Africans were discovered. The burial grounds contains men, women, and children from the transatlantic slave trade. Most importantly, the museum will house historical records from the slave trade along with many artifacts found during excavation.

Below are links to assist you with Barbados genealogy research. Some posts are related to other islands and are purposely provided as the information in them is general enough to assist you in your research. Happy researching!