Slavery – Purchase of Freedom in the Caribbean
While going through slave records and researching information on slavery, one of the things that caught my attention was the ability of slaves to purchase their freedom. This of course only exists in certain islands controlled by specific European countries. At one time individuals who escaped slavery from British colonized islands could attain their freedom…
Finding Passengers in the US Virgin Islands 1906 to 1947
I always enjoy speaking to people about Caribbean culture, it’s history, and the information I come across along the way just speaking to people. One such event was speaking to an individual who was giving me a ride back to my place after returning a rental after coming back from a business trip. As we…
Comerio Church Records 1832 – 1940
While Puerto Rico is only 100 miles long by 35 miles wide, it contains many municipalities. Comerio is surrounded by 6 municipalities and sits on the eastern side and centered. While many of us think of our families that are dealing with the effects of Hurricane Mary, I cannot stop thinking of what our ancestors…
Matanzas Cuba Government Records on Slavery
The research for documents on our African ancestors is one of the biggest challenges that we face. Fortunately, many of us who descend from those enslaved in the Caribbean have found an option in discovering more about who these ancestors are. Up until recently, it was difficult to locate records on our African ancestors out…
Researching My African Diaz and Nunez Ancestors in Trujillo Alto Puerto Rico
So this is the record of my 3rd great grandfather, Angel Diaz Nunez on my father’s paternal side. He is Manuela’s Diaz’s grandfather. This line is known to inter-exchange the Nunez with Diaz line. This is because this line is of African descent and Angel Nunez and all of his children and grandchildren were black…
Fajardo Digitized Church Records 1766 to 1946
Fajardo, which was founded in 1760, and is an eastern municipality facing the Atlantic Ocean, has a church called Santiago Apostol. We are fortunate to have these church records filmed since many of Loiza records are gone. While not all books start in 1766, the death records do, which provides visibility to those who live…