Ainsley Harriott, one of Britain’s most popular celebrity chefs, headed out to the Caribbean to discover his roots.
He had long thought that his grandmother’s family came to Jamaica as indentured labourers from India. However, on starting his research he discovered a very different path to the one he had imagined.
To discover more about his grandfather’s side of the family, Ainsley headed to Barbados to learn about his great-grandfather’s army career in the West India Regiment. He had always assumed that some of his ancestors had been enslaved, but actually discovered that the truth was very different.
If your ancestor served in the British Army you may be able to find their records at The National Archives. Our research guide gives you some tips on tracking down soldier records.
If you are researching relatives from the Caribbean start your investigation with your immediate family. They may still remember the journey to Britain, or point you towards relatives who still live in the country of origin.
Researching your ancestry may involve plenty of travel. This may be necessary as far more information is passed on through oral tradition, and less in written form. The National Archives does not hold locally created records of Barbados so you will not find birth, marriage, death or census records here.
2007 saw the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British transatlantic slave trade. The National Archives holds records about the trade and its abolition, including some slave registers.
Although The National Archives does not hold locally created records for the Caribbean we do hold colonial records, which provide a fascinating insight into Caribbean history.
Barbados Department of Archives (the archive has no website)
Black Rock St. Michael, Barbados, West Indies
Telephone: (246) 425 1380 or (246) 424 1270 Fax: (246) 425 5911
Email: bda@caribsurf.com or archives@sunbeach.net
Jamaica Archives
Spanish Town, Jamaica
Telephone: (876) 984 2581
The Registrar General, Vital Records Information
Twickenham Park, Spanish Town, Jamaica
Telephone: (876) 984 3041
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