Just found this in genealogyintime Magazine: https://www.virgin-islands-history.org/en/search-the-records/ Great news for anyone with ancestors from the US Virgin Islands. The Danish National Archives has just launched a free new website to commemorate the day one hundred years ago in which the Dutch transferred the Territory of the Virgin Islands over to the United States. The website is called DanishWest Indies - Sources of History. "You can enter names, dates and places. A complete search guide is also available for anyone who requires assistance. Access is free."
Thanks Wendy......that is a valuable resource. I hadn't read my email yet, so missed it...shame on me, lol. Information can be sparse in the West Indies, but Jamaica is excellent. Will go and have a look, but 99.9% sure Ron has no one in the Virgin Islands. Cuba and Caymans yes.....but no records. Managed to find his great uncle who was raised in Cuba by a Figueroa relative via US immigration records and also his schooling at Med School in Washington. Heard from a Cuban descendant of his foster father that he was a very respected dentist in Havana, Cuba. Thrilled to get even that little bit!! Oh, short explanation. Ron's great-grandmother died in 1898 of "phthsis" leaving 9 children and the dentist was the youngest at 3 months (the oldest was 21 and Ron's grandfather). Husband was too grief stricken to look after them and they were raised by different family members.
ROFL at AM re dentist!! How true! As for West Indian genealogy, it is fascinating and such a melting pot! And I have a great mentor who knew Ron's aunt who taught me a lot about Jamaican life and idiosyncrasies, for lack of a better word. Ron's history is British and Spanish with a touch of freed slaves in the early 1800's.
Gosh, what a sad story about Ron's grandfather and family. I'm sure they were all well looked after and did well though
