The Barbados-Carolina Connection
The historical connections between Charleston and Barbados run deep. Many of the colonists who founded the Carolina colony came to South Carolina from Barbados. Barbadians’ political, economic and cultural influence were great in the earliest years of the colony. In the first two decades after settlement, the majority of Carolina’s inhabitants – free and enslaved – came from Barbados.
The success of sugar cultivation in Barbados by the 1660s propelled that island to the position of the wealthiest of the English colonies in the New World. As the island’s wealth grew, so did the number of colonists seeking opportunity in Barbados.
The population of Barbados boomed, and available land for cultivation grew scarce on this, an island about 1/5 the size of present-day Charleston. By 1670, Barbados’ population was estimated at 60,000 inhabitants. Approximately 60% of that number were enslaved Africans.
Barbadians’ political, economic and cultural influence were great in the earliest years of the colony. In the first two decades after settlement, the majority of Carolina’s inhabitants – free and enslaved – came from Barbados.
Some of the Lowcountry families with ties to Barbados include the Brewton, Bull, Colleton, Elliott, Fenwick, Gibbes, Harleston, Jenkins, Mathews, and Middleton families. Many other Lowcountry families have roots in Barbados.
If your family has roots in Barbados, here are resources to help you get started with Barbados genealogy.
Tracing Barbados Genealogy Online
Many Barbados records are online. Most are free. Start with these comprehensive guides:
Tracing Ancestors in Barbados:
Caribbean Roots: Caribbean Ancestry and Heritage
Digital Library of the Caribbean
Barbados Family Research Reference Guide by Donald L. Hinson, Jr.
Center for Barbados Studies in History and Genealogy
Caribbean Genealogy Research by Jim Lynch: an incredible compendium of Barbados records online
Books: Barbados Research Guides
Tracing Ancestors in Barbados: A Practical Guide
by Geraldine Lane
Published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, USA www.genealogical.com
Paperback 6×9 ins 155 pages
Price: US$18.95, Bds$38.00
You can download a free E-Book with excerpts from each chapter of this book
Tracing Your West Indian Ancestors
By Guy Grannum
Published by The National Archives Press
ISBN-10: 1903365384
ISBN-13: 978-1903365380
A comprehensive guide to Barbados records held at the UK National Archives.
More Online Resources
Barbados Family Research Reference Guide by Donald L. Hinson, Jr.
Center for Barbados Studies in History and Genealogy
Caribbean Genealogy Research by Jim Lynch: an incredible compendium of Barbados records online
West Indian Plantations from Geraldine Lane, author ofTracing Ancestors in Barbados: A Practical Guide
ELearning Teachers’ Resources – Barbados/Carolina Connection from SCETV, Lesson plans for exploring the Lowcountry’s connection to Barbados
Barbados and Carolinas Legacy Foundation The Barbados and Carolinas Legacy Foundation was formed as a bridge to facilitate business, education, historical and cultural collaboration between Barbados and the Carolinas.
Research in Barbados
Barbados Department of Archives
Contact: Department of Archives, Lazaretto Building, Black Rock, St Michael, Barbados, tel: (246) 425-1380, email: bda@caribsurf.com
What’s There:
- Census Records
- Immigration Records
- Emigration Records
- Deeds
- Powers of Attorney
- Wills, Probate Records
- Voter Registers
- Military Records
- Index of Plantation Owners, 1630s-1950s
- Manumission (Emancipation) Records
- Parish Records: Birth, Marriages, Baptisms, Deaths
- Church Records
- Almanacs, Directories
Barbados Museum and Historical Society Library
Contact: Barbados Museum & Historical Society, St. Ann’s Garrison, St. Michael, Barbados, tel: (246) 427-0201, email: museum@caribsurf.com
What’s There:
- Early Newspapers
- Plantation Records
- Card Index of Plantation Owners
- Church Records
- Almanacs, Directories
The National Library Service
National Library Service, Public Services Division, Coleridge St, Bridgetown, Barbados, tel: (246) 426-6081, email: natlib@caribsurf.com
What’s There:
- Slave Compensation Claims