The Genealogy Journey

Diasporic Disruption: Forging New Caribbean Imaginaries Through Digital Technologies Study

5/3/2021

For over 6 years I managed a Facebook group called Jamaican Genealogy Resources which was created to support family researchers with various levels of experience. This year I decided to pass the torch so that I would have more time for my own family research.

However in September 2020 I was approached by Emeka Forbes to have the JGR group members to participate in a study he was conducting. Emeka who was studying at the University of London was researching culture and identity in the Caribbean diaspora. He was born in the UK, the grandson of Jamaican migrants who left the Caribbean in the 1950s and 60s. Through his own research into ancestry, Emeka has found family connections spanning Jamaica, the US, Canada, Ireland and more. As part of a research project supervised by renowned social and cultural geographer Dr Olivia Sheringham, Emeka was currently exploring how members of the Caribbean diaspora use digital media and technology to develop ideas about personal, collective and national identity — with a focus on collaborative peer research into ancestry.

In January Emeka presented his study to the group. You can listen to the podcast here: and read the full research behind this episode here.

Enjoy!

Genealogy - What's the big deal?

17/12/2015

I am often asked why am so obsessed with this genealogy "stuff"?

It started with my Dad who for years has always wanted to know more about his family. He never really knew his father's siblings and therefore knew nothing of any cousins or ancestors. As his father was 50 years old when my Dad was born, most of my Grandfather's siblings had left Jamaica for the US by the time my Dad was a teen.

In 1992 one of my Dad's older cousins passed away. He was a first cousin, 37 years my Dad's senior. He was a well loved larger than life character and many attended his funeral. This was one of few funeral's I had attended in my life and I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to encounter so many relatives I never knew! It was more like a celebration of life and family. At the reception I spend my time socializing and getting contact information for everyone. We all thought "wouldn't it be a great idea to have a family reunion?".

Well needless to say those were the days of snail mail and long distance calling was a luxury! So, we never really followed up with each other and a reunion never happen.

Over the years Dad continued to gather bits and pieces of family info with my sister doing research when she could. Dad even purchased Family Tree Maker (FTM) software to store his findings. Fast forward 18 years. . . . . Dad buys a new computer he can't get the old version of FTM to work. So I told him that with the age of technology there are like lots of programs available on line. What an understatement!

Taking the notes that my Dad had accumulated I started with "MyHeritage.com". In the beginning I used their Family Tree Builder (FTB) program and still do as my primary off-line database. In no time I was up to 250 family members!

I then decided to see what all the "Ancestry.com" hype was about. I started entering my info into the program under a 14 Day Trial. In one day, I had "hits" to three family members I never knew existed, descendants of a few of my Dad's Uncles. These connections led me to look for documents supporting the migration of these ancestors lives. I was hooked!

I became fascinated with the old documents, birth registrations, ship manifests etc. I then realized that I needed context. I needed to travel back in time and gain an understanding of what my ancestors lives were like and where they lived. This lead me to start reading history and geography books and collecting maps.

Wow, I have learned so much! Not just about my own family but about cultures, medical conditions, geography, history, politics and so much more.

Genealogy can be just about finding your ancestors and living relatives or your journey can take you back in time and across oceans! It's up to you.

Patience & Persistence

5/8/2015

Genealogy research can be a life long activity. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth! Often time you will find that family members are not interested or pretend not to be interested. I am not researching or sharing my research for any kind of praise. However, when someone appreciates the information I have gathered it's really nice.

My Dad has always been very supportive of my research and he is the reason I got started. He wanted to know more about his paternal aunts & uncles who left Jamaica before he was even born. He shares with me every bit of family info he comes across and congratulates me on my progress. I can talk to him about family any time.

My Mom on the other hand is always shooing me away saying "I don't know anything, nobody ever told me anything!" She is the youngest of her siblings . . . Well today she came by my place and I asked her a question about one of her sisters who had passed away. I told her I was having trouble finding records for. My Mom answered my questions. Then I told her that there were a few grand aunts and uncles, her maternal grandparents' children, that I was having trouble with.

Well, she pulled up a chair to my desk, and peering over my shoulder as I searched the database. She started asking if I had records for one aunt, then another, then an uncle, then another. She gave me spouses names, places of death and occupations. Et voila! Four new family records!

Sometimes you just need to catch some people in the right place at the right time. Remember to always keep a note book handy!

Using Facebook for Jamaican Genealogy Research

1/8/2015

Facebook is an amazing resource that can be used to network with amateur and professional genealogists. In addition, it can be used to connect with living family members. Here are a few tips on how to use Facebook genealogy groups.

There are numerous Facebook (FB) groups and pages dedicated to Jamaican genealogy. Two key groups are Jamaica Reunited & Jamaican Genealogy Resources.

Jamaica Reunited is a Facebook group that assists members with genealogy research for free. The objective of the group is to assist with research towards connecting Jamaicans worldwide. The primary focus is to connect living family members however, the group often does ancestral research as well. Group members submit requests to the group leader with details for a "project". The project once accepted is added to a list and the group leader conducts research for the project along with any members that volunteer.

Jamaican Genealogy Resources is a resource for anyone researching Jamaican genealogy on Facebook. The site is a "library" of resources and references for Jamaican genealogy researches at all levels. It is a space for researchers to learn from each other and obtain various perspectives. Group members are encouraged to share their tips, experience & resources.

When joining a FB group be sure to read description so you know what the group's focus is before joining. If the description fits your interests then select "Join Group". You can always leave the group if you do not find it beneficial.

_ JOINING A GROUP

PHOTOS & FILES

Once you are approved and have access to the group always check the "Photos" and "Files" section before making any queries. The information you are looking for may already be there.

The photos are usually set up in "Albums" .

Most groups have collections of record images for various family lines or time periods within their ''Albums''.

The "Files" sections often have group rules and or reference materials which can be downloaded or viewed on line.

You can also search a word on the group timeline by using the "Search this group" feature.

POSTING TIPS

Start a new post for a new topic/query.
Be clear when making queries. If you are looking for information provide as much information as possible i.e. Name of individual, dates of birth/death/marriage or approximate if possible. Provide the names of siblings, children or parents if possible. Identify the parish if the group you are posting in is not a ''Parish'' group.
Indicate what sources you have previously checked to avoid duplicating efforts.
Tag people when responding within a post with multiple participants. i.e Mary, Sue and Jane make comments and you want to respond to Sue's comment use Sue's name when responding to her.
Help others in their search - it's a great way to learn!

Don't

Piggyback on existing posts when addressing a different topic. It makes the thread hard to follow. Consider that the post may be read several months later and it may be out of context.
Don't go off on tangents. Remember that Facebook is a public forum. Review your post before hitting enter.
Don't just sit back and wait for results. If you can, participate in your own search project. Ask group members lots of questions so you can learn as the research progresses.
Don't "Like" every post. Every "Like" created a notification to the group Administrators. It can be annoying to receive 12 notifications in a row for post "Likes" especially if someone manages multiple groups. Be selective about what you "Like".

Create a New Post
To create a new post click on "Discussion" and then enter your text where it says "Write Post".

NOTIFICATIONS & MESSAGES

Notifications
Facebook appears to have become sporadic in notifying group members of new posts to groups and pages of which we are members. The globe at the top of your Facebook page lets you know when new posts have been added to groups/pages that you are a member of.

However, recently I have noticed that this is not always the case. I am not sure way this has changed but I noticed that I am seeing numbers beside the group names to the left of the page. These numbers indicate new posts since you last visited the group.

Messages
When you receive a new message you will get a message notification as shown below.

There are two types of messages. ''Inbox'' and ''Other''. Inbox messages are from people who are identified as your ''Friends'' on FB and ''Other'' messages are from people who are not connected with you as ''FB Friends'' .

When you click on the notification you will see how many messages are in you ''Inbox'' and ''Other'' messages. the ''Inbox'' message indicator is black and the ''Other'' indicator'' will be greyed out.

To view the ''Other'' messages simply click on ''Other''. The ''Inbox indicator will now be greyed out and the ''Other'' indicator will be black & you can review the messages below the header.

You can also use the message feature to try to connect with living relatives. Use the search bar to search a particular surname. You can add a country as well i.e. Jamaica. Then you can send each individual a query to see if you can make connections. Keep in mind that this is a bit of a long shot. You message will appear in the ''Other'' messages of the recipient so they many not notice it right away (or ever). However, over time you will be sure to have a few responses.

GENERAL

Remember that Facebook is a public forum so the information you post is accessible to all group members. However, this is also an advantage. Sharing your family tree and genealogy research increases your chances of connecting with others researching the same family lines or even living cousins!

Don't expect miracles, be patient. For the most part group members are not professionals and although many are very experienced, in general genealogy research can be a lifelong exercise. If they choose to assist you, they are volunteering their time so don't abuse their generosity. The evolution of your family tree could be a very long process and will often take more time than group members who do not have a direct connection can give.

Researchers can only get results based on the information provided and information available. Remember, those assisting you do not have the full picture of your family, only you do. The best researcher is YOU. When doing your own research you may identify leads that someone else might dismiss because of the limited information they have such as related surnames etc. connected to your family.

FACEBOOK JAMAICAN GENEALOGY GROUPS

GROUPS BY PARISH
Clarendon
Hanover
Kingston
Manchester
Portland
St. Andrew
St. Ann

St. Catherine
St. Elizabeth
St. James
St. Mary
St. Thomas
Trelawny
Westmoreland

MIGRATION - Jamaicans Elsewhere

GROUPS BY SURNAME

OTHERS

A current list of other FB Jamaican Genealogy Groups can be found in the Facebook Jamaican Genealogy Resources group.

Defining Cousins

27/4/2015

Someone in one of the groups I participate in recently asked about the term 1st cousins and what it meant.

I found the information below on Roots Web. It really breaks it down for us.

Your uncle is the brother of your father or mother.

Your aunt is the sister of your father or mother.

Your great uncle (or grand uncle) is the brother of your grandfather or grandmother.

Your great aunt is the sister of your grandfather or grandmother.

Your great-great uncle is the brother of your great-grandfather or great- grandmother.

Your great-great aunt is the sister of your great-grandfather or great- grandmother.

Your first cousin is the child of your aunt or uncle.

Your second cousin is the grandchild of your great aunt or great uncle. (If two people are first cousins, the children of each of the people will be second cousins.)

Your third cousin is the great-grandchild of your great-great uncle or great-great aunt. (Children of 2nd cousins, are 3rd cousins to each other.)

Your first cousin, once removed, is the child of your first cousin or is the child of your great uncle or great aunt. (See also REMOVED COUSINS)

If someone is your first cousin, then his or her child is your first cousin once removed. (Once removed means one generation level different from you.) All your regular cousins (first, second, etc.) are at the same generation level as yourself. Those at different levels are "removed." If someone is YOUR first cousin once removed, then you are HIS or HER first cousin once removed also. Your second cousin once removed is the child of your second cousin. Your first cousin twice removed is the child of your first cousin once removed (i.e. the grandchild of your first cousin). Your second cousin twice removed is the child of your second cousin once removed (i.e. the grandchild of your second cousin).

REMOVED COUSINS: If two people are some type of cousins, but they are at different generation levels, then here is the way to compute their relationship.

Count how many generation levels they are apart. This is the number they are "removed."
Start with the one at the highest generation level (the older level) and count how many generations up you must go to find the brothers or sisters that are the ancestors of these cousins. This is the "FIRST" or "SECOND" or "THIRD" part of the cousin relationship.

SOURCE:http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bridgett/cousins.htm#removed

IMPORTANT: The success of your research project will depend on the accuracy of what you know and what information is available. Therefore the results cannot be guaranteed. Genealogy findings based on documentation can in some instances be subjective. The results of the research may not completely fulfill your goals if you know very little about the individual(s) being researched , if there are inaccuracies in the information provided or if there is limited or restricted related documentation. Clients must be prepared for unexpected results and 1st Generation Genealogy cannot be held responsible for unforeseen results.