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Research in Other Countries => Immigrants & Emigrants - General => Topic started by: littlej on Friday 09 August 13 17:03 BST (UK)

Title: Scots who emigrated to Jamaica late 18c/early 19c
Post by: littlej on Friday 09 August 13 17:03 BST (UK)
I have discovered that two ancestors of the Little family died in Jamaica in the early 1800s. One was resident at Crescent, St Catherine, and the other at Bellfield, St Catherine. The information is on their gravestones in their home village of Kirkpatrick Juxta in Dumfriesshire.

Does anyone know anything about emigration to Jamaica by young Scottish men? They were living on a small farm, probably not much more than a smallholding so I am aware that lack of employment could have been the reason, but I would love to know what their experience in Jamaica would have been like. Also, were Crescent and Bellfield plantations or just districts of Jamaica? 
Title: Re: Scots who emigrated to Jamaica late 18c/early 19c
Post by: Skoosh on Saturday 10 August 13 10:50 BST (UK)
Robert Burns was all set for Jamaica as a book-keeper on a plantation, so slavery was inevitably involved. Publication of his poems saved the day and he stayed in Scotland.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/

http://www.saveyourheritage.com/white_slavery.htm

Skoosh.
Title: Re: Scots who emigrated to Jamaica late 18c/early 19c
Post by: IMBER on Saturday 10 August 13 20:56 BST (UK)
This link provides just some of the background:

http://www.thedominican.net/articlesone/slavery.htm

Next time any of the Caribbean athletics teams are on TV keep an eye open for Scots surnames!

Imber
Title: Re: Scots who emigrated to Jamaica late 18c/early 19c
Post by: Billyblue on Sunday 11 August 13 03:58 BST (UK)
Cromwell banished a lot of Scots people to the West Indies according to history books.

This is why you find so many of them in later generations. 
Your people may have gone out to work on a sugar plantation, perhaps even owned by someone in their extended family ???

Dawn M
Title: Re: Scots who emigrated to Jamaica late 18c/early 19c
Post by: fastfusion on Sunday 11 August 13 09:53 BST (UK)
there are a lot of links and materials on this post>

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=135676.msg5024754#new

a good encyclopaedic volume will give you a rundown of the nastiness and hardships faced in Jamaica on the plantations.     the two places u mention are plantations not districts.

to have a better understanding of other folks doing research in Jamaica enter such into the rootschat search engine or simply scroll the other countries board and read the posts.The Scots were exceptionally noted in history in Jamaica as pointed out but they were there purely for money and their reputations like all plantation owners for the treatment of slaves led to many riots and murders.
a lot of records are in fact missing for Jamaica due to fires and earthquakes and civil unrest so do not be surprised if you find incomplete material. good luck in your quest to understand your kin.