Author Topic: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children  (Read 16968 times)

Offline Sharont79

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #9 on: Monday 21 March 11 16:34 GMT (UK) »
Unfortunately it is not easy to track the children born to slave owners in the Caribbean. On the one hand slave owners tend to own the children born out of wedlock, they also determine the status of the mother, that is whether to have the children legally recognised or not. However, I have found when tracing children accepted as either natural or reputed child born to slave owners - they tend not to appear on the slave returns. This can make it difficult to identify the mother.

Regards the term brown man - it is synonymous with other terms such as mustee, quadroon and as you said mulatto. Crude techniques were employed when classifying the complexion of an individual at the time of baptism.

I have the baptismal registers for children of John Alexander Sawers[Sawyers] snr. Do you require them?I can email them to you if you wish. Although you probably have them already. Another theory - found a John Sawers, baptised 1798 in parish of Hanover aged about 8 years old. No mother named. Listed as a quadroon child that makes him a strong possibility to be John Alexander Snr - why - in Jamaica and many countries many individuals were given one first name, as the individual approach adulthood, tends to take on other names. Found another John Sawers, quadroon baptised in St James in 1785, again no mother named. I realise that these are conjectures. Quadroon children were usually born to a white man and a mulatto woman.

Offline Dottie14

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #10 on: Monday 21 March 11 21:17 GMT (UK) »
Hello Sharon,

Thank you for your response.  I have baptism records for John Alexander's five eldest sons but not his two youngest Archibald and Benjamin (c. 1950).   I would greatly appreciate receiving any information you have.

The child, John Alexander who was baptised in 1798 could be our John Alexander as he was born in 1792.  Would you be able to send this record as well?   I am trying to trace his mother.

Thank you so much.  E-mail : (*)

Out of curiosity, what is your interest/connection in John Alexander Sawers?

Regards,

Traci

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Offline Sharont79

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #11 on: Monday 21 March 11 21:30 GMT (UK) »
Hello Traci

I do not have a biological connection to the Sawyers of Jamaica. I am a researcher in Caribbean records, I work as a genealogist.

I have sent you an email off-list with records.

Take care
Sharon

Offline Redroger

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #12 on: Tuesday 22 March 11 17:29 GMT (UK) »
Sharont, i found the will I transcribed had several records of "natural" children who were benficiaries under the will. For this reason if no other, I think Caribbean wills to be a useful source of data on illegitimate children, though it is not likely to be exhaustive.
Ayres Brignell Cornwell Harvey Shipp  Stimpson Stubbings (all Cambs) Baumber Baxter Burton Ethards Proctor Stanton (all Lincs) Luffman (all counties)


Offline Sharont79

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #13 on: Tuesday 22 March 11 23:32 GMT (UK) »
This is fabulous! And you are right - this is particularly so for children born free (Free People of Colour - FPC) or mother FPC. However, the law in Jamaica at one stage deemed the threat of FPC inheriting huge assets from their fathers could result in shift in economic power in favour of FPC were capped to a certain amount. In other words restricted to inherit a nominal amount. I have to confirm which law and the year it was passed and the amount permitted to be inherited.


Offline Redroger

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #14 on: Wednesday 23 March 11 13:41 GMT (UK) »
The will I referred to was made in 1795, and had a codicil added in 1806. The amounts of money left to "People of colour" and freed slaves were paltry by comparison to the vast sums left to people of obvious European descent, so I guess it was before 1795.
Ayres Brignell Cornwell Harvey Shipp  Stimpson Stubbings (all Cambs) Baumber Baxter Burton Ethards Proctor Stanton (all Lincs) Luffman (all counties)

Offline LouLou68

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Re: Jamaica - Tracing Illegitimate Children
« Reply #15 on: Tuesday 18 October 22 07:17 BST (UK) »
Hello, I know this thread was started a long time ago, but I have just done searching for family on my paternal grandmother's side and come up with with site.  My great grandmother was Frances Elizabeth Sawers born in 1873 in Lucknow, Victoria and her father is Ezekiel Petgrave Sawers born in 1832 in Jamaica and mother Frances Elizabeth Evans born in 1832 in Rutherglen, Victoria. 
This is my first time on the site and apologies if I have not followed the correct etiquette in posting on such an old thread.  First time looking into family history and it is all a little new and exciting :).