Tracing Your Caribbean Family History

Classes & Workshops:

Sunday 15th May 2011 from 1pm to 3pm.

Sunday 12th June 2011 from 12pm to 4pm.

PCS Learning Centre, Victoria, London.

Further details to follow.

First British Black Footballer

The first Caribbean-born footballer to play football at a high level in Britain was Andrew Watson, who played for Queens Park (Glasgow) and went on to play for Scotland. Born in May 1857 in British Guyana, Watson lived and worked in Scotland and came to be known as one of the best players of his generation. He played in 36 games for Queens Park and also appeared for the London Swifts in the English FA Cup championship of 1882, making him the first Black player in English Cup history. Watson earned 2 Scottish Cup medals and 4 Charity Cup medals during his career. Who's Who also acknowledged his performances in international matches. Watson's place in football history included a spell in management as Club Secretary for Queens Park - making Watson the first African-Caribbean man to reach the boardroom.

Genealogy Classes

My genealogy workshops for people already tracing the Caribbean ancestors went very well. Sometimes as we're tracing family we get stuck and unable to move further back in history, or we cannot find the evidence we need to bring together the jigsaw puzzle that is family history. A little nudge in the right direction can produce amazing results. For example, knowing where to look on the www.familysearch.org website can be an eye-opener. Good luck to all those people who attended.

I'm looking forward to running monthly workshops, or drop-in sessions, for members of the Caribbean Family History Society. Join today! Membership is only £25 per annum! (Or £2.08 per month). Contact me for more information on caribbeanroots@btinternet.com

Stay blessed

Caribbean History Classes in May

CARIBBEAN HISTORY - IN DETAIL

The following topics will be dealt with:

May 13th: Early settlers (Arawaks, Caribs) in the Caribbean

May 20th: The European invasion & the search for gold and glory

May 27th: Africans in the Caribbean (free & enslaved, including the Black Caribs)

June 3rd: Resistance, the Maroons & Caribbean slave rebellions

June 10th: Emancipation and the struggle for survival

June 17th: Modern Caribbean history

There will be every opportunity for healthy discussions, many handouts, videos, and much more.

Venue: Whalley Range Methodist Church, 40 Sedgeborough Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 7EU

Time: 7-9pm

Cost: £40 for all six classes.

To book your place please email Linford on caribbeanroots@btinternet.com or call 07932717907. Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Caribbean History and Genealogy on the Radio

I am currently a guest on Peace FM (90.1 fm) in Manchester, UK (listen online at http://www.peacefm.org.uk), 8.30-10am every Friday; and ALL FM (96.9 fm), also in Manchester, UK (listen online at http://www.allfm.org), 1-3pm every Saturday.

New Caribbean History Classes for May & June

I have updated my website with new classes for May/June. (http://www.caribbeanfamilyroots.com/CaribbeanRoots.html).
I'm also on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=347368854932

Caribbean History

Although Spanish settlement began in the 16th century, the population in
1783 was less than three thousand, the majority being Amerindians.
In 1783, the Spanish Crown granted land to settlers in Trinidad. Land was
also offered to each Free Person of Colour. During the uprising in Haiti and
the French Revolutions, many people migrated from the French islands to
Trinidad. This resulted in Trinidad having the unique feature of a large
French-speaking Free Coloured slave-owning class.

Taken from 'A Short History of Trinidad and Tobago'