Turns out, there are. Many people don’t realize that the Danish Archives in Copenhagen hold some very similar records. These records were microfilmed and eventually imaged to DVD on to a set of 34 discs and several copies were given in 2011 as a gift to libraries on the Virgin islands, Puerto Rico, and Tortola.
Copies of the collection are available at:
- Von Scholten Collection at Enid M. Baa Public Library, St. Thomas, USVI
- Caribbean Genealogy Library, Al Cohen’s Plaza, Raphune Hill, St. Thomas, USVI
- Territorial Archives at Florence Williams Public Library, Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI
- Whim Research Library and Archives, St. Croix Landmarks Society, St. Croix, USVI
- Special Collections at Elaine Ione Sprauve Public Library, St. John, USVI
- Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía, Universidad Interamericana de Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
- Archives and Records Management Unit of the Deputy Governor's Office, Road Town, Tortola, BVI
- DVD 01-03 Christiansted Police Station – Registers of Persons arriving and Leaving 1794-1847
- DVD 04-17 St Thomas Police Station – Persons arriving 1805-1899
- DVD 18-33 Registers of Passports 1810-1895
- DVD 34 – Registers for Visaing for Foreign Passports 1856-1873
Recently, I went through the discs again and found many travels from family members. In fact, I may have gotten a lead on the father of my 3rd great grandmother, Mary Aletta Quickly.
Mary Aletta Quickly’s Father
Mary Quickly was born in 1808 and her baptismal record only names her mother, Grace Welcome. Searches of census and other registers have never produced anyone with the surname Quickly who could have been Mary Aletta’s father. While perusing the arrivals and departures I noted an entry for 1798 of someone listed only as Quickly arriving in St Croix from St Thomas.Detail from December 1798 St Croix Arrivals showing someone named "Quickly" |
Mary Aletta Quickly was baptized on 11 Sep 1808 with no recorded birth date nor father listed. Could the CS Quigley have been her father and her name misremembered by Grace as “Quickley”? Could she have been conceived on St Thomas during this trip?
August 1807 Christiansted Departure record of Grace Welcome to St Thomas |
Unfortunately, I don’t have copies of the St Thomas lists to compare, so finding the matching arrivals will have to wait. Perhaps there is a notation of where Grace Welcome stayed when she came to St Thomas for two weeks. Perhaps I can find out more about this mysterious CS Quigley/Quickley on St Thomas. That will have to wait. Meanwhile, I found about 100 references to my family in the Christiansted set, so I have a lot of work to do.
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteI love when you find new lists to pour over! How did you get the cd's and are you getting the one for St. Thomas? My St. Thomas research is at a hard wall for my O'Mahoney Great grandfather and I'd love to find when his father came to the island. This could give me new clues. Anyway, hope all is well and I'll be in touch.
best,
donnamarie
Hi Donnamarie, yes, I love new lists too. "Like a box of chocolates" if you know what I mean. Contact the CGL about the St Thomas records. I have found them to be very helpful and wonderful people. I have to contact them to ask about my matching records. Fortunately it is easier if you have dates.
DeleteNice Blog Dave with some very timely information. Elizabeth Banas (Elizabeth's Genealogy Gems)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Elizabeth. I hope you continue reading!
DeletePerhaps Grace was illiterate therefore the surname of her daughter was recorded by another scribe in the way that he understood it. If Grace was illiterate she would not have known to correct him.
ReplyDeleteEspecially when you consider that "Quigley" is an English name and the Christiansted police were Danish. It isn't nearly as dramatic as what you see in US censuses! Grace likely never saw the written record, the records were kept by the church and probably written up each night. What's more, the baptismal record of Mary Aletta doesn't list a surname nor the name of a father. It is actually a fairly lengthy argument to show that Grace Welcome was Mary Aletta Quickly's mother.
Delete