I have found this website to be totally uninformative. Both my parents and ancestors are formerly from St Vincent, and trying to locate any information pertaining to my ancestry has be nigh on impossible, considering my father was a formerly constable in the Kingstown constabluary. I have searched various surname websites and have drawn a complete blank when searching for anyone remotely connected with any family member name. This is 2011, yet SVG has yet to catch up with their archiving, this may as well be 1811 for all the information that is available.

would like to find out information on the Wiseman family here in St.Vincent and the Grenadines

Soraya, I understand your frustration but please remember that this site is dependent on contributors and the bits and pieces of information that they have gleaned from their own personal research. This is not a St. Vincent-based website, but it was developed by a person living off of the island and with Vincentian ancestry like you. The bulk of my research was done long before this website came along and I encourage not to give up. Talk to family members, join forums, post on message boards…which sites have you tried? Also keep in mind that perhaps your surnames were not indigenous to SVG. I know people from Guyana whose surname is originally from Barbados so please cast a wider net and keep an open mind. Anything is possible when it comes to ancestral research. Sometimes you are pleasantly surprised, other times you are quite disappointed.

I also encourage you to share whatever information you feel comfortable sharing, here on this site. Who knows? Maybe if you do, someone could possibly have a gem to share with you in turn or point you in the right direction. I see your surname is John and Baptiste. I know a lot of Johns from SVG. Perhaps they’re related to you. The SVG records office is a mess, but connect with fellow researchers and they will assist you. That’s how I got as far as I did with a 5000+ name database. And all I started out with was as far back as my great grands. I was ultimately able to reach back into the late 1700s.

Ancestral research is also a lesson in sociology and history. It pays to learn a little of both to understand the research that you’re undertaking. Read books on Vincentian history and its people. Check the Ellis Island website, the Ancestry.com slave registers.

Please let me know which names you’re researching and I’ll see what information I have.

Cheryl

I don’t know exactly what kind of information you are looking for but this is what I found in my database. The following information came from the St George Cathedral Records spanning from 1765-1850. Hope it helps.

Cheryl Hazell

BAPTISMS

I have some information on George Wiseman who was the son of James Wiseman, a planter, and his wife Mary Ballard of St Andrew’s parish.

Angelique Wiseman was the coloured child of Mr. Wiseman (perhaps her owner), who was baptised on November 19, 1798.

JAMES WISEMAN December 1824 BAPTISED JAN 3 1826 LISTED AS SON OF JOHN WISEMAN AND FRANCES FRENCH

JAMES WISEMAN BAPTISED MAR 4 1799 LISTED AS A COLOURED CHILD — father or owner was a man named WILLIAM

James Wiseman, listed as a merchant, no birth date

JANE WISEMAN BAPTISED SEP 7 1793 LISTED AS THE DAUGHTER OF JAMES, A MERCHANT, AND ELISABETH DICKSON

NANCY WISEMAN BAPTISED MAY 10 1795 LISTED AS THE MUSTEE DAUGHTER OF JAS, A MERCHANT. (note: Mustee is the offspring of a Caucasian and a Quadroon (a person with ¼ Negro blood. Slave owners used to often breed the black out of their slaves by having children with their own slave children and grand children. Jas. is probably an abbreviation for James)

POLLY WISEMAN BAPTISED APR 19 1802 LISTED AS A COLOURED CHILD — JAS AND BELLA HADEN

DEATHS

JAMES WISEMAN December 18, 1838

JANE WISEMAN March 19, 1797

MARY WISEMAN September 13, 1803

NANCY WISEMAN May 13, 1795

SAMUEL WISEMAN July 12, 1795

WILLIAM WISEMAN July 21, 1806

My husband’s grandmother was a Zoe Electra Hazell, deceased) married to a Banfield from Bequia , St. Vincent. had a son Robert Anthony Banfield (deceased) who also had a son (my husband) Robert (Bobby) Anthony Banfield. All I know the Banfield’s are related to the Wallace’s. We now have six children and 5 grand children all carrying the Banfield name. I also have a friend who still carries her mother’s name Banfield who was from st. vincent. and are related to the Wallace’s. my daughter (Marielle Banfield) would like to find out more about her ancestors, she now lives in London. Can i get some information on Zoe Electra (Hazell) Banfield. my email is: mbanfield50@hotmail.com

Hi Cheryl, my name is Elena Mercati, I am from Italy, I am currently doing University research on the French legacy in St Vincent. I found the records you quote on the webside very interesting because they show a massive presence of French surnames before 1767. From the register of sales of properties I can assume that by 1797 most French owners sold to newly-arrived British proprietors. The only remant French surnames are Augier or Laborde, from the White pages on the net I found there are still some, I tried to contact them by facebook in order to see if they could contact their gran-parents in order to verify if these old people had any news from their ancestors as to some remnants of French Creole usage, but I did not succeed in that. In an interesting book whose title is Acts of Identity, Prof Robert LaPage from the University of the West Indies recorded in the 1950′s the speech of a lady from some unknown village who used such French creole words as Pain (= bread) or Chien (= dog), but Prof LaPage is dead and I could not trace back where his notes can have been filed, no one answered to me from Mona campus in Kingston, Jamaica. Have you any reference as to this subject-matter? Thank you for any help.

HI Cheryl and also curiousK

I have been looking for some information of this kind as well. I am from SVG and is likely to be the great great great grand daughter of JOHN WISEMAN

This same JOHN WISEMAN is most likely to be from SCOTLAND originally.
Through oral history and corroborated by information found in Mr.Charles Sheppard’s book: Historical Account of the island of St. Vincent this man had the same name. He was listed as part of the Regiment in 1821. He was a Lieutenant. It was told to us that John Wiseman was part of the Regiment that fought against the Caribs. The similarities were too close not to have drawn a conclusion that this was the same individual.

The WISEMAN’s are known to have settled in the parish of St. Andrew. Co-incidence Cheryl?

I will like to explore this curiousK and you can email me at drs_charles@yahoo.com

Dear curiousK

Please see comments that I have posted to Cheryl.
Very interesting indeed.

AuntieD, if your Wiseman was in the army, perhaps there are of records of this in the UK National Archives. You should check it out online and see what results you get.

http://svgancestry.com/index.php/military-records/ – that is a link on this very site where it gives a list of men and the year they served in the West Indies Regiment in St Vincent.

Wouldn’t you just love to see what these people looked like?

My Name is Vincent S Reid

This site is dear to me, i have found the information to be very stirring and awakes a sence of love for family in me. recently i have done some research for someone from Jamaica who was trying to find out about her great grand father, who left St Vincent in the very early 1900s maybe even that exact year. To make this story short, i just put my (hound) nose to the ground and i was able to find out a lot about that Great Grand Father.

If you wish to find your ancestry in St Vincent with only a little information, it pays to get the name of a village or area as a point to start, going to that location can reveal a lot or very little depending on how well the social life of that particular area developed over the years.

Having a name or names to work with is also very helpful, but remember “”nicknames”" might be even more inportant than official names. Remember names disappear over time, and all that might be remembered may be a story or mannerism or manner of dress or habits.

I live in St Vincent, and i know the Island like no other, i am willing to help where possible.

To the site developers, please seperate request from comments so that people can get some help, you are doing a great job so far , and i have been harping about this site to everyone.

A few years ago i found a request on this site (through tonyoldies.homestead.com) where someone was seeking info about a REID, i have tried to find it for the last few weeks , but i have been unable to

I am currently researching the Davis ancestry and any help will be welcome,

Thank you

There are La Borde families here in Trinidad. There was a famous La Borde who sailed around the world. If you can contact them here in Trinidad. I suspect they have family from St. Vincent…

Hi Cheryl, I am seeking your expert knowledge; please help me as I am trying to find my Fraser/Rakal ancestors. I know they came from Kolkata on Steamships and lived in Carapan on arrival. (three brother- original surname – Rakal or Racaul) they were split up by Thomas Fraser. One was sent to Layou, one to Orange Hill estates and the one who spawned my clan stayed in Georgetown and worked as a blacksmith/metallurgist. My grandfather was called Thomas (Pappy) Fraser and my great grandfather was called Robert Fraser. I too am frustrated I only learned most of these things from my maternal grandmother Eldica Maude Fraser. She taught Oral history to me as a young child growing up in St Vincent. Records are zilched. Corwin Fraser/Rodgers… United Kingdom.

Corwin, I would get in touch with Vincent Reid who posted just above this posting. He is located on the island and says he’s willing to help out anyway he can.

Davis is a huge name. I know some Davis researchers who have ties to Bequia and who now live in the States. I also have many Davis names in my database.

You gave some great tips for researchers, Vincent. Hope you can be of help to those of us who aren’t on island.

As a matter of fact, maybe you can start with me. I haven’t done too much research on my mom’s side. Her surnames would be Jacobs, Smart, McDonald, Saunders. From Georgetown and Colonarie. Years would span from 1850-1950 for starters.

Elena, Vincentian history is sooooo interesting. Some many changes of hands (like other islands), but because of the constant, fierce presence of the Caribs, the island wasn’t able to be settled as early on as some of the other big sugar islands. The French were the Caribs’ allies for a long time, too. Yes, by 1797, the Brits were in charge, they had thrown the Caribs off the island on ships destined for Honduras/Belize, and the French Revolution was coming to a close. I think the French had had enough of St Vincent and some of the elitists (or maybe some family of monarchists?) felt that it was safe to return to their homeland (or venture to other islands). What I’ve noticed on Facebook is that many of the younger generation don’t know or care much about their ancestry (including my own kids). But they need to be taught it. You’ll have better luck from people over the age of 40 whose parents are old enough and may be able to remember the old days.

As for French creole, I remember when we were kids (growing up in Canada) my mom would use creole phrases such as “toute moun bagay” when she wanted us kids to get together and clean up or just gather together for some reason, or finish sentences with “oui, papa”. There were quotes such as “crapaud smoke your pipe” and things like that.

There are other French surnames such as Ollivierre from Bequia and perhaps Bonadie is a French name, too. They are also from St Vincent/Bequia. They are my family and I’ve been doing research on them, too. I suspect that just because someone carries a French surname, doesn’t necessarily mean that they still speak some remnant of the old French creole language. Cordice is another name, that could be French, but I’m not sure if it is.

There was/is also a French Creole culture in Trinidad. I know that many Vincentians populated Trinidad, so there could be a connection. There was a film I viewed a few years ago and it included some of that French culture and the language that still exists today. The film was called, Jab! The Blue Devils of Paramin.

Here is a link to more on Dr. LePage…maybe it could be of help to you. http://benjamins.com/series/jpcl/23-1/art/08chr.pdf

All the best,

Cheryl

I have many Banfields on my tree for St Vincent/Bequia, but no sign of the names you provided. Zoe Electra Hazell – who were her parents? Around when was she born? That may help me a little.

Most of my Davis’ originally came from Barbados then ended up in Bequia/St Vincent.

Hi Cheryl, thank you so much for your information, it proved most useful! Would you or other Vincentians joing this blog like to take part in a project intended to gather French creole expressions from St Vincent? They are dying down, and if we don to collect them, they will be unknown to everyone in the next few years? Anyone who knows some French Creole sentences can quote them… Thank you Elena

That sounds like a worthwhile project. How would you go about doing it and where would these expressions be stored? Would the Vincentian government think that this would be something of value? Perhaps this component should be added to this website or some website.

You would need to put a call out to folks so that people know that this is being done and so that they can contribute whatever phrases they know. I know a couple of phrases and I think that my mom would know some, too.

Perhaps the help of a masters student studying linguistics would help us even further. Just some thoughts.

Great idea!!!

Can you recommend someone to research the John Proudfoot who was a Government official in SVG in the 1800′s? Ryan Proudfoot

Hi Cheryl
I am new to genealogy research. I am trying to find information on my Great Grandmother – Jane Wallace, who married Donald Dewar McIntosh. My Grandfather was William C. McIntosh. Jane was related to Charles Moshe Wallace and William T.B.”Old Bill” Wallace, whose parents were Commander Sir William Wallace and Elizabeth Eleanor Hazell Brown. I cannot find any information on Jane Wallace. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Robin from upstate New York.

Hi Robin

In my research I couldn’t find much on Jane. The only information I have on her is that she had a sister named Susan and that their mother was a maid from Mustique with the surname Bacchus. Perhaps this could be a starting point for you. Was she married? Because if so, maybe her marriage certificate could have some Infirmation as to who her parents were. She was definitely born before 1855 because her father died in that year. William’s first wife. Eleanor Elizabeth Hazell died in 1845 then he remarried in 1849 to Sarahann Stodard Warner who was originally from Bermuda. He and Sarah apparently didn’t have any children. She had three small children from her first marriage and he had his two sons from his first marriage. Jane was a half sister to these sons, Moshe and Old Bill.

Did you know that Moshe was married to your great grandfather Donald’s sister, Eliza, in 1860 on Bequia? That would have made Jane and Eliza sisters in law technically. Do you have the birth date for William C because all I have is that he died in 1967.

That’s all I have for now. Please let me know if this was helpful.

Hi Cheryl, this is Elena from Italy, the one who asked you about French creole St Vincentian expressions, and you let me have the ones used by your mother. What do you think of adding a componet to this site where people can add the linguistic expressions they know typical of St Vincent. I would not find a better place…

My ancestor,
David Campbell Da Costa was born in St Vincent on November 14 1819. I do not have much more than this. Can you e-mail me a copy of his birth certificate.
Thank you very much.
Claire Da Costa

Hi cheryl, i would appreciate you help me to find any information about my Grandfather Manuel Jose’p Gonsalves.. my father name was Joseph Lancelot Gonsalves

Hi,

Firstly, thank you to Suzanne, Cheryl and all other contributors for a helpful and interesting web site.

I am a descendant of Duncan S MacDonald (b. 1803 Ullapool d. 20/11/1885 – buried St Patricks Church, Barrouallie), who was owner of the Wallilabou Estate from around 1830. I believe that Duncan originally went out to St Vincent to join his uncle but I have no information as to who he was.

Duncan’s sister, Ann, also moved out to St Vincent in the early 1800s having married a Murdoch MacKenzie of St Vincent on the 17/3/1825.

I understand that two of Duncan’s sons, Duncan Alexander (b 16/9/1861) and Thomas MacGregor (b 1860) lived in St Vincent until the 1930s, while other members of the family moved back to the UK.

One of Duncan’s daughters, Jessie Helen, married Arthur Wakefield, who was manager of the Colonial Bank, Kingstown, St Vincent and later Charlestown, Nevis.

Duncan’s eldest son, John William, trained as a chemist in Greenock, Scotland, before becoming manager of the Tate & Lyle laboratory in Liverpool and ended up as vice-chairman of the company.

The only mention that I could find of the MacDonalds that I could find on the svgancestry.com web site is of Duncan A MacDonald being appointed a Member of the St Vincent Executive Committee on 3/1/1894.

However, I did notice that Cheryl mentions a McDonald being linked to her mother’s side of the family, so would be very interested to know if there is a connection.

FYI, I did find an 1834 list of St Vincent plantation owners, at http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=West_Indian_Relief_Commission

This shows an A MacDonald and wife as owning the Argyle, Calder and Calder Ridge Estates, so assume that they may have been Duncan S MacDonalds uncle and aunt.

I also saw that Sir A MacKenzie was listed as the owner of Tourama but don’t know if he was related to Murdoch MacKenzie. I assume that Sir A MacKenzie was Alexander Kenneth MacKenzie (1769-1838), who married Elizabeth Punnett. See http://www.scottfuneralservices.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1393489&fh_id=13467

I have also found a reference to a Captain John MacKenzie possibly settling in St Vincent at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CARIBBEAN/1997-01/0852558239 and a recent orbituary for a Susan MacKenzie who was brought up in St Vincent at http://www.scottfuneralservices.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1393489&fh_id=13467 but don’t know if there was any family connection.

I have been in contact with Jonathan Kirton whose ancestors owned the Kearton Estate, which was adjacent to the Wallibalou Estate. I am grateful for the research papers that he has already contributed to this site.

I did notice, in case Vincent S Reid is reading this, that a Peter Reid is shown as one of the witnesses of George Kearton’s will in 1773. By coincidence, I am also aware that a John Reid (b 1755 d 27/4/1812) was Collector of Customs in Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, about the same time that Duncan MacDonalds father, (Angus) John MacDonald HEICS b. 1757 d 22/9/1810 was Controller of Customs in Ullapool.

One book that I have recently come across that I am hoping to obtain is ‘Scotland, the Caribbean and the Atlantic World 1750-1820′ by Douglas J Hamilton ISBN 0-7190-7182-8 (see http://www.electricscotland.com/books/caribbean.htm), which appears to include details of many early St Vincent settlers from Scotland.

Two other other references, which might be of interest to you are ‘The Sugar Refiners and Sugarbakers ‘ web site, compiled by Bryan Mawer, http://www.mawer.clara.net, and ‘The Report on the Eruptions of the Souffriere in St Vincent, in 1902′, which were recorded in the Philisophical Transactions of the Royal Society
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0264-3952%281903%29200%3C353%3AROTEOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E&size=LARGE.

I did manage to make my first visit to St Vincent, this month, which fulfilled a longstanding ambition. Unfortunately, I was only there for one day but I did manage to find Duncan MacDonald’s grave and visit the old Wallibalou Estate.

By chance, I met a local whose grand parents had been given land by the MacDonalds. He received us very warmly and took time to show us around some of the ruins of the old manager’s house; arrowroot processing plant and tobacco drying sheds, which I found fascinating. I hadn’t appreciated quite how productive the estate had been, as they had obviously grown quite a range of crops (bananas, coco, coconuts, arrowroot and tobacco), as well as sugar.

I understand that some of the remains of the old plantation house are still visible further up the valley but, regrettably, I didn’t have time to visit them on this occasion. I also discovered, after I got home, that part of the estate has recently been turned into a park with a visitor’s centre.

Anyhow, I should be delighted to hear if anyone knows anything more about the MacDonalds or MacKenzies.

I should also be very interested if anyone can tell me what information is being displayed about the history of the Wallibalou Estate at the visitor’s centre.

Regards

Mike

I was talking to relatives of the Rakal (Fraser) family in Layou a few days ago, before I came back to Toronto. The Layou Rakal was married to Jane. She was from Vermount. They had about 12 children. Only one is still alive in a nursing home in NYC. The grand-children still live in Layou. Rakal went to Layou after the 1902 eruption with the Fraser – estate owners from whom they get the Fraser name.

Hi Cheryl,
I came across the name Phillips and noticed her was an estate owner. It is possible that this guy was my great-great grandfather. He had several children with several women – a common occurrence with estate owners. He lived in the Layou area and probably visited other towns.
He has my grandmother Elspeth and Martha (who went to T&T some time after the 1902 eruption in SVG.

would like to find out more about the Wiseman family history in Saint Vincent. Descendants of the Wiseman family from Scotland. Help?

Hello,

I just spoke to my mother discussing the family ancestry. She was telling me of how her father Carl Harrington, a wealthy Vincentian was one of the first individuals along with a gentleman named Mr. Harry started the first bus service on Saint Vincent, before marrying my grandmother Adina James, and moving to Trinidad. Carl Harrington was born in Scotland, his family then moved to England, and as a young man he came to the island of Saint Vincent, where other relatives were residing and settled there. He and Mr. Harry were the original founding fathers of the Saint Vincent Bus Service. With my mother’s memories of her father, she wants me to get a few books written and published for her, which I will be doing very soon.

Oh my gosh mike, if you come across any information of my grandfather Carl Herman Hamilton Harrington formerly of Scotland, then to England then settled in St. Vincent, also a wealthy estate owner, and was also one of the founding fathers of the original bus service on the island along with someone named Mr. Harry, I would like for you to inbox me a message.

Did you know that all of the wealthy estate owners of the island were all from Scotland, then some moved to T&T.

Hi,

Have you seen: http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?St,Vincent::wiseman::1566.html

I also think that I saw the name Wiseman amongst the regimental histories displayed at Gun Hill, Barbados.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Mike

Hi Holly,

I’m afraid that the name Harrington doesn’t ring any bells.

However, I did have a look at the Sugar Refiners & Sugar Bakers database (http://home.clara.net/mawer/sugarhha.html) and came across:

HARRINGTON Sarah – (age 33) Tate’s (35 Parker St) Silvertown 1901 1901 census RG13/ 1578/ 41

I don’t know if she might have any connection to your Harringtons. One of my St Vincent MacDonalds went to work for Tates, at Silvertown, at about the same time.

Regards

Mike