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Archiver > CARIBBEAN > 1998-07 > 0899827039


From: "CAROL A HAAGENSEN" <>
Subject: Re: [CARIBBEAN-L]
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 10:57:19 -0500


Dear AmyAnn,

Please don't give up on these surnames.
I am certain that I've run across Carothers somewhere in the last couple of
months. Unfortunately, right now I just can't remember where. That is the
reason I haven't mentioned it before. Of course, I didn't keep notes on
this surname because it isn't on my line. I've also run across some
migration information between Pennsylvannia and the Carib (you mentioned
this in another post to the list). Seems I read something about this being
a particular migration pattern from one of the islands. Don't shoot me!
But, I didn't pay close attention to this, either, since it didn't apply to
my personal reasearch...but tucked it away in my little mind as something
interesting.

My ancestors ran a shipping line of sorts, which sailed from the Carib, to
any of the USA coast line areas, to Europe. At each stop, goods were traded
or sold, and new goods acquired. A trade route was not uncommon just
between the USA colonies and the Carib (skipping the European or African
stops). A possible "reason" why your ancestors were in Pennsylvannia and
then the Carib is because of this shipping trade route. Lard, sugar,
tobacco, etc., were trade goods from the Carib, while the Carib needed
textiles, goods from Europe, metal goods, knives, guns, etc.

Historically, there was quite a bit going on in the Carib during the late
1700s and early 1800s. The British first attempted to abolished slave trade
in 1807, for example. Also, remember that Pennsylvannia was a British
colony until the American Revolution at the end of the 1700s. Many islands
of the Carib were British also. Carothers and Massey could easily have been
British names (I think), which would suggest another reason for someone to
travel and trade between the colonies and the Carib. Were they Loyalists,
for example? They could have come to the colonies from Britain and then
went to the Carib. (Please forgive this very brief and somewhat inaccurate
generalizations). These are just suppositions, though, to help you get an
idea of some reasons for travel from the colonies to the Carib.

There were also many new missionary efforts arriving in the islands in the
early 1800s. Another possible "reason" for your ancestor's arrival in the
islands is religious efforts to baptize the islanders and slaves. The USA
colonies, of course, were begun by those looking for religious freedom, so
the population was typically "religious." Although many missionaries came
from Europe to teach Christianity to the islanders, there were some who came
from the US colonies, too.

So, there are many reasons why your ancestor's may have been in the Carib!

Although women weren't "sailors," it was not unheard of to take a woman
along on a trade route or to the Carib. Travel took many months, and
although hazardous for many reasons, wives did came long as this was
preferable to the husband going on a voyage and not returning until the
child was 2-3 years old! (Wouldn't you rather go with your husband than sit
at home with no one to help or take care of you while you raised a child
alone for several years, hoping that he returned????)

Anyway, give me a little time to back track where I've been, and what
information I've been looking in, and I hope I can find it again. I have
some rather extensive unpublished research here at home, and I've been at
our local genealogical library quite a bit lately (miraculous as it is on
the continental USA, it has a Caribbean section!) Could have been either
place. Hang on, and don't give up. I'll keep your email address around.
Just forgive me for being slow. I have far more to do than I have time to
do it in. (Isn't that true of everyone?)

Carol A. Haagensen
`-.,_,.-`-.,_,.-`
Email:

-----Original Message-----
From: AmyAnn <c>
To: <>
Date: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 10:02 AM
Subject: Re: [CARIBBEAN-L]

>Hi yet again.
>
>I guess my names, Carothers & Massie are a bust.
>
>But could someone give me a clue about 1802 as a birth year. What Islands
>are we talking about and are what kind of record should I be looking for.
>
>I don't know why my Massie Ann Carothers' parents were in the islands, or
>why they would be there so near the birth of a child. Where they ther for
>months... what about ships from PA are (DEL, NJ, MD) about 1802, was there
>much traffic from there and was it commerce or what?
>
>I don't know much about the history of the Caribbean, especially about
>1802. I live in FL and someday would love to go down to research, however
>there is so many islands I don't have a clue where to start to even look.
>Can anyone give me any clues?
>
>Thanks
>AmyAnn
>
>
>==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ====
>Queries and Surnames are searchable!
>CaribbeanGenWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw
>Listowner: Carol A. Haagensen,
>
>
>

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