CARIBBEAN-L Archives

Archiver > CARIBBEAN > 2003-03 > 1047134654


From: "Jan Bousse" <>
Subject: Re: "Surnames" - Christian names in 1817
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 15:45:55 +0100
References: <20030305190357.09304.00000034@mb-mj.aol.com> <005901c2e3bd$7c1bb570$038720d9@StudyRoom>


As Edward indicated, I spent some time with him last Wednesday and I went on
checking out some data in the slave registers at the PRO. That and the fact
that the day before I had been researching ancestors at the FHC in
Exhibition Road, makes that I have a series of questions that I would like
to ask my fellow list members. But first only a remark about "surnames" in
Jamaica.

In T71/33 Jamaica : St. Mary, I was looking for slave owners with the name
Campbell. The one that seems to be more interesting is Harriet CAMPBELL. In
the slave register the name of her property is not mentioned, but in the
1821 Almanack she is listed as the owner of Bishop's Mount, St. Mary. In
1817 she provides a full and detailed list of her 47 slaves. The first
column gives the original names, the second states "Christian Names". The
first original name for instance is Mandy, a Negro, 40 yrs, African, and his
Christian Name is given as Joseph CAMPBELL.

Therefore my remark. In 1817 this slave owner gave already names, that she
called "Christian names", but that one can as well term as surnames. I have
a query about this as well. Would the fact that this African man, Mandy, was
at some time given the "Christian name" Joseph Campbell, indicate that he
had been baptized? And if so, would any record of such baptism have
survived?

To give you a bit more information. The following men in the list are young
negroes, termed as Creole, meaning they were born in Jamaica, and the names
of their mothers are given. These women are themselves "African". Lucius, 22
yrs, has the Christian name Robert Campbell, Windsor became Duncan Campbell
and Ballantyne was Henry Campbell. Lucius' mother, Princess, did not seem to
have received a Christian name, Windsor's mother was Lettice and she became
Gabella Gordon, Ballantyne's mother Prudence has the Christian name
Elizabeth Shaw. I am sure various facts can be deduced from these names,
ages, etc., although I am not quite sure which ones. Any ideas out there?

And last not least another question. Can anyone determine where the property
Bishop's Mount in St. Mary was located exactly. My reference points are
Pimento Hill, Friendship and Friendship Mountain, Carlton, Islington. I
would hope that Bishop's Mount was in that general area.

Enough for now. I hope you could help me. I am of course quite willing to
give you more of the data that I collected during that search.

Jan BOUSSE




----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Crawford" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 9:46 AM
Subject: Re: "Surnames" - When did this start???


(snip)

In Jamaica for instance many if not most slaves did not have
> surnames in the 1820s. (It may be different on other islands.) I
understand,
> though I have not researched the period, that with emancipation in 1834-38
> all ex-slaves took surnames. If you are seeking that link between pre and
> post emancipation period, it is often very, very difficult as I was
> discussing with Jan Bousse at the PRO yesterday.
> Edward Crawford



This thread: