West Indies

[BlandTree]

Hello all

My brickwall [one of many over 10 years old!], lies in the fact that my gt-gt-grandfather, William BLAND, a millwright, emigrated from West Yorkshire to the West Indies, family talk suggests Trinidad, and died there!

He set sail about 1820-25 and wrote, "that he had 30 “blacks” working for him.  He said they worked well if kindly treated."  A letter indicating how wealthy he was and that he was coming home was received. His secretary, John CLARKE, was helping him to settle up his business in Trinidad. The next news was that William had died of Yellow Fever and John CLARKE had decamped with all the valuables.

With the fire destroying records on Trinidad I suspect that I shall never find his death certificate and, therefore, never discover who his father was.  End of the line for my family history!

Any suggestions?

Malcolm Bland

[JRB]

Dear Malcolm,

This is only a suggestion, because I don't know all your details.  Where was your gt. gt grandfather born?  or where and whom did he write his letters to?  Obviously some of the family must have stayed back in the UK to recieve the letters.  If you have a rough idea of the area from which your family came from you could start with church records (i.e where was your many times gt. grandfather born / married?)  You may be able to track down a church record for a christening, which should give you some details. Alternatively, do you know anything about any brothers or sisters he might have had - sometimes tracking them instead can be easier, and the information re parents should (!) be the same.

Don't know if this will help or not - I know how frustrating 'dead ends' can be!

Regards,
Jen

[Valda]

Have you tried a death notice in the local newspaper?

Taken from the newspaper index of the British Library newspaper collection at Colindale

Port Of Spain; Trinidad 
Main title The Port of Spain Gazette 
Numbers vol.1.no.1, etc 
Dates 21 Sept.1825 - 30 June 1956 
Notes Incorporated with the "Trinidad Chronicle".
Imperfect.
Microfilm. 
Shelfmark M.C.520.
 
http://prodigi.bl.uk/nlcat/welcome.asp

Regards
Valda

[Reggie]

I found my ggg Grandfather's death announcement in The Times (1807).  He was in Barbados.  I suggest you do a search of the Times which I did through Ancestry.com at my library.  You never know.

Hope this helps.

Reg