I discovered yesterday, with Cathy Aquart’s help, that some of us, interested in Grenadian genealogy have had the aid of old Grenadian newspapers (by old I mean issues that go back to the early 1800s) at the British Library. These apparently often listed weddings, births and deaths and so seem as if they would be a rich resource for those of us looking for family history information.
If you are tapping these resources – **please do share with us.
For those of us who live across the Pond, there are also holdings of old Grenadian papers at The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, MA. This library and archives are open and free of charge. West Indian newspapers in the American Antiquarian Society are available up to 1876. The detailed newspaper catalogue is not available online – you must visit and use their on-site card catalog.
At the British Library there are holdings for the following Grenadian newspapers:
- The Grenada Free Press and Public Gazette (from 1839-1840)
- The St. George’s Chronicle and Gazette (from 1839-1907)
- The Grenada Phoenix (from 1864-1865)
- The Weekly Record (from 1865-1865)
- The Grenada Reporter (from 1867-1867)
- Excelsior! (from 1876-1876)
- The New Era (from 1878-1880)
- The Equilibrium (from 1882-1887)
- The Grenada People (from 1883-1908)
- Daily Tidings (from 1886-1886)
- The Federalist (from 1896-1901)
- The Federalist and Grenada People (from 1901 to 1907)
- The Federalist and Grenada People (from 1909-1920)
- The Federalist (from 1907-1908)
- [St. George's] Chronicle and Gazette (from 1912-1915)
- The West Indian (from 1915-1970)
- The West Indian [mail edition] (from 1917-1920)
- The Grenada Guardian (from 1930-1935)
- The Vanguard (from 1959-1960)
- The Citizen’s Weekly (from 1959-1961)
- The Citizen’s Weekly (from 1960-1961)
- The Star (from 1962-1962)
- The Torchlight (from 1962-1967)
To find the catalogue information you will need to request the issues visit the British Library’s online Integrated Catalogue and select the Search the Integrated Catalogue link. From here, choose Catalogue subset search, then Newspapers. Type Grenada in as a keyword and the database will return the list of Grenadian newspapers. You can then click on the listing that interests you for information on the specific issues they hold, the system number and shelfmark.
This is fascinating and very useful information for those of us interested in the history of Grenada.
Thanks very much.
I’m sorry to see that the Anglican Church still hasn’t been re-roofed.
In 2008 I visited the church and took a photograph of the memorial plaque to the “Proprietors and Inhabitants of this colony (Grenada) All of whom were taken prisoners on the 3rd March, 1795 by an execrable banditti…”
His Honour, Ninian Home Esq. Lieutenant- Governor
A. Campbell (Alexander Campbell of Tivoli and Belmont Estate)
J Farquhar, P. Fotheringham, G. Rose, G. Walker, S. Ought, W. Muir, ? Webster, ? ? ? A. Kerr, ? Johnson, P. Le…ey, T. Livingston, T. Jackson, F.D. Curruthers, W. Gilchrist, C. Mc Carthy,
R. Davis, T. Rice, T. Shea, D.M. Dougall, E.H. ?, J. ? B. Johnston, W. Kinnard, H. McCoul, F. I. Guy, T. Mercer, F. Mathews, R. Todd, W. Hawkes, J. Barlow, J, Cuthbit, J. Morris, P. Thompson, M. Aitkinson, J Thom?, W. Bell.
Some of the letters are hard to read especially the T and J which I may have copied incorrectly.
Reading through the colonial records (CO260/1) at the National Archives at Kew, London I found the following letter regarding Reine Sophia Preudhomme.
December 1805.
This is to certify that Reine Sophia Preudhomme, daughter of Auguste Simon ? by Jane his wife, born in the Island of Martinique now residing in the Island of Grenada, in the West Indies, has produced to me satisfactory proof that she is a person well affected to his Majestys Royal Person and Government and of orderly life and conduct- given at Whitehall this day of 1805
Fletcher
Someone was looking for information on the Fletchers of Grenada.
In Colonial Office Records October 1782 under “Monthly returns of His Majestys Officers”, Lieut-General Henry Fletcher and Captain Colin Campbell are away for 4 months, sparrow recruiting in England.