[CARIBBEAN-L] Dorothy Kew's great find
Kirt
I won't get into the "X" marks the spot debate. What I am interested is
in knowing if the Methodist left Cayman to go to the Bay Islands of
Honduras when the mass migration started in the 1830's-60's. I have
posted Honduran records from the Wesleyian Mount Hoole Methodist Mission
and all of the names that you posted matched the Bay Island original
settlers. Additionally from reading the post of others there are very
few matches of some Caymanian original family trees. Please let me know
if you find out any information about the churchs' decision to head to
the colony of the Bay Islands. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Kirt B. Bennett
Rhona Panton
From what Kirt said - the record does say these people lived in Cayman
vs they were of Cayman (ie were from Cayman but had moved to Honduras?)
As I had recognized names from Honduras Kirt I wondered about that also.
Also the name of the Minister is the same as one who was in Honduras -
or did I misread -so did he move with them.
Rhona
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Rhona Panton
were living there as early as 1802 (Gov Bodden was visiting his son in
Honduras when Corbett arrived for the 1802 census) and today all or most
families in Cayman seem to have relatives in Honduras.
Yes we can connect some families trees between Cayman and Honduras, but
have been frustrated in confirming links in the earlier era as many
names do not seem to match (in part due to lack of data). Seems to me
that many of the trees we can confirm and link are families that moved
later 1850/70's, eg James Bodden Coe's daughter Emily b 1855 and married
in the Bay Islands 1877.
We know a member(s) from most/many families moved to Honduras in the
early-mid 1800's but who made up that large group from Cayman that moved
in the 1830/40's?? Probably others of you have thought of this but -
emancipation with total freedom from slavery and completion of indenture
did not occur until very late 1830's early 1840's (in Cayman - the news
arrived late!). As the names of many, eg those marriages Dorothy found,
do not seem to match with the family trees we have for Cayman families -
are we just missing people? (probably not totally ie Coe's we have the
record from the family bible and wills) or are the dates 1830-1850 truly
significant and a large group moved at this time to start a new life
away from the memories of slavery and indenture. In Cayman it seems to
have been common practice to take the name of the slave owner (to even
switch names as you moved from one household to another) or even that of
the person to whom you were indentured, so in addition to natural
children (who are not always included in wills - tho many are) there
were others whom we cannot connect thro blood.
Kirt, you have talked in the past about those who moved to Honduras with
their servants but are there any records of a mass movement of freed
people such as above - the timing of the imigration and name issue
really make me wonder about this??
It also would be logical that the Methodist church might have helped
such a group move, or have moved with them as chuches were part of the
abolitionist group in England.
Any thoughts/confirmation of this?
Richard Bond
If that is the case I am wrong about those Iaborers being black. I
remember reading that white laborers left the Caymans after he end of
slavery to avoid free black competition. Some of them succeeded and
sought laborers in the end bringing in black Caymanian laborers.
Kirt
Richard Bond wrote:
Richard,
You were right but just a bit off target. The laborers and planters were
black, white and a mixture of both. To avoid competition for land many
white Caymanians did go to the Bay Islands. However, many of their former
slaves followed them after manumission. As Caymanians have always been
maritime people, many slaves also knew how to sail. Many slaves were
turtlers and as the turtle population dwindled around Cayman, the
turtlers followed the turtles to the Northern coast of Honduras.
In the Bay Islands the term whoggie or whyker exists for a creole (black &
white mixture) Many of the white females (British colonist) in Cayman and
Honduras died like flies to malaria while many of the indian and black
women were acclimated to a tropical environment. Thus, a whole lot of
multi racial people were soon being born.
Slavery is a domineering institution. In the U.S. many slaves did not
want to leave the plantations after they were free because they could not
comprehend how they would fend for themselves. When the Soviet Union
collapsed, many could not conceive how they would live without the state
control. I am proud that my great great great grandparents left for
Honduras for whatever reason. While I have no control over the past, I
would like to think that my ancestors were thinking that if these white
guys are headed for greener pastures, then I might want me some greener
pastures too. :)
Kirt B. Bennett
P.S. Outside of my rantings, look up Professor William Davidson. He is
probably the best authority alive on the history of the Bay Islands. He is
the head of Anthropology and Geography at Louisiana State
University.
Richard Bond
captains where I come from in the Virgins in fact my great-grandfather
was a boat captain. Caymanian descendants settled all along the Cental
American coast and are a major portion of the population in San Andres,
the Corns and Bluefields as well as the Bay Islands. So what is your
theory as regards the list?
I recently explained to someone from Honduras that her mothers maiden
name was not Cuban. Bodden <g>
Kirt
Richard Bond wrote:
> Richard,
> My theory is that the Methodist Church responded to the mass
migration to
> the Bay Islands by launching colonist (Caymanians and former slaves
of
> Cayman) to Roatan and Utilla. If you read the names of the original
> colonist to the Bay Islands, you will see that Dorothy's newest
postings
> correspond directly. She is providing a missing link between what
I've
> posted with the first Bay Island records and many in Cayman whom no
one in
> this listserver group has on their tree.
> All of the original birth records and christning records in Roatan
are
> Methodist Church records. The church records preceed the government
> records by some 40 years.
> One of the most frustrating things for me has been reading post after
post
> of information that does not connect with my tree. Then lo and
behold!
> Dorothy's newest information mentions two of my great great great
> grandparents. I think that the Methodist church decided to set up
shop
> and thought that it would be more successful elsewhere than cayman.
The
> migration to the Bay Islands was the perfect opportunity to get a
captive
> audience and grow a congragation taht could not compete with the
Anglican
> church.
> Here is a list of some of the original Bay Islanders in an 1859
petition to
> the Queen of England (Please compare the names to Dorothy's
postings):
> And finally Your Majesty Petitioners would humbly pray that should
the
> urgency of the state policy compel the relinquishment of this colony
that
> your Most Gracious Majesty would make such provisions for the
compensation
> of your Majestys Subjects the undersigned humble petitioners as may
> hereafter be decided on as fair and equitable and for the removal to
some
> other of your Majestys propessions as your several petitioners may
desire.
> Name Number of years in Colony
> Benjamin Brooks 18
> John L Mac Bride 17
> Henry Botlon Ebanks 6
> John Wilmont 12
> Edward Wellington 3
> Samuel Parsons 12
> George Williams 10
> Joseph Bodden 16
> James C. Webster 11
> Isaac Hyde 9
> James C. MacKenzie 7
> William Everett 14
> John Rivas 13
> John E. Brooks 8
> Jackson Watler 9
> Thomas Jones Bodden 16
> Edward Rivas 9
> John Cooper 25
> Robert Bush 17
> John Marion Bodden 10
> Thomas Mcfield 11
> Thomas Cooper 21
> William Bailey 10
> John Levy 5
> George W. Tatum 12
> James Ebanks 15
> George E Bird 7
> Edward Tennison 12
> James Watler 12
> William Saunders 12
> Frederick Ache 12
> William A. Johnson 7
> Robert Jarvis 12
> Richard Price 14
> Joseph Francisco 13
> Joseph F. Connor 15
> William Page 19
> Thomas Price 14
> Chance Imily 7
> Robert Greenlaw 12
> John Jackson 11
> Edward Kelly 3
> John Dias 7
> Sammuel Hinds 11
> George Dilbert 8
> James Welcome 12
> Rodney Watler 13
> James Hinds 18
> John H. Leon 2
> Charles Bennett 12
> Robert McField 11
> John Dicos 11
> William Bennett 11
> James R. Fisher 17
> Benjamin Brooks Sr. 11
> Benjamin Solomon 12
> James Hendricks 18
> Duncan Collins 8
> Daniel Collins 10
> William Bodden 12
> James M. Coe 11
> Richard Watler 12
> John Wright 12
> Hazzard Grant 12
> William Bodden 14
> J. B. Hilton 15
> Richard Fletcher 1
> William Smith 9
> William Tennison 8
> Jasper E. Brooks 13
> James Nelson 8
> Damon Brooks 12
> Samuel Simmons 10
> Nevins Elvin 13
> John Poppleton 19
> Robert Poppleton 10
> > I recently explained to someone from Honduras that her mothers
maiden
> > name was not Cuban. Bodden <g>
> Which part of Honduras was she from?
> Kirt
Kirt
Richard Bond wrote:
> Caymanian descendants settled all along the Cental
> American coast and are a major portion of the population in San Andres,
> the Corns and Bluefields as well as the Bay Islands.
Richard,
Please pardon my ignorance.
Where are San Andres, the Corns and Bluefields?
Kirt B. Bennett
Kirt
Richard Bond
Blufields and the Corns are in Nicaragua, Bluefields is a port on the
mainland, the Corn Islands are offshore. Further south and into the
Caribbean are San Andres and Providencia. The British held the
territories that are now Nicaraguan as an Indian protectorate before a
treaty with the U.S. in the mid 1800s caused them to be ceded. The
British wanted to take partwith the U.S. in a Trans Nicaraguan canal. In
an agressive move the Colombians took San Andes nd Providencia. after
the British and Americans they had the best Navy in the area.