Melville

[Ash Emery]

I am attempting to trace the Melville family who lived in British Guiana
(now Guyana) in the period about 1860 to about 1880. John Melville was
an English merchant and lived in Berbice. (Does anyone know if this a
town at the coast or upcountry?) John was married to Sarah and they both
were about 30 years old in 1870. They had several children whilst in
British Guiana including (John born about 1863), Ann de Berenger (born
about 1869), Marguerite Matilda (born about 1871) and Walter (born about
1876). John Melville Snr died about 1878/79 and the rest of the family
were shipped home to England with the younger ones packed off to
separate orphanages.

My queries:

1. Is there any focal point for me to look for the death recotrd of John
Melville Snr and the cause of death?

2. Where would I look for the baptism records of the children/are there
church records held for Berbice?

3. Was there anything similar to the English Civil Registration system
operating in the British West Indies in the 1860s/1870s and where should
I look for records of births and deaths.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice.

Ash

[the.gra...@gmail.com]

My ex-wife and my children are related to Pauline and Joy Melville of Guyana/Scotland. Both are writers and actresses. Recently, Joy has passed.

Any records you have would be helpful.

[jiml...@caribbeanavenue.com]

You might Google for a genealogy society in Guyana, all that I have
seen of them they have an extra-ordinary access to records.

[markei...@gmail.com]