One of the first steps in my research journey was talking to my parents. From them, I learned the names of their grandparents. This gave me a starting point, but it also showed me my first challenge.
In many Caribbean families, people use nicknames more often than legal names. These nicknames can become so common that younger relatives never learn the person’s real name. This was true in my family. My parents could tell me who someone was, but not always what name appeared on official records.
Another challenge involved family titles. In many Jamaican homes, people call elders “Aunt” or “Uncle,” even when they are cousins or family friends. Because of this, my parents were not always sure how certain people were related to them. Trying to match names, relationships, and actual identities became difficult very early in my research.
Speaking with my mother helped more. She is the oldest of her siblings and spent a lot of time with her grandmother. She remembered stories and small details that helped me locate missing relatives.
My father is one of the younger siblings in his family. He did not grow up around many of his older relatives. When I called my aunt, who is his oldest sister, she filled in many gaps. She also led me to my grandaunt and granduncle, who shared more helpful information. These conversations showed me that family is always the best place to start. They may not remember everything, but even small pieces of information can help.
Discovering My Father’s Family Line
My father knew the names of his maternal grandparents. They were John Bogle and Annie Brown. He did not know the full names of his paternal grandparents. He only knew them as Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Anna.
This made my search difficult. I did not find anyone in the district with those names during the right period. One problem was the way Jamaica recorded births at that time. If the parents were not married, the father’s name did not appear on the certificate. If you did not know the mother’s last name, you could not link the record to her children.
Spelling also created problems. A registrar might misspell a name. A volunteer reading old handwriting might guess the wrong letters.
My aunt helped again. She told me Grandma Anna’s maiden name, married name, and the name of her husband. With that information, everything began to make sense. I learned that Grandma Anna’s real name was Hannah. I also found out that Grandpa Charlie’s name was Joseph.
This helped me fill in the first part of my family tree. Once I knew Grandma Hannah’s last name, I found several birth records for her children, including my grandfather.
Exploring My Mother’s Family Line
My mother’s side was easier to research. She confidently named her maternal grandparents. They were Lancelot Williams and Lucy Ann Anderson. Because she grew up with them, she shared stories that later helped my research.
Her paternal grandparents came with a family story. She told me that her grandmother was Georgianna Fletcher and her grandfather was someone she knew as Hernal Huggins. His real name was Arnold. He died before my mother was born, so she never met him.
The family story claimed that Arnold came to Jamaica from England with his brothers to start a business. At times the story said he came from Sicily. This turned out to be the first family legend I was able to disprove. Arnold was born in Jamaica. His father was also born in Jamaica. Although he may have been very fair-skinned, he was not the foreign businessman the family believed him to be.
The mystery around his background continues. I will share more about that part of my research in another post.
Early Tools and Important Lessons
When I started, my tools were simple. I talked to family members and searched the FamilySearch website. At this stage, I found new information often. I understood the basics, so I only needed to learn how to search for documents.
As my research grew, the process changed. Today, I may search several databases, contact archives, and study many documents without finding anything new. This part of genealogy requires patience and commitment.
Taking breaks is important. A break gives your eyes and mind time to reset. Many times I missed the answer even though it was right in front of me. When I returned later, I suddenly saw the clue I needed.
These early steps shaped the foundation of my genealogical journey. The stories, challenges, and surprises continue to guide me forward.