By Vilma Ruddock, M.D.
These are the primary repositories for Jamaica’s vital records and other historical documents dating from 1661. They are the main sources of the Jamaican documents you can find on FamilySearch and the other genealogy websites.
Many of the documents in these historic registries and archives have been filmed, digitized, and made accessible online. Each repository has a website, except for the Roman Catholic Archives.
The Registrar General’s Department(RGD)
Located in Twickenham Park, Jamaica, the RGD is the keeper of many of Jamaica’s records valuable for genealogy, including:
- Church registrations (1664-1880): baptisms, marriages, and burials
- Civil registrations (1878-present): births, marriages, deaths
- Wills and probate documents
- Land records and deeds
Website: https://www.rgd.gov.jm/
The Jamaica Archives and Records Department (JARD)
The Jamaica Archives unit in Spanish Town preserves historical and archival vital records and other documents, many dating back to 1661:
- Original Church of England Parish Registers: (1666-1918)
- Original Dissenter Church Records (1818-1850)
- Original wills and probate records
- Estate inventories (1661-1881)
- Estate records (1674-1881) with slave lists
- Manumission Registers
- The Slave Registers of Former British Colonial Dependencies (1817-1834)
- Maps and estate plans
The Government Records Centre of the JARD in Kingston houses official government papers and other archival material. These documents are important records of Jamaica’s history, heritage, and culture.
Website: https://www.jard.gov.jm/
The Roman Catholic Archives
The Catholic Archives holds the records of Catholic baptisms, births, marriages, burials, and deaths. The Archives is located at the Chancery, the office of the Archbishop in Kingston.
Address: Roman Catholic Archivist, 21 Hopefield Ave, Kingston 6, Jamaica
Phone: (809) 927-9915
No website
The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ)
The historic Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) was established in 1879. Its mission is to advance the knowledge of culture, art, literature, and science in Jamaica. The holdings include historical maps, books, and archealogical artifacts.
Website: https://instituteofjamaica.org.jm/
The National Library of Jamaica (NLJ)
The National Library of Jamaica (NLJ) houses the best collection of materials on West Indian culture and life in the Caribbean. The holdings include:
- Plantation/estate records
- Estate survey maps and maps of the island
- Family papers and correspondence
- Manuscripts of Indentures
- Historic manuscripts, biographies, and rare books
- The Jamaica Almanacs, handbooks, and directories
- Historical newspapers
- Digital and microfilm collections of the historical materials:
ewspapers, historical and contemporary books, and a large collection of estate and whole island survey maps.
The NLJ was established in 1979 at the Institute of Jamaica out of the collection of the West India Reference Library (WIRL) of the IOJ.
Website: https://nlj.jm/
The University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI)
The library of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus in Kingston, houses the West Indies and Special Collections. The collection includes materials from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, including:
- Rare books and manuscripts,
- Estate records and slave inventory
- Family papers and correspondence
- Newpapers and maps
- Scholarly works by staff and students
- Digital collections of the historical materials
Website: https://www.mona.uwi.edu/library/west-indies-special-collections
The National Archives at Kew, UK
The National Archives (TNA) i n England houses numerous original Jamaican historical materials, many of which are also in Jamaica’s archives.
TNA holds documents and colonial correspondence the government of Jamaica sent to England throughout its colonial history including:
- The The Slave Registers of Former British Colonial Dependencies (1817-1834)
- Slave manumission records
- Estate journals and “slave lists”
- Land grants and land surveys
- Migration, shipping documents, and naturalizations
- Wills proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), London
- The Jamaica Almanacs
- Colonial newspapers
Website: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
The British Library (BL), London, UK
The library (formerly part of the British Museum) houses important materias for Jamaican genealogy research, including:
- Maps of Jamaica and the Caribbean
- Estate papers and inventories
- Manuscripts and family papers
- Missionary society records
- Books and journals
Documents digitized by The Endangered Archives Program from Jamaican archives are hosted on the BL’s website, including:
- Slave manumissions registers
- Deeds of indenture
- Roman Catholic records
Website: https://www.bl.uk/
Visit the Websites
Visit the websites for more information about their valuable holdings. Many important documents for Jamaican genealogy and history research have been digitized and are available on the sites.
Share your experience with any of these repositories in the comments.