Welcome to the new Ruddock Books website. I am introducing my first book here, Jamaican Genealogy Research: A Practical Guide to the Best Resources for Tracing Your Ancestry, which is soon to be self-published. This book advances my passion for writing, teaching, and service. It leads the way to other books to come on the […]
I have been fascinated by Jamaica’s captivating history and multi-ethnic heritage and culture since childhood. Writing Jamaican Genealogy Research: A Practical Guide to the Best Resources for Tracing Your Ancestry was a tribute to my maternal grandmother and a “labor of love” for my global online genealogy community and future Jamaican ancestry researchers. My maternal
The Origins Of My Jamaican Genealogy Research Book Read More »
Jamaica’s record-keeping began in 1661. This was six years after an English fleet under Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables conquered the island from the Spanish settlers. The Early Colonial Keeper of the Records The office of the Island Secretary of English/British colonial Jamaica was the entity responsible for the island’s record-keeping and administration
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These are the primary repositories for Jamaican vital records and other historical documents. They are the main sources of the vast number of documents you can find on the major genealogy websites recommended for Jamaican ancestry research. Many of the documents in these historic registries and archives have been filmed and digitized and made accessible
The Primary Historic Registries and Archives Read More »
The following is a list of the main websites for finding Jamaican birth/baptism, marriage, death/burial (BMD)records, and other historical information online. Start your online research with FamilySearch, the best website for finding BMD records, the mainstay of genealogy research. The Websites FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/en/ Jamaican Family Search: https://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.org/ Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/ Slave Registers of Former British Colonial
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