Trinidad and Tobago Genealogy

Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago

Guide to Trinidad and Tobago ancestry, family history and genealogy parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Trinidad and Tobago are islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.

First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

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Jurisdictions

 * Sovereignty
 * Trinidad  Spain 1509, French settlers 1777, Great Britain 1797, independent 1962.
 * Tobago  changed hands 33 times—more than any other Caribbean island, including: Spain 1532-1534, Spain 1569-1570, Spanish permanent settlement 1592, English raid 1595, Netherlands settlement 1628-1637, failed Courland colonies in 1637, 1639, and 1642, failed English colonies 1639, 1642, and 1647, successful Courland and Netherlands colonies in 1654, French colony in 1658, Courlanders surrendered to the Dutch in 1659, British Jamaican pirates captured Tobago 1666 but surrendered to France later that year. The Netherlands reclaimed their forts in 1667 but were wiped out by the English who captured Tobago in 1672. The Netherlands regained control by treaty in 1674, but France captured Tobago in 1677, but it was restored to the Netherlands in 1679. Tobago became a no-mans-land in 1705, but was claimed by Great Britain in 1715. Sweden sent settlers in 1733 but they were repelled by natives. France and Great Britain declared Tobago neutral in 1748, Great Britain captured Tobago in 1762, so France left control of the tiny European population to Great Britain in 1763, France re-invaded 1781, surrendered to Great Britain 1797, Tobago was ceded by France to Great Britain 1814, and Tobago became independent 1962.


 * Subdivisions. Trinidad and Tobago are divided into 9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough corporations, 1 ward.

Research Tools
Trinidad and Tobago Genealogical Resources


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Newspapers
(Ffolliott, Rosemary. Some Connecting Links Between Ireland and the New World From Old Newspapers.  Article covers an alphabetical lists of births, marriages and deaths in the Munster Newspapers, Ireland, covers U.S.A. Canada, West Indies, and England - years 1765-1826.  Article found in The Irish Ancestor, vol. 2. no. 1. 1970 pages 62-69. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i

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