Black Ancestry: Trace Your African & Caribbean Roots

Wednesday 27 October 2021

Do you want to trace your roots? Do you wonder how far back you can go? Do you want to know where & how to begin? Paul Crooks knows.

 

Paul Crooks is a genealogist with a specialist interest in African Caribbean history. Paul will deliver unique insights drawing on his personal case study to

  • share his 10 hot tips for tracing African Caribbean ancestry
  • demonstrate how you can trace forebears using public records
  • highlight potential pitfalls that may get in the way of your search and how to overcome them

Who is this talk for?

The talk is suitable for you if

  • you’re new to exploring family history
  • you have some experience of searching for your ancestors and want to know about other sources of information
  • you’ve started and you’re having problems furthering your search.

Come and ask questions about how to start exploring family history. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspired to explore your Ancestry.

About the Speaker

Trailblazing family historian Paul Crooks pioneered research into African Caribbean genealogy during the 1990s. He traced his family history from London, back 6 generations, to ancestors captured on the West African coast and enslaved on a sugar plantation in Jamaica.

Paul was told that it would be impossible to trace records of slave-ownership let alone his African ancestors enslaved on plantations in Jamaica. “No one had tried because such records did not exist.” Undeterred, he embarked on a journey of discovery that led from suburban North London to Jamaica and ultimately back to the Gold Coast of Africa.

His books, Ancestors and A Tree Without Roots – The Guide To Tracing British, African And Asian Caribbean Ancestry brought him international recognition for his breakthrough research into Black genealogy.

Paul is credited with inspiring an upsurge in interest in Black and British ancestry. He is also recognised for having spawned an industry in African Caribbean genealogy.