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Tracing Black Ancestry | Secrets of 1817 Slave Registers Uncovered

Sunday 30th April

Black History Speaker and pioneering genealogist Paul Crooks captivates the African diaspora with his account of how he used slavery registers to trace his forebears enslaved on a sugar plantation in Jamaica, 200 years ago.

Paul was told that it would be impossible to trace records of slave-ownership let alone his Ancestors enslaved on plantations in North America. “No one had tried because such records did not exist.” In the 1990’s, undeterred, he embarked on a journey of discovery that led from suburban North London to North America and ultimately back to the Gold Coast; an effort that has brought him international recognition for his breakthroughs in Black genealogy research.

Paul will:

  • discuss how the slave registers can support the exploration of Black Ancestry, Black history and self-identity
  • reveal what the registers reveal about the roots of British racism
  • the origins of the slave registers and how and how he discovered them
  • talk about his journey and how he traced his roots
  • create space for questions and answers

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
  • you want to develop your knowledge and understanding of Black History.

Premium Ticket holders

Premium Ticket holders will access the event and receive the Africans, Irish and the Music of the Caribbean PDF .

About the speaker

Paul Crooks is unique as a published author and genealogist with a specialist interest in Black ancestry and Black history.

Paul came to prominence with his pioneering research into Black genealogy During the 1990s, when he became the first to trace his family history back 6 generations, from London to his ancestors enslaved on a sugar plantation in North America 200 years ago. He discovered his ancestors were enslaved on a sugar plantation in Jamaica.

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

Paul Crooks has appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? with Moira Stuart as the expert in Black genealogy and has been recognised for inspiring an upsurge in interest in Black and British ancestry. Paul is credited with inspiring an upsurge in interest in Black and British ancestry. He is also recognised for having spawned an industry in Black genealogy.

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