Having children of my own was the catalyst for my interest in researching my family tree. That awesome realization that I now had descendants instilled in me a sense of responsibility to be able to inform them of their lineage beyond my own parents.
As a child of the 70s, I was deeply inspired by the television series Roots. I believe my mother was too, because at family gatherings, she made it a point to recite the grandchildren’s heritage, always concluding with herself and my father as the pioneers who came from Dominica to London. That was as far as she felt it necessary to recall.
Although I began building my family tree forty years ago, asking questions and scribbling random notes, I didn’t organize the search as well as I could have. It wasn’t until the lost opportunities following Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the Pandemic of 2020 that I realized there was no time to lose.
So, here’s hoping that this ten-point guide will inspire many people to start their family tree research as soon as possible.
- Start with What You Know
Begin with your immediate family—document names, birth and death dates, marriage details, and locations. Write down family traditions, significant events, and any stories you remember. Avoid relying solely on memory; small details often become significant later. - Talk to Elders and Relatives
Speak with older family members before their stories are lost. Ask specific questions about names, places, events, and relationships. Record these conversations (audio or video) with their permission.
Be mindful that, despite the prevalence of births out of wedlock, many older women might feel embarrassed about aspects of their past and have the right to keep their business to themselves.
Be prepared to find “double cousins” (people whose parents are closely related on both maternal and paternal sides of their family). In small, isolated communities with limited transportation options, such marriages were not uncommon. In a village like Wesley, it’s often said that nearly everyone is related by blood, marriage, or both. - Organize Your Findings
Physical Organization: Use labelled folders, binders, or color-coded notebooks for different family branches.
Digital Organization: Use cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive to store scanned documents, photos, and notes.
Family Tree Software: Platforms like Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, or Gramps help build and visualize family trees, though some require subscriptions to fully utilize their features.
Note-Taking Apps: Use Evernote or Notion to keep research logs, links, and to-do lists. - Explore Archives and Records
Since the registry office was destroyed by fire in 1979, baptismal records from parish churches are especially valuable. Check church registers for baptisms, weddings, and burials, as many churches kept records even before civil records began.
The Catholic Church has a long record in Dominica, and Anglican and Methodist churches also hold similar archives.
Check the registry office in Roseau, as surviving records and reconstruction efforts may provide additional information.
Explore immigration and emigration records, especially for relatives who moved abroad. Archives are often housed in former colonial administrative centers like the U.K. or France.
Examples of archives to explore:
U.K. National Archives: Passenger records (e.g., Windrush generation) and WWI and WWII military service records.
U.S. National Archives: Records of Caribbean immigrants arriving through Ellis Island or later air and sea ports.
Canadian Archives: Immigration records at Pier 21 may also offer valuable details.
Look into estate records, particularly if your family had connections to plantations or larger estates. Eminent regional historian Lennox Honychurch explains Dominica’s community enclaves in his paper, Slave Valleys, Peasant Ridges: Topography, Colour and Land Settlement on Dominica.
- Be Prepared for Name Variations
Names may be spelled differently in records (e.g., Louis, Luis, Lewis). Be flexible with spelling variations.
Unexpected middle names may appear in official documents.
Pay attention to nicknames, as they often reveal clues about family connections or cultural practices.
In Dominica, married women were often known by Ma + their husband’s first name. For example, I would have been called Ma Joe instead of Pamela. Similarly, children were sometimes referred to by their first name paired with their father’s first name as a surname.
In addition, pet names or nicknames—like Pamo, Pampi, or Pammy—were common forms of endearment.
- Utilize Social Media and Online Groups
Join Facebook groups dedicated to Dominican genealogy or village-specific history.
Use platforms like Reddit and WhatsApp to connect with others researching similar surnames or locations.
Some diaspora and village groups are already linked to the Museum Voyaj website under the Dominican Roots Network, and more will be added in the future.
Be prepared: Not everyone will want to reconnect with long-lost family members, and some grudges persist for generations.
Useful resource: UNESCO Digital Library
- Look or Ask for Letters, Photos, and Old Documents
– Search family homes for letters, postcards, diaries, birth certificates, and marriage licenses.
– Be prepared for suspicion from relatives—explain your motives and involve them in the process.
– Ask older relatives to share photo albums and help identify individuals in old photos.
Given past hurricanes, many families have lost photos and are often delighted when migrants share unexpected images of loved ones.
Digitize documents using apps like PhotoScan by Google Photos or CamScanner.
- Be Respectful of Privacy and Protocols
Approach sensitive topics (e.g., family disputes, illegitimate children) with care and discretion.
Always ask for permission before sharing stories or photographs publicly.
Keep private records safe and share them responsibly. - Verify Sources
Cross-reference information from multiple sources.
Don’t rely on the accuracy of other people’s family trees.
Understand historical events (e.g., hurricanes, migrations) that may have affected record-keeping. - Share Your Discoveries Thoughtfully
Keep family members updated via group chats, emails, or social media.
Create a private family website or a shared family tree on Ancestry.com or MyHeritage.
Consider compiling your findings into a family history book or a digital presentation.
Use interactive maps and timelines to engage younger family members and make history come alive.
By combining traditional research methods with modern digital tools—and remaining flexible with names and historical records—you’ll create an organized and meaningful family tree that preserves the heritage and stories of your Dominican ancestors for generations to come.
© Museum Voyaj
