Paul Crooks is a genealogist, author, and historian specialising in Black genealogy and African-Caribbean history. His work focuses on recovering family histories that were obscured, misrecorded, or deliberately erased, using evidence-led research across British, Caribbean, and transatlantic archives.
For more than two decades, Paul has worked with historical records that document enslavement, migration, compensation, and identity, helping individuals and institutions understand how Black family histories can be traced despite archival gaps and distortion. His research combines genealogical method with historical analysis, grounded in original sources rather than inherited narratives.
This site brings together that work: published research, practical guidance for individuals researching their ancestry, and public education through talks and events. It exists for people who want accurate, rigorous insight into Black family history — and who understand that evidence matters.
What this work focuses on
Paul Crooks’ work sits at the intersection of genealogy and history, with a specific focus on Black family histories shaped by enslavement, colonialism, migration, and record-keeping systems that were not designed to preserve the identities of the people they documented.
His research concentrates on:
- "Black genealogy, particularly for families with African-Caribbean and African-American roots, where traditional family history methods often break down"
- "African-Caribbean history, especially Jamaica and the wider British Caribbean, and its connections to Britain and North America"
- "Archival records linked to enslavement and its aftermath, including compensation records, plantation documents, passenger lists, military records, and civil registration"
- "The interpretation of incomplete or distorted records, using cross-referencing and contextual analysis to reconstruct family histories responsibly"
This work is evidence-led. It prioritises original archival sources, critical reading of documents, and transparency about uncertainty, rather than simplified narratives or untested assumptions.
How this expertise was built
Paul Crooks’ expertise is grounded in long-term engagement with historical records rather than abstract theory. His work developed through sustained research across British and Caribbean archives, combined with practical casework involving families seeking to understand their ancestry beyond conventional genealogical limits.
Over time, this research has focused on records that sit at the margins of standard family history practice — documents created to administer enslavement, labour, migration, and compensation, rather than to preserve family narratives. These include plantation records, slave registers, compensation claims, passenger lists, military records, and early civil registration.
Through this work, Paul has developed methods for reading across fragmented sources, identifying individuals whose identities were inconsistently recorded, and reconstructing family histories where direct lineage evidence is incomplete or contested. This approach emphasises corroboration, historical context, and clear explanation of uncertainty.
The outcomes of this research have been published in books and shared through public talks and educational programmes, contributing to wider understanding of how Black family histories can be traced responsibly using archival evidence.
Why this work matters
Black family histories are often shaped by records that were created for administrative or economic purposes rather than for preserving personal identity. As a result, names may be incomplete, relationships obscured, and individuals reduced to categories rather than recorded as people. This presents specific challenges for anyone attempting to trace ancestry using conventional genealogical approaches.
Careful, evidence-led research is essential in this context. Misinterpretation of records, overreliance on assumption, or uncritical repetition of secondary sources can lead to inaccurate conclusions that are difficult to correct once they circulate. Responsible genealogy requires attention to context, an understanding of how records were produced, and honesty about the limits of what can be known.
This work therefore prioritises accuracy over convenience. It aims to reconstruct family histories as faithfully as the evidence allows, while acknowledging uncertainty where records are missing or ambiguous. In doing so, it helps individuals and institutions engage with the past in a way that is informed, transparent, and historically grounded.
How this work connects to current activity
The research and methods outlined above inform Paul Crooks’ current work across writing, public education, and individual casework.
His books explore specific aspects of Black genealogy and African-Caribbean history in greater depth, using case studies to demonstrate how archival records can be interpreted and connected. These publications reflect the same evidence-led approach described here, applied to particular historical problems and research questions.
Alongside this, Paul offers individual consultations for people researching their own family history, where appropriate. This work focuses on helping individuals understand what records may exist, how they can be interpreted, and where the limits of available evidence lie.
He also delivers talks and educational events that examine historical records, research methods, and case studies, aimed at audiences who want a clearer understanding of how Black family histories can be researched and interpreted responsibly.
Each of these activities draws on the same underlying research practice and commitment to accuracy outlined on this page.