Caribbean Family History: African & Scottish Ancestry in the Caribbean
Why do Scottish surnames appear so frequently in Caribbean family histories, and what can they reveal about ancestry?
Many people researching Black family history reach a point where records no longer seem to connect. Family links become harder to follow across generations shaped by slavery, migration, and colonial rule.
In this online talk, genealogist and author Paul Crooks presents a documented family lineage connecting the Caribbean to West Africa through public records. Using a real family history case study, the session explores what this journey reveals about Black ancestry, identity, and family connections across generations.
What You’ll Gain
- A clearer understanding of African and Scottish ancestry in the Caribbean
- Greater insight into why Scottish surnames appear in many African-Caribbean family histories
- A broader understanding of how ancestry, migration, and identity became intertwined
Context for interpreting family stories, inherited traditions, and unexpected discoveries - New perspectives on what surnames can—and cannot—reveal about ancestry