People of the Past

I’d begun my genealogical journey at the St. Croix Landmarks library. My mother and I discovered that the Patriarch of the family was in the Danish West Indies during the Danish Slave Trade to St. Croix . Further research revealed that although the Patriarch was a free person of Color his mother was born into slavery we begin this journey with George mother, Sarah Beaudhuy who was born a slave in St.Croix, Danish West Indies in the second half of the 18th century.

Over the years and the many trips to the library, gravesites, as well as participating in family history displays, have heightened the interest of my own family history. I began to crave for more information as to their occupations, their lives, their families; and it has become a sweet addiction. As I try to satisfy the cravings of this addiction, perhaps by sharing this journey of these People of the Past we might find other Obsessions. Welcome to my journey

By shelley dewese

As I continue to search out my history, I am discovering how much I did not know. The more information disclosed about my ancestry, the more I learn and understand how I am the person that has evolved today. My family's research efforts have taken me on an enlightening journey back through the past in the U. S. Virgin Islands (formerly Danish West Indies) and Coastal Georgia. As with most people of Afro-Caribbean descent, my ancestry stems from peoples brought together by colonialism and conquest; it stems from people thrown together, albeit forcibly, by the throes of enslavement. As a result, my DNA tells me that my people originate in Africa, Europe, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Lesser Antilles, and Leeward Caribbean Islands. Two collections made my dream to research my ancestors in the Danish West Indies a reality. I have conducted extensive research using the St. Croix Population Database 1734-1917, a St. Croix African Roots Project product, and a research and document transcription effort sponsored by the Virgin Islands Social History Associates (VISHA). The other catalyst has been accessing the extensive photo, manuscript, and microfilm collections at the Library and Archives of the St. Croix Landmarks Society at Estate Whim in St. Croix. My heartfelt thanks go to all my cousins, extended "cousin-family," friends, and research colleagues from the St. Croix-based Virgin Islands Ancestry Discovery Group, for their input and collaboration. I also want to thank the UJima Genealogy Group in Coastal Georgia and GlynnGen.com; webmaster Amy Hendrick has introduced me to Southern History and its people. This site allows you to transform yourself to a time during the Danish period (1734-1917) when life was both complex and straightforward. If you have any questions, comments, or need assistance searching for a Danish West Indies ancestor, I invite you to drop me an email. Its.sheldew@gmail.com I especially appreciate the followers' encouragement.

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