A Caribbean case study
The ancestry of Jonah Albert

Carrying out genealogical research in the Caribbean is often difficult – poor archives, records that don't go back very far and the inevitable problems caused by slavery. Channel 4 commissioned professional genealogist Anthony Adolph of Achievements Ltd <www.achievements.co.uk> to give it a try, using as his guinea pig Jonah Albert, coordinator of the Channel 4 Black History Map project, who was born on 5 October 1967 at Castries, St Lucia.

A Caribbean case study: Part 1

Starting out
The first step in researching any family tree is to write down everything you already know about your family. Jonah was able to provide the following information:

Father's side (The Alberts)

Father: Mathew Albert

Born 1923, Canaries, St Lucia
Sailor in St Lucia, later emigrated to Britain
Married Lucia Cornibert in London

Grandfather: Aristide Albert

A subsistence farmer
Married Albertina Edwards; both died in the 1970s

Great-grandfather: Albert (forename only)

The Albert family's ancestry is thought to include black, white and perhaps some indigenous Indian blood.

Mother's side (The Corniberts)

Mother: Lucia Cornibert

Born 1937, Laborie, St Lucia
Seamstress
Married Mathew Albert in London

Grandfather: Anton Cornibert

Carpenter; was involved in the building of the Panama Canal
Married Eta Alphonse; after her death, remarried a second wife Antoinette
Died in about 1976, aged 106, at Canaries, St Lucia

Grandmother: Eta Alphonse

Died in about 1944

Great-grandfather: Georges Cornibert (French descent)

Carpenter
Married a woman with both black and white ancestry

What happens next?
Having recorded everything he could remember, the next step was for Jonah to contact his older relations and ask them for their own memories. For example, the sister of his grandmother Albertina Albert is still alive and should be able to fill in details for that side of the family.

Once this has happened, original research work will start in St Lucia. You will be able to follow this as it progresses. We aim to update this site every time new information arrives, explaining each new procedure, search and result.