A Research Trip To Trinidad

I went on a one week research trip to Trinidad from 24th - 31st August 2002, and have the following up-to-date information which may be of value, particularly to first-time travellers.

Lapeyrouse Cemetery, Port of Spain (Tel: 625-2275; 7am - 4pm)

A most extraordinary experience with an aura unlike any other cemetery I've ever visited. Entry to the Lapeyrouse cemetery is instantly overwhelming. The main entrance arch bears the date 1869 as recorded by V L Oliver, who went no further but surmised correctly that this couldn't refer to the age of the cemetery itself which is of much earlier date (officially 1813, but even earlier). Through the arch and on the right is the Guppy plot. It was impossible to find time to walk every Street and view every plot but some of the names represented here included RODRIGUEZ, GUPPY, CALDER, CIPRIANI, SIMON, COZIER, FRIDAL, LEE AFONG, REID, SHUE, ALBERTINA, HADID, CHAN, ALEONG, RENAUX, JARDIN, LEUNG, MACKIE, QUESNEL, GANTAUME, HENDERSON, CAMPBELL, MAINGOT, CARACCIOLO, PANTIN, MARTINI, SIEGERT. I was looking for the plot of my POWER ancestors in 9th Street which I found. Unfortunately, a tablet that had been screwed onto the bottom of the headstone had fragmented and consequently vital information was lost. The state of many graves is poor as might be expected yet many are quite legible also so you may be in luck. I was lucky on two counts. First I met Anthony Henderson (Ash Cemetery Services, Tel: 628-2610) who is contracted to maintain graves by certain families. Luckily he had the key to the Peschier cemetery ! A very amiable and knowledgeable person who strongly advised me against visiting Lapeyrouse so early in a morning alone. My second bit of luck was to be found inside the Cemetery Office where a Mr Grey had extracted the Power plot 'Card' from his filing cabinet. He also permitted me the rare privilege of searching the large burial registers kept in a vault in the adjoining room. Many of the early books are in a perilous state of decay, literally fragmenting as the book is lifted out and opened. It was a heartbreaking sight. I was interested in 1888 yet this was impossible to search. The book for 1904 was however in generally good order. There were books that contained an Index of Burials per year and others that contained sequential burial entries for a year.

Mucurapo (Woodbrook) Cemetery, Mucurapo Road, Port of Spain

Although nowhere as large as Lapeyrouse or of such antiquity, the Mucurapo cemetery (located between Woodbrook and St James) is still formidable and should be visited It has a far more 'open' feel than Lapeyrouse as there are very few substantial monuments here. The state of graves is variable as at Lapeyrouse but there are nonetheless a majority in reasonable order. It is safer than Lapeyrouse but the same precautions should nevertheless be taken i.e. better to visit when there are cemetery staff around. The 'Street' arrangement is similar to Lapeyrouse but in addition there are plot numbers engraved at the foot of each grave prefixed with a 'P'. Main and only entrance is on the Mucurapo Road. A good 'aerial' view is from Fort George. The earliest burial found was dated about 1869 and I walked up and down every single Street over a three hour period. Names represented here included BOOS, DE VERTEUIL, AGOSTINI, DE MONTBRUN (Pedro 1880-1967; Mildred 1906-1968), and uncommonly just two of INCE (Rita 1906-1960; Winifred 1906-1991). A number of Bishops appeared to have been buried here including PARRY. There were many Chinese graves as at Lapeyrouse, in particular ALEONG was well represented. I also found some war graves: C A Sanders, Leading Seaman, Trinidad Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, died 29-Apr-1942 aged 54, 'In Memory of our dear father'; Major Charles Tebay M.C., Royal Field Artillery died 19-Sep-1960 aged 80 [sic]. 'Lest we forget'. I did not have time to visit the Western Cemetery in Woodbrook, but suspect this is far more recent.

Peschier Cemetery, Queens Park Savannah, Port of Spain

A small private cemetery not open to the public, situated within a round walled enclosure in the middle of the Savannah. I was lucky in that I had previously met the right person at Lapeyrouse on the same day who had the key and took me there. This is a cemetery of great tranquility which has an air of mystery from a distance. V L Oliver recorded inscriptions here in 1914 and my feeling was that most of what he found then was still intact now, but with some more recent additions such as MAINGOT. If nothing else, peer through the iron gate and take a photo. You won't be disappointed.

Past Governors Burial Ground - Botanic Gardens

There is a small burial ground in the middle of the Botanic Gardens reserved for past Governors of Trinidad. This is a place of great historic importance and easily overlooked. The gardens are also very beautiful and worth a visit in their own right.

Registration Office, South Quay, Port of Spain (Tel: 623-7163; 8.30am - 3.15pm)

Contrary to what most people may think, records of births, marriages and deaths are NOT kept at Red House anymore but have been relocated to the Registration Office at South Quay near Courts furniture shop. Do not expect to find any indexes here. The officious gentleman sitting at the desk on entry simply couldn't understand what I was talking about when I asked about search facilities for BMDs ! After a security check you enter a large crowded hall where you must fill out a small colour-coded form in order to apply for a certificate (Birth-white; Marriage-green; Death-red). After payment the certificate is issued on the SAME day in the FOLLOWING week i.e. you can't just search an index first. The search is performed 'behind the scenes'. There must be a postal option because I ordered a number of certificates from England using International Money Orders (very expensive!). However be warned. Mine took 6 months each to receive. Do not expect a 'rapid response' attitude here.

Probate Office, High Court, Knox St, Port of Spain (Tel: 623-2416 Ext 2241/2; 8am-4pm)

Entry to the High Court is permitted only after a security check. Cameras are retained by security staff and are returned on exit. The Probate Office is on the ground floor. The Will Index books are stacked on a shelf in roughly year range sequence, in a small area only suitable for a few people (three at most). There were none earlier than 1903 as far as I could see. Indexes to Wills and Administrations are alphabetical on surname within a given year range but beware that continuation of for eg 'C' may occur under 'W'. This means you MUST search the entire book to be sure you've not missed a continuation of a particular surname. The other type of book is a 'Cause' Book which appeared to give details of all correspondence to do with a grant of probate. These are entered in a numerical sequence for a given year and therefore must be searched from start to finish. Reference to a file is sometimes prefixed with either an 'L' for Large Estate or 'S' for Small Estate eg S123/44 where /44 refers to the year (the reference is called a Proceeding No). For earlier wills, there is just a number with no prefix. In order to view a file you must order it at the counter then return the following day at 2.30pm armed with TT$1.00 worth of stamps. You may designate someone else to do this, preferably a relative. You may order a copy of the Will but note that the Probate Office will NOT post anything to you. It must be picked up. It is always advisable to first check by phone to see whether they have found the file you are looking for BEFORE making a journey. I found reference to my grandfather's Will made in 1920. This had no 'L' or 'S' prefix just the reference 296/20. I took a taxi the following day to the Probate Office only to be told they had not found the file which was probably located off-site. Luckily a cousin of mine agreed to go back to the probate Office after my return to England. They eventually found the file after much searching. My cousin ordered a copy for me and posted it to me in England. As stated above, this is the only way you will get a Will on Trinidad, and judged on what I discovered in my grandfather's file, it is advisable to have all documents copied, not just the will. Each side of a page will cost TT$2.00 to copy.

Chaguaramas Military Museum

This is a must for anyone with an interest in military and naval history. A single-handed effort with no government funding containing a wealth of important historical documents and other information. The displays are not museum standard yet the content is brilliant. It's very humid and stuffy so don't hang around for too long. A modest TT$20 gets you entry. There are open-air displays of various types of military equipment.

'Mystery' Cemetery at Chaguaramas

I name this a 'mystery' cemetery because it suddenly appeared on the way to the Chaguaramas boat harbour. A field of graves marked with crosses (but no names), and a single tomb with inscription whose construction appeared to suggest it had been transported to this site. There was also what looked like the ruins of a church nearby. My relative knew nothing of this cemetery. It had no name and was not enclosed.

General Safety Tips

Trinidad is a lovely country, rich in beautiful architecture, monuments and scenery, reflecting it's long and varied history. It is not 'tourist-friendly' yet I was treated with utmost courtesy. It is however experiencing an increase in crime, including kidnapping, of which two incidents occurred while I was there. It is therefore advisable to be aware of your surrounds. Do not wear jewellery or any other fancy items, and don't carry excess money. If you are white and obviously a tourist, of which there will be few, you will stand out from the crowd. Use taxis (private, route or maxis) for any substantial journey, with a pre-arranged pickup time and place. Trinidad is far less expensive than for example Barbados in this respect, so the small extra expense will be well worth it. I had no problems yet there were streets I walked down that caused me to look over my shoulders, and down which I never walked again. There are a few places like that in England also so it's important to maintain some balance. There is a 'fortress' mentality with most properties protected with wrought iron railings, and with dogs let loose in forecourts outside. They may keep you awake at night with 'competitive' barking, which can be a nuisance.

General Health Tips

I travelled in the rainy season so the climate was very humid, hot, and with frequent but short-lived thunderstorms (take a brolly!). If you are susceptible to insect bites (and even if you think you're not) then beware the Trini mosquitos and sandflies which are hardly visible, and which bit me very badly, and caused severe and painful inflammation. I took two types of insect-repellent (from Boots), and while I applied these religiously and liberally, neither offered any protection at all. If you are tempted to go around in shorts and teeshirts (even inside your guesthouse, apartment or hotel) then my advice is don't. Always wear long trousers and long-sleeved garments (loose-fitting), and don't forget to protect your feet. The quality of drinking water on Trinidad is excellent so don't waste money on bottled water.

A first-time traveller will not be disappointed with Trinidad even though genealogical resources are generally poor. I had no time to visit the National Archives, Library, or the Port of Spain Archives unfortunately but plan to do so next time.

Good hunting and travel safe.

Dr Bernard Ince
England
email: bince@bdos.fsnet.co.uk

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