Sephardic Jews of Jamaica

Historical Background

Arrival and Early Settlement

The capture of Jamaica in 1655 provided the English with a base for contraband trade with Spanish America. Jews are reported to have arrived on the island in 1663, although claims that ‘secret’ Jews greeted the English when they landed is likely a fantasy.

Key Events

  • 1692: On 7th June, Port Royal, including its synagogue, was destroyed by a great earthquake.
  • 1704: Neveh Shalom synagogue was consecrated.
  • 1734-1737: James Houston, an employee of the South Sea Company, claimed that Jews from Kingston handled the contraband trade for the company, in conjunction with the company’s agents and New Christian contacts in Spanish America.

Jewish Life and Slavery in Jamaica

Jamaica was a slave society where most enslaved people lived and worked on large plantations. There were a few Sephardim who owned large estates, such as the Lindos, but most Jews lived more modestly. Relationships between Jewish slave owners and their slaves were often personal and sometimes intimate.

Post-Abolition

When slavery was abolished, it was the slaveowners rather than the enslaved people who received compensation. The Ancestry.com database “Former British Colonial Dependencies, Slave Registers, 1813-1834” is a valuable resource for genealogical research.

Genealogy and Ancestry

Complex Relationships

Reviewing relationships between slave-owning men and their enslaved women and children reveals a complex dynamic. Historical records sometimes show bequests left for women and children.

Men with suspected patrilineal Jewish ancestry may consider taking a yDNA test and consulting the Avotaynu DNA project. Women should test their father, brother, patrilineal uncle, etc.

Surnames and Descent

Freed slaves might adopt the surname of their former slaveholders, akin to Jews baptized in Spain who might take the surname of a godparent.

Research Resources

Primary Sources

Scholarly Resources

Books useful for Jamaican Jewish genealogy include:

Archives

Videos on Sephardic Genealogy in Jamaica

Additional Resources

Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean

“Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean” by Edward Kritzler is an entertaining book aimed at boosting Jamaican tourism. However, it is not a reliable historical source and should be viewed as fiction.

Genealogy Services

Do you need a professional genealogist to work on your Sephardic genealogy? Click here.

If you have found this page useful, please consider making a small donation to support this site and my work.