A new digital collection has been launched, providing access to nearly four million entries concerning individuals who were enslaved in 20 former British colonies, including Mauritius. The records, which date primarily from 1813 to 1840, contain information such as names, ages, family links, and places of residence. This collection is the result of a collaboration between genealogy company Ancestry and the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at University College London.
The records include details such as physical descriptions, births, deaths, and forced transfers, and were initially created by colonial administrations to control enslaved populations and combat illegal trade. The database contains around 300,000 digitized and indexed pages. Users can search the records by name after creating a free account on the platform. This digital collection is expected to help Mauritians and members of the diaspora reconstruct their fragmented history.
In addition to this digital collection, Mauritius has a public database administered by the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture. This database allows users to search for specific names, estates, and places associated with the history of enslaved people. However, users are cautioned that a name match is not sufficient to establish a family connection, as variations in spelling, changes in surname, and information imposed by owners can make it necessary to cross-reference multiple documents.
Historians and genealogists stress that this online collection is not a replacement for their work, but rather a tool to make a part of this history more accessible to those seeking to understand their origins. The records must be approached with respect, as they not only provide genealogical resources but also testify to a system of violence, dispossession, and dehumanization that continues to impact collective memory.
To effectively utilize the digital collection, users are advised to begin with known names, communes, estates, and dates within their families. They should also search for different spellings of surnames, note the reference numbers, pages, and years of each document found, and compare the information with available birth, marriage, and death certificates.
Further research can be conducted by consulting the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture's database and the National Archives of Mauritius, which hold additional records, statistics, and liberation certificates. Users are reminded that a name match should be considered a lead rather than definitive proof of family connection.
The online collection of historic slavery records is a significant step towards making this history more accessible to the public, and it is hoped that it will contribute to a greater understanding of the complex and painful legacy of slavery in Mauritius and beyond.
Key points
- The digital collection contains nearly four million entries on people enslaved in 20 former British colonies, including Mauritius.
- The records date primarily from 1813 to 1840 and include details such as names, ages, family links, and places of residence.
- Users can search the records by name after creating a free account on the platform.
