Some places seem shrouded in mystery – details of residents are inaccessible via the internet, and research often requires hiring costly researchers  on the ground, or sending payments to foreign governments or researchers with whom contact is often difficult.

Good news now for people with families who lived in Jamaica, West Indies.  According to the new Jamaican research website,  “This is a virtual genealogy library for those researching family history for Jamaica, West Indies, especially for people born before 1920. The site contains transcriptions from various documents including nineteenth century Jamaica Almanacs (which list property owners and civil and military officials), Jamaica Directories for 1878, 1891 and 1910, extractions from Jamaican Church records, Civil Registration, Wills, Jewish records, and excerpts from newspapers, books, and other documents. There is information on immigration and on slavery. ”  AND it’s free!

Thanks to Jan Meisels Allen for point out this terrific resource.