Bahamas Colonial Records

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Bahamas

Colonial Records

British Colonization (1648-1973)

Beginning in the mid-16th century, Spain, France, Britain, and the Netherlands all made attempts to colonize the Bahamas. However, it wasn't until the English Civil War Period that English settlement began. The Bahamas gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 10, 1973.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records
The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), 1384-1858 at the National Archives - index	1760-1852	Wills	English	Until 1858, all wills had to be proved by the church and other courts. Most of the individuals in these records were relatively wealthy.
British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Bahamas at FindMyPast - index and images ($)	1832-2005	Births and baptisms	English	Children born to those working within the armed forces, merchant navy, and consular forces, as well as, civilian ship passengers.
British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Bahamas at FindMyPast - index and images ($)	1832-1960	Banns and marriages	English	British armed forces members and civilians who were married abroad and at sea
British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, Bahamas at FindMyPast - index and images ($)	1844-2004	Deaths and burials	English	Members of the British armed forces who died while serving their country overseas, British civilians who died while traveling or working overseas, and individuals (including seaman) who died at sea.
British Civil Service Evidence Of Age at FindMyPast - index ($)	1850-1863	Civil Service applications and paperwork	English	Individuals who worked for, or applied to join, the British Civil Service.
Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959 at FamilySearch - index and images	1850-1959	Births, marriages, and deaths	English	Bahamians
Bahamas, Civil Registration, 1850-1959 at Ancestry.com ($) - images	1850-1959	Births, marriages, and deaths	English	Bahamians
Bahamas Births, 1850-1891 at FamilySearch - index	1850-1891	Births	English	Bahamians
Bahamas, Select Births, 1850-1891 at Ancestry.com ($) - index	1850-1891	Births	English	Bahamians
Bahamas Births, 1850-1891 at MyHeritage ($) - index	1850-1891	Births	English	Bahamians
Caribbean Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928 at FamilySearch - index	1590-1928	Births and baptisms	English	Bahamians
Caribbean Deaths and Burials, 1790-1906 at FamilySearch - index	1790-1906	Deaths and burials	English	Bahamians
Caribbean Marriages, 1591-1905 at FamilySearch - index	1591-1905	Marriages	English	Bahamians
Former British Colonial Dependencies, Slave Registers, 1813-1834 at Ancestry.com ($) - index	1822, 1825, 1828, 1831, 1834	Slave registers	English	To combat illicit transportation following this act many of the British Colonies began keeping registers of black slaves who had been so-called “lawfully enslaved”. In 1819 the Office for the Registry of Colonial Slaves was established in London and copies of the slave registers kept by the colonies were sent to this office
Dowers, 1791-1917 at FamilySearch - images	1791-1917	Dowers	English	Widows of proptery-owning Bahamians
Chancery records 1800-1859 at FamilySearch - images	1800-1859	Chancery records	English	Bahamians
Land and property records, 1788-1955 at FamilySearch - images	1788-1955	Land records	English	Property-owning Bahamians
Leases 1846-1860 at FamilySearch - images	1846-1860	Leases	English	Renters and landlords who lived in the Bahamas
Probate records, 1700-1944 at FamilySearch - images	1700-1944	Probate records	English	Property-owning Bahamians
Estate appraisals, 1828-1853 at FamilySearch - images	1828-1853	Probate records	English	Property-owning Bahamians

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