3/9/2010 4:17:00 PM Slave registers given to Bermuda College, National Museum and National Trust
Office of the Bermuda Ombudsman
TUESDAY, MAR. 9: Arlene Brock, Ombudsman for Bermuda, today forwarded to the Bermuda College, Bermuda National Museum and National Trust two extensive databases of the 1821 and 1834 Slave Registers.
The original hand-written Registers (widely acclaimed as amongst the most treasured gems in the Archives) were created to facilitate compensation for slave-owners when the slaves would be emancipated.
The databases were developed in searchable Excel format by Dr. Virginia Bernhard of the University of St. Thomas in Houston. They set out names of owners, slaves and their work and ages. Dr. Bernhard gifted the first part to the Archives more than a decade ago (toward the end of the tenure of then director J. Adams) with the intention that they be made available for public research.
Ms. Brock noted: "The electronic Slave Registers may well open up a new era of family history and other research in Bermuda."
During the investigation into Allegations of Barriers to Access to the Archives last year, two researchers complained that there is no public access to the databases (which have been used by the Archives to answer genealogical and academic inquiries). The Archives is in the process of developing its own Slave Register database.
In the interim, the Ombudsman's Report recommended that a computer terminal be installed for user access to these donated databases as well as CDs of the Hallett Civil Records and the Archives' own negatives database. The response was that "the [Archives Advisory] Council did not promote the public use of in-house working electronic lists".
In fact, the electronic Slave Registers were not produced by the Archives. Dr. Bernhard stated: "The Slave Registers are such a treasure. I have no objection to making the databases public - this is my way of saying thank-you to Bermuda." However, she stressed, "these are academic working lists. They are not perfect - there are some gaps and spelling errors".
Ms. Brock noted, "although imperfect, the electronic Slave Registers will provide extremely use fill information in an accessible format ".
She added: "I refrained from releasing them before now in order to give the Archives the opportunily to do so. However, nine months after tabling my Report, I cannot in good conscience hold on to these important research tools any longer."
Ms. Brock received the response to her Report from the Permanent Secretary responsible for the Archives (the Secretary to the Cabinet) on February 24 and is encouraged by some of the actions to be taken. She will table her response in Parliament in April.
