Haitian Genealogy and Family History Resources

Some countries are harder for genealogists to research than others and Island nations such as Haiti certainly fall into the trickier category. Resources for genealogists can be more scant and sometimes out of the box thinking needs to be applied. In this post we will try and acquaint you with the options you have to research your Haitian ancestors.

Haitian History

As with any genealogical research, understanding something of a region's history can be beneficial. In this section we will look at the history of the island's peoples.

Indigenous Haiti History

The Taino are believed to have arrived on the region we know as Haiti at least 5,000 years ago from mainland South America. There is much discussion as to exactly where in South America the Taino first arose, some suggesting they may descend from groups in the Amazon basin while others believe they may have Andean roots.

This group was at one time widespread in the Caribbean with populations not only in Haiti but the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. They had an agricultural society and some experts suggest that they are an extinct people. There are however many people who identify as Taino today living in the region.

The Spanish

In December of 1492 Christopher Columbus arrived in the region we know as Haiti today and about 19 days later his famed ship the Santa Maria ran aground near modern day Cape Haitien. Columbus would leave behind 39 men because of this and they would establish the first Spanish settlement on the island La Navidad on Christmas Day 1492.

As was the norm anywhere the Spanish interacted with Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Disease was passed to the populace which would have devastating effects. Additionally the Spanish concept that natives of a land they have claimed for Spain can be used as slave labor.

The French

Over time the Spanish shifted their attention to mainland South and Central America reducing their presence to a small trading post and refueling post. It was around this point that European powers hostile to Spain including France started to commission privateers (pirates).

This would lead to France through its privateers taking control of the western third of Haiti. Sugar and coffee plantations were established which would be staffed by vast numbers of slaves imported from Africa. This region that became known as Saint-Domingue would become France's richest colonial possession.

The brutalities of slave life led many to escape to mountainous regions. They would then gather together to form their own autonomous communities becoming known as Maroons. It was one such Maroon leader, François Mackandal, who led a rebellion in the 1750s; unfortunately, he was later captured and executed by the French.

Revolution

The French revolution in 1789 served as inspiration for the peoples of Haiti to rise up against French rule. The French settlers and free people of color petitioned France for more political freedom and improved civil rights.

Tensions would arise between the settlers and the free people of color leading to a conflict in 1790. The leader of the free people of color was captured, tortured and executed. In 1791 the so-called slave armies were established in Northern Haiti triggering a full-blown slave rebellion.

This conflict would draw in the British, Spanish and America but would be ultimately won by the slave armies. Haiti essentially became the first nation to be born out of a slave rebellion.

Haitian DNA Region

When your ancestors come from a region in which records are limited you often have to rely at least somewhat on what your own DNA can tell you. If you have taken the AncestryDNA test there is only one DNA region in which Haiti is included, the Indigenous Americas, Haiti and Dominican Republic DNA region.

This mainly pertains to the DNA that comes from the earliest peoples to live on the islands which may be found in much of the country's modern day population. Those who possess European and African heritage as well as having known ancestors from Haiti may be helped by the DNA inherited from those ancestors. Knowing for example you have DNA from France may tell you when roughly your European ancestor arrived on the Island.

Civil Records

Civil records of course include birth, marriage and death certificates which are the bread and butter of genealogical research. As an interesting point to illustrate the challenges of researching in Haiti in 2004 Fritz Decatalogne the president of the Insurance Association of Haiti said that only about 40% of the population possessed an acte de naissance (birth certificate).

Online Collections

Those who do not have an option to go to Haiti for their research may have to rely on what may be available online. Below is a collection of the available civil records that can be found from the comfort of your own home.

• 1590-1928 Caribbean Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928 at FamilySearch
• 1591-1905 Caribbean Marriages, 1591-1905 at FamilySearch
• 1666-1809 Santo Domingo (Haiti) French Overseas Civil Registration, 1666-1809, index and images. National Archives Haiti
• 1790-1906 Caribbean Deaths and Burials, 1790-1906 at FamilySearch
• 1794-2012 Haiti, Civil Registration, 1794-2012 at FamilySearch
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Haiti, at Findmypast
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Haiti, at Findmypast
• British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at Findmypast

Contact the National Archives of Haiti

You can also reach out to the National archives in several ways seeking more information.

Address:

Archives Nationales d'Haiti

22 Angle des Rues Borgella et Geffrard

Port-au-Prince

Haiti

Telephone: (509)36615151

Fax: (509)22468666 and (509)22468668

Email: [email protected]

Tricky Records to Find on FamilySearch.org

Familysearch.org is an excellent source of genealogical information but some of its records are hard to locate unless you make the right searches. Below is a method to get more localized information from Haiti.

How to Search the Database for Hidden Records

1. Go to the FamilySearch main page, click the Search menu and select “Catalog” to open the Catalog main page.
2. Click either the subject's link or the keywords link to open the search field. Ensure the place field is blank.
3. Input the commune (places in Haiti are referred to as communes), or communal place that you wish to research in the subjects or keywords field, followed by the word "Haiti."
4. Click the Search button.

Immigration Records

A great way to find out where records for your Haitian ancestors may be kept might be to locate a record of their migration into the country your family currently resides. Countries like Canada, the US, and Great Britain all have immigration records which may feature your ancestors arriving.

There may also be naturalization records that have information of where they were born and who their parents and family were. It is often possible to find out more from an immigration record than is actually available in Haiti’s own records.

Haiti’s Departments

There are physical archives in Haiti which may be a source for information if you are in the country itself. If the commune your family came from is within the coverage area of one of these departments this may be a good place to search. Haiti’s departments are

• Nord-Quest
• Nord
• Nord-Est
• Artibonite
• Centre
• Quest
• Grand-Anse
• Nippes
• Sud
• Sud-Est

Final Thoughts

Haiti is a country that has seen historic conflicts and natural disasters which today leave it as the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Record keeping historically has been patchy and destruction of records has also been a factor because of natural disasters.

It is tricky to trace your more distant Haitian ancestors but there are a few resources. It is key to find out where your ancestors may have lived in Haiti to start your research and hopefully luck will be with you.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

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