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I saw your post on page 200 and some odd about the Hamilton House in Christiansted. Would this be the Beekman and Cruger warehouse from the 1760's?
I have been debating about taking a day trip to St Croix when I am in the VI to hopefully research a mystery in our family history. But I don't know if the records I would need to review are located in Christiansted or in Denmark. Are the historical research holdings in Christiansted extensive? And where are they?
Nicholas Cruger was a cousin in-law -- and Beekman also had ties to the family. In 1783, Nicholas Cruger sold his business on St Croix and moved to NY. At roughly the same time, many members of my family (Loyalists) left NY and settled in the Bahamas, the Caicos Islands, Canada, and England. In the 1790's, a NY paper lists a man with our family name (which is rare) as a merchant from St Croix marrying a widow of a British merchant. Several years later, this wife is listed in the same NY paper as dying at sea while in route from St Croix to NY.
This is what I suspect. Cruger might have sold part or all of his business holdings to this family member who then settled in St Croix. It might explain why this family member disappears off the face of the map for roughly 17 yrs -- reappearing with 2 children (ages 8 and 9) in 1800.
Jo
I remember writing about Hamilton House. That's all I know. I would suggest contacting tis guy from the NPS. he might be the right one:
Cissel, William F.
BA, Brigham Young University, 1980. Danish colonial, Danish military, Danish slave trade
Cultural Resource Manager
St. Croix National Park Group
2100 Church Street, #100
Christiansted, VI 00820-4611
340-773-1460 x32; fax: 340-778-8460
Also George Tyson has been building a database called The African Roots Project that should be on disc by now, and it documents all slaved and free people during those times. Mr Cissel should be able to hook you up with him as well.
RL
Thank you Ron -- I'll drop him a line :o)
Jo
