Hi Barbara: I've just done a search on Patricia Jackson's web page, Jamaican Family Search, and found several citations for Woodfield. There was a Woodfield in St. Ann, apparently in the Dry Harbour / Ruanaway Bay district. Dry Harbour, on the coast, originally known as Puerto Seco, is now known as Discovery Bay. (There's also a Woodfield in St. Mary, but I would say that the St. Ann one is yours.) I found the following citations from Lawrence Archer's Monumental Inscriptions, in the Cathedral in Spanish Town: 254. Sacred to the memory of Mrs. HONORIA GARVEY CLARKE only daughter of NICHOLAS GARVEY and consort of WILLIAM GARVEY CLARKE, Esqrs., who departed this life at her residence, Woodfield, St. Anns, on the 25th of June Anno Domini 1837 in the 33rd year of her age. (Eulogistic lines.) 255. Entombed within this monument lie the remains of NICHOLAS GARVEY, Esqre., proprietor of Woodfield, St. Anns, son of CHRISTOPHER GARVEY, Esqre., of Murrisk Abbey, Mayo, Ireland, who departed this life on the 4th of March A.D. 1817 aged 65 years. As a mark of respect his son-in-law, WILLIAM GARVEY CLARKE, Esq., erected this tablet to his memory. Your assumption regarding the baptism of William is probably correct, in that the Clarkes were sponsors at the time, and that his parents probably worked on the Clarke's esate. With regard to your third question, re German immigration to Jamaica in 1834, I referred to Madeleine Mitchell's excellent book on Jamaican research, "Jamaican Ancestry: how to find out more", p. 94, and a citation she gives for the following: -- "A thoroughly researched historical study is 'German Immigrants in Jamaica, 1834-8", by Carl H. Senior (Journal of Caribbean History, vols. 10 & 11, 1978, pp. 25-53)" Hope that helps! Dorothy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Obaker" <bobaker@zoominternet.net> To: <CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: June 24, 2003 8:17 AM Subject: Germans in Jamaica > I have just received documentation that an ancestor of ours, William > OEBBIKA, was baptized at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church in Kingston on > November 23, 1834. He was born October 30, 1834 to Ferdinand and Agatha > OEBBIKKA. The copy says that Ferdinand was a native of Germany and Agatha > was formerly FAIRE (I'm assuming that's her maiden name). It also says that > William was born at Woodfield in the parish of St. Ann and the sponsors were > William CLARKE and Honoria CLARKE. > > This information raises a number of questions that I'm hoping some of you > who know so much more about the history of Jamaica can answer: > 1. Where is/was Woodfield in St. Ann's parish? Was that the name of a > plantation? > 2. Who were the CLARKE's - were they plantation owners? Clarke certainly > doesn't sound German, so I'm wondering if the sponsors were Jamaican > citizen's for whom Ferdinand and Agatha worked. > 3. When did ships with German workers arrive in Jamaica in 1834? Does > anyone know where to find these ship records? > > Thank you all for your help! Ferdinand and Agatha left Jamaica in 1840 and > were living in Maryland by the end of 1840. > Barbara Vogele Obaker > Allegheny County, PA > Researching: > PA: > Vogele-Frye-Berkey-Seger-Claycomb-Buell-Penrod-Shaffer-Oats-Bittner-Bishop-D > ibert-Berkebile-Zimmerman-Ripple-Clark-Obaker-Coughenour-Bennett-Lang-Beatty > -Woodward-Klites-Bruck-Whipkey > MD: Obaker-Goodwin-Knapp-Stegemuller > VA: Hankins-Flippin-DeJarnette-Staples-Sudberry-Mumford > > > ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== > For information on individual islands, research aids, island bulletin boards or history please visit the CaribbeanGenWeb project at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw/ >

Thank you to all of you who have been so helpful and kind to help me with finding our German ancestors who spent about 6 years in Jamaica. The information about the Clarke's is very interesting! I'd like to find out more about them and Woodfield. I have seen Mr. Bromfield's information about the ship Olbers and the residents of Seaford Towne. Our ancestors' names are not there - neither any spelling of the last name nor any combination of first names (Ferdinand + Agatha + son John + baby William). I am still curious to know when the first ship from Germany arrived in Jamaica in 1834. If baby William was born in Woodfield, Jamaica on October 30, 1834 and slavery was abolished August 1, 1834, does that mean the German ships started arriving sometime between those dates or did they start arriving before August 1? Thank you again for all your help - you have been most kind and informative! Barbara Vogele Obaker Allegheny County, PA Researching: PA: Vogele-Frye-Berkey-Seger-Claycomb-Buell-Penrod-Shaffer-Oats-Bittner-Bishop-D ibert-Berkebile-Zimmerman-Ripple-Clark-Obaker-Coughenour-Bennett-Lang-Beatty -Woodward-Klites-Bruck MD: Obaker-Goodwin-Knapp-Stegemuller VA: Hankins-Flippin-DeJarnette-Staples-Sudberry-Mumford ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dorothy Kew" <dkew1@ca.inter.net> To: <CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 7:37 AM Subject: Re: Germans in Jamaica > Hi Barbara: > > I've just done a search on Patricia Jackson's web page, Jamaican Family > Search, and found several citations for Woodfield. There was a Woodfield in > St. Ann, apparently in the Dry Harbour / Ruanaway Bay district. Dry Harbour, > on the coast, originally known as Puerto Seco, is now known as Discovery > Bay. (There's also a Woodfield in St. Mary, but I would say that the St. > Ann one is yours.) > > I found the following citations from Lawrence Archer's Monumental > Inscriptions, in the Cathedral in Spanish Town: > > 254. Sacred to the memory of Mrs. HONORIA GARVEY CLARKE only daughter of > NICHOLAS GARVEY and consort of WILLIAM GARVEY CLARKE, Esqrs., who departed > this life at her residence, Woodfield, St. Anns, on the 25th of June Anno > Domini 1837 in the 33rd year of her age. (Eulogistic lines.) > > 255. Entombed within this monument lie the remains of NICHOLAS GARVEY, > Esqre., proprietor of Woodfield, St. Anns, son of CHRISTOPHER GARVEY, > Esqre., of Murrisk Abbey, Mayo, Ireland, who departed this life on the 4th > of March A.D. 1817 aged 65 years. As a mark of respect his son-in-law, > WILLIAM GARVEY CLARKE, Esq., erected this tablet to his memory. > > Your assumption regarding the baptism of William is probably correct, in > that the Clarkes were sponsors at the time, and that his parents probably > worked on the Clarke's esate. With regard to your third question, re German > immigration to Jamaica in 1834, I referred to Madeleine Mitchell's excellent > book on Jamaican research, "Jamaican Ancestry: how to find out more", p. 94, > and a citation she gives for the following: -- > "A thoroughly researched historical study is 'German Immigrants in Jamaica, > 1834-8", by Carl H. Senior (Journal of Caribbean History, vols. 10 & 11, > 1978, pp. 25-53)" > > Hope that helps! > > Dorothy > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Barbara Obaker" <bobaker@zoominternet.net> > To: <CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: June 24, 2003 8:17 AM > Subject: Germans in Jamaica > > > > I have just received documentation that an ancestor of ours, William > > OEBBIKA, was baptized at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church in Kingston on > > November 23, 1834. He was born October 30, 1834 to Ferdinand and Agatha > > OEBBIKKA. The copy says that Ferdinand was a native of Germany and Agatha > > was formerly FAIRE (I'm assuming that's her maiden name). It also says > that > > William was born at Woodfield in the parish of St. Ann and the sponsors > were > > William CLARKE and Honoria CLARKE. > > > > This information raises a number of questions that I'm hoping some of you > > who know so much more about the history of Jamaica can answer: > > 1. Where is/was Woodfield in St. Ann's parish? Was that the name of a > > plantation? > > 2. Who were the CLARKE's - were they plantation owners? Clarke > certainly > > doesn't sound German, so I'm wondering if the sponsors were Jamaican > > citizen's for whom Ferdinand and Agatha worked. > > 3. When did ships with German workers arrive in Jamaica in 1834? Does > > anyone know where to find these ship records? > > > > Thank you all for your help! Ferdinand and Agatha left Jamaica in 1840 > and > > were living in Maryland by the end of 1840. > > Barbara Vogele Obaker > > Allegheny County, PA > > Researching: > > PA: > > > Vogele-Frye-Berkey-Seger-Claycomb-Buell-Penrod-Shaffer-Oats-Bittner-Bishop-D > > > ibert-Berkebile-Zimmerman-Ripple-Clark-Obaker-Coughenour-Bennett-Lang-Beatty > > -Woodward-Klites-Bruck-Whipkey > > MD: Obaker-Goodwin-Knapp-Stegemuller > > VA: Hankins-Flippin-DeJarnette-Staples-Sudberry-Mumford > > > > > > ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== > > For information on individual islands, research aids, island bulletin > boards or history please visit the CaribbeanGenWeb project at > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw/ > > > > > ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== > For information on individual islands, research aids, island bulletin boards or history please visit the CaribbeanGenWeb project at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw/ > >