Dear John, I've done quite a bit of research in Barbados and had a 3xGreat Grandfather who was a "doctor" but he didn't work for the government so the archives dept. couldn't help in that respect. I think he set himself up as a "doctor" because later on he was a merchant! Anyway you could try the archives dept. to see if they have any information on your doctor working for the government. Trouble is they won't do any detailed research for you, they just refer you to private researchers, also they are very slow in replying to letters or e-mails, Caribbean time you know! Best wishes, Adrian Jervis ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Paul Bradford" <johnpaul.bradford@sympatico.ca> To: <CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 3:12 AM Subject: New To List - SPRINGHAMS in Barbadoes > Holy Thursday > > Just came across a distant branch of the family which settled in > Barbados. John SPRINGHAM married Sarah Berry in 1663. He is referred to > as "Doctor". I have the will of one son, also a John and also a doctor > in the Royal Navy. Is it likely that I will find additional information > on these people beyond the parish records? Also, could anyone take a > guess as to how they wound up so far from home? What would John the > Elder have been doing there at that time? The area is new to me. Just > starting to scan through histories of Barbados on line. Not much there. > Most SPRINGHAMS in England were not exactly upwardly mobile but one > branch became involved in trade in the 1550's and seems to have produced > some important merchants over the next century and marrying into some > gentry families. Anyone able to hazard a guess as to what status > "Doctor" Springham might have had? > > God Bless > > John Paul Bradford > > > > ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== > all messages posted to CARIBBEAN-L are archived at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ > Before posting a query, see if the question has already been asked >

Good Friday Adrian, I'll give the Archives a shout. I suspect this Doctor John Springham is at least of a merchant family of Springhams from London. I am of Springham descent myself but from a less upwardly mobile group (you know, the type that produced hundreds of "agricultural labourers" in the English censuses of the 19th century!) This Dr. John married a girl whose father was granted thousand of areas of land a few years later in New York and New Jeresy. I figure he would not want his daughter married to someone of little means which again makes me suspect a merchant family. Good to hear you have a man who was both in Barbados. Time for me to learn why Englishmen went to Barbados, what they did there, what a doctor was like in the 17th century as well as poking into some American history for the first time. I love this hobby. I learn so much. Thanks for you reply. God Bless John Paul Adrian Jervis wrote: >Dear John, >I've done quite a bit of research in Barbados and had a 3xGreat Grandfather >who was a "doctor" but he didn't work for the government so the archives >dept. couldn't help in that respect. I think he set himself up as a "doctor" >because later on he was a merchant! Anyway you could try the archives dept. >to see if they have any information on your doctor working for the >government. Trouble is they won't do any detailed research for you, they >just refer you to private researchers, also they are very slow in replying >to letters or e-mails, Caribbean time you know! >Best wishes, >Adrian Jervis >----- Original Message ----- >From: "John Paul Bradford" <johnpaul.bradford@sympatico.ca> >To: <CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 3:12 AM >Subject: New To List - SPRINGHAMS in Barbadoes > > >>Holy Thursday >> >>Just came across a distant branch of the family which settled in >>Barbados. John SPRINGHAM married Sarah Berry in 1663. He is referred to >>as "Doctor". I have the will of one son, also a John and also a doctor >>in the Royal Navy. Is it likely that I will find additional information >>on these people beyond the parish records? Also, could anyone take a >>guess as to how they wound up so far from home? What would John the >>Elder have been doing there at that time? The area is new to me. Just >>starting to scan through histories of Barbados on line. Not much there. >>Most SPRINGHAMS in England were not exactly upwardly mobile but one >>branch became involved in trade in the 1550's and seems to have produced >>some important merchants over the next century and marrying into some >>gentry families. Anyone able to hazard a guess as to what status >>"Doctor" Springham might have had? >> >>God Bless >> >>John Paul Bradford >> >> >> >>==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== >>all messages posted to CARIBBEAN-L are archived at >> >http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ > >>Before posting a query, see if the question has already been asked >> > > > >==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== >all messages posted to CARIBBEAN-L are archived at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ >Before posting a query, see if the question has already been asked > >