Petronella was quite common in the English speaking world in the 1700 and 1800's. I have come across many in Jamaica and north america Lenora Anderson wrote: > Hi,, in browsing Online Documents from UK, ( what a great site). after > looking for ancestors just for the heck of it I put in name Petronella. Grt. > Grandmothers names was Anna Petronella de Freitas.. so I had searched this > name for a long time.. there is a quite extensive history on that family > name, Royalty. Now I am told that is was unusual and not used very often,, > unless family connections.. after all its not a "pretty" girls name and it > would not have been common usuage at the time we were in Grenada.. Searched > Grenada high and low and there were none, except for a slave that had that > name and was buried at Douglaston when the deFreitas had it.. I assume > child was young and had no family. > I know the Petronella originated in the Netherlands...so how and why did > this name travel to West Indies and around what year? > Always a challenge! > Lenora > > ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== > ROOTSWEB MAILING LIST HELP PAGES > What is a Mailing List? > http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/help/mail1.html