National Archives News

         January 2007 

            Vol. 1 No. 1

          (The Newsletter of the Archives and Records Management Unit)

Oldest records

The oldest series of records found in the Archives so far dates from 1753 to 1848 and relates to Deeds. The Archives Indexing Project which turned up this find commenced in 2006 with two consultants from the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers, and will hopefully continue in 2007.

Records listed so far are:

-                      Records of the Presidency (1753-1938)

-                      Commissioner’s Office (1872-1974)

-                      Chief Minister’s Office (1967-1991)

-                      Ministry of Natural Resources and Public Health (1950-1984)

-                      Depts. of Agriculture, Lands and Social Services (1921-1978)

Quaker records

Minutes of Quaker Meetings held in the Virgin Islands from 1641-1672 are now available for reference in the Quaker Room, which was opened at Old Government House Museum on November 29, 2006.

Who were the Quakers?

Who could join this religious body?

How were their meetings conducted?

What matters were discussed?

All those questions and more could be found in the Minutes. They give us an insight into the character and work of the Quakers particularly those who lived in the BVI during the 17th & 18th Centuries. Each Quaker meeting produced large volumes of writings in the form of minutes, decisions and queries.

The Quakers also kept Membership Lists, Registers and Digests of Births, Marriages and Deaths. From very early on they maintained their own burial grounds, one such is located at Fat Hogs Bay, Tortola. Make an appointment with the Museum tele: 494 4091 to read the Minutes.

Archives on Microfilm

Slave Registers

Parliamentary Papers

There are thousands of pages of Virgin Islands rare books and documents already digitized and microfilmed and available in repositories around the world. These cover a wide range of subjects including histories, narratives of voyages, travel, journals, slavery, religion and more.  The Archives and Records Unit is acquiring some of those priceless materials, incrementally.  We already have Slave Registers from 1818-1834 and Nominal Censuses of 1716. Twenty-two volumes of Parliamentary Sessional papers dating back to 1792 are currently on order. They will provide a rich resource for researchers.

There is one major handicap however. We cannot provide public access to these research materials because there is as yet no accommodation to set them out for study and research nor in which to preserve them. The archives and records are currently scattered in various locations across the Service and Territory. Adequate accommodation is needed in which to organize them all for use and for posterity.

Know the Culture

The Virgin Islands Traditional Christmas tree

The Inkberry or Fishing Rod Tree is the Virgin Islands Traditional Christmas Tree. It is not to be confused with the Century Plant. Stores and restaurants started to display their wares on the dried flower stem of the Century Plant in the early 1980s. Because of its height and grandeur, organizations also decorated it for public ceremonies at Christmas time, but it was never used in homes. The Deputy Governor’s Office 2006 Christmas card illustrated the Inkberry Tree which description is printed below for your information: 

BVI traditional Christmas tree

Before the advent of importing the Christmas tree from North America to the Virgin Islands, folks up to the 1950s,.turned to their own environment for Christmas decorations.  The Inkberry Tree, also known as the ‘Fishing Rod’ tree was popularly used as the Christmas tree in these islands.

Cutting the tree was great fun. One or two members of the household would have ‘eyed’ a particular tree in the nearby hillside, several weeks before it was ready for cutting.  It had to be the right height for the front room, and the number of branches on which to hang the decorations of tissue and crepe paper streamers and multi-coloured balls, had to be sufficient.

Because of the spines, great care had to be taken in the cutting, getting the tree into the house and steadying it in a wooden tub or tin container that once held kerosene oil, lard or soda biscuits. The tree was grounded in its container with rocks around which crepe paper or cloth was draped. The entire exercise sometimes occupied several members of the household, who often recalled the events of the day or even of the last decorating, as they worked. The bluish shinny berries naturally highlighted the green branches whose spines were ready holders for little candles. 

The Inkberry is a spiny deciduous shrub, usually five to ten feet tall but could also grow into a twenty foot tree. It grows in dry areas and is characterized by long, slender, stiff, horizontal branches. Leaves vary in shape from elliptic to nearly round to spatulate. It has solitary white flowers and bears a berry with several rounded seeds in blue or black pulp, which was also used as ink, hence the name ‘Inkberry’.  Fishermen carved the rigid stems into fishing rods from whence that local name also derived. Though not as prolific, the Inkberry still grows on the slopes of hillsides in dry areas around the Islands

Traditional Christmas Drink

The traditional Christmas drink of the Virgin Islands is the Guavaberry Liqueur NOT Guavaberry Wine as is being erroneously repeated in the media, especially during the Christmas season.

Records Management

A Files Review and File Census will be carried out in all Records Offices during January. An annual review will identify files which are due for closure and a File Census will ensure that Records Officers know where every file is located within or without the immediate system. For further details see DGO CIRCULAR No.1/2007 or call the Records Management Unit at ext. 2365 or 3044

Friends of the Archives

A ‘Friends of the Archives’ group was formed last year. The objective is to provide financial and other support for the Archives and to bring together people who care about the future of the Country’s records. Perhaps your involvement would make a difference. Bring along your ideas, drive, and enthusiasm to the meetings held every 2nd Wednesday in the Month. Join up today. Forms are available on www.dgo.org.vg or from the Government Help desk at the Administration Complex.

Quote for Today

"In a lot of ways I felt that the ancestors were saying: 'tell our stories .… the worst thing you can do to a people is to rob them of the memory of themselves.”    Dr Joy DeGruy-Leary, 2006

National Archives and Records Management Unit

Deputy Governor’s Office

Tele: 1 284  468 0346 ext 2365 

Fax 495 6481 Email: VPenn-Moll@gov.vg