East Indian Indentured Labourers returning to India from Trinidad & Tobago
Hello,
I'm seeking any guidance on where to find documentation on returning East Indian Indentured Labourers.
My Great-Great Grandfather was indentured in Trinidad in 1887 but it appears that he returned to India on September 21, 1900 via a ship named Clyde which was bound to Calcutta.
He returned to India without his family, as they all stayed in Trinidad.
I am assuming he made it back to India as I have no idea if the ship would have made any stops in other countries.
Our local Archives in Trinidad do not have further details other than the above.
I am seeking any help please.
Best Answer
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@MaureenE123 You might want to take advantage of the personal consultation option provided by the Family History Library--a wonderful opportunity to get one-on-one help from the experts at the library:
In the article linked above, look for the heading "Virtual Genealogy Consultations" and click the button to sign up.
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I can't help you at all, other than to say I think any records, if still available would be in Archives, probably regional Archives, in India.
For an idea of the difficulties
- "Atman's Atma: A Mauritian's search for his Indian roots" by Rajnish Sharma, now an archived webpage. This article, which appears to date from 2004, is about tracing the Indian origins of an indentured labourer sent to Mauritius to work on a sugar plantation. c 1896. The subject of the article was appalled by the condition of the archives both in Lucknow and Chapra (Uttar Pradesh)
(copied from the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Indian Libraries and Archives https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Indian_Libraries_and_Archives)
You perhaps could write to the National Archives of India, but without much hope of a positive reply.
There are also some online records http://nationalarchives.nic.in/content/online-records-national-archives-india where you could look to see if there is anything relevant.
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Thank you for your feedback.
I'm actually on the National Archives site right now and I have check it before, as well as sent emails but it's all been futile so far.
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I have read you query with great interest because some of my ancestors also found themselves in Trinidad for a time. They, however, came from the island of Madeira.
You've asked for assistance in finding documents on returning East Indian Indentured Labourers.
I suggest beginning with the Louisiana State University dissertation, A History of the East Indian Indentured Plantation Worker in Trinidad, 1845-1917 (to review, please click HERE.) Pay particular attention to Chapter VI, "THE OPTION TO RETURN" that starts on page 96. Notice two things: (1) A Certificate of Exemption from Labour, which seemed to be issued upon the completion of the indentured labourer's term of service; and (2) there appears to have been set, by the government, a minimum time of service that started at 5 years and later became 10 years. The minimum period of service seems to have been required before the person could return with passage either completely or partially paid by the government.
It would seem that having access to the ship's manifest or similar record for the Clyde would be important to establish that your g-g-great grandfather did, in fact, return to Calcutta on that ship. The Clyde was a ship owned by the Norse Line and launched 1894 in Port Glasgow, Scotland. If any records do exist, you may want to start by contacting The Society for Nautical Research, whose website can be accessed by clicking HERE. You will find contact information at the bottom of the page.
Hopefully, this is a start for your research. If you pursue your research, I suspect you will find it both interesting and enjoyable.
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Hello there!
Many many thanks for your detailed reply. I do appreciate you for that.
I will definitely have a look at the Louisiana dissertation to see if there's anything new to my research. I may not have read this one yet.
We do have my great grandfather's Certificate of Exemption, which is what prompted the journey into my family history for me.
We were able to procure copies of Emigration Passes for my g-g-grandfather, his wife, 2 sons & 2 daughters.
We were also able to get a copy of a ledger record which indicated that he returned via the Clyde.
I had already made contact with the Society you suggested but my research prior to contacting them and further solidified by their response was that the Nourse Line and therefore the ship, changed hands over time. I have gone in many many directions searching for the ship manifest but no one can say for certain if the records even exist anymore.
It seems the only hope is to hire someone to conduct Searches in India and this is pretty costly.
So sad that in the age we live more historical documents aren't so readily available.
Thank you again for taking the time to give your feedback. Feel free to reach out if you think if anything else.
Stay Safe.
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