This discussion is about Americans, particularly descendants of slavery who unwittingly or perhaps knowingly have ancestral connections to Jamaica.

Once we identify Jamaica as a point in our family history search, whether by oral tradition, DNA testing, or previous knowledge—-what do we do next?

To give us insight and tips today we have in The Genealogy Situation Room,

Sydian Hammond.

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Sydian Hammond has extensive knowledge of Jamaica’s history and culture.

In 1999 she was a Miss Jamaica Festival Queen, a cultural and beauty pageant which highlights the cultural knowledge, intellect and talent of young Jamaican female contestants. 

Sydian continued contributing to Jamaica’s development through her work as Marketing Manager with the Registrar General’s Department (RGD). The RGD is the government agency responsible for registration of all births, deaths and marriages in Jamaica and as such is the ultimate resource for Genealogical research in the island. In 2006 Sydian was selected as Manager of the year for the agency.

Also in 2006, Sydian was awarded the Governor General’s Achievement Award for her contribution to community and nation building.

Sydian holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from the University of the West Indies as well as a postgraduate certificate from the University of Georgia.

She is married to Nick and together they are the proud parents of two boys.

LISTEN HERE: Jamaica and Genealogy Discussion

Sydian was kind enough to share these helpful website links for Jamaican genealogy research:

1. Registrar General’s Department
2. The Jamaica Archives & Records Department /Archives Unit
3. Jamaica Information Service
4. Institute of Jamaica
5. Jamaica Cultural Development Commission
6. Facebook -UWI History Society
7. Jamaica Diaspora Foundation

Thank you, Sydian for your wealth of knowledge, and many thanks to everyone for taking the time to join us for a discussion in…

The Genealogy Situation Room.