Jamaica Emigration and Immigration

Online Resources

 * 1734-1753: White Families and Artificers Introduced into Jamaica by Several Acts of 1734 to 1753 (List 2) at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1749, 1752: White Families and Artificers Introduced into Jamaica by Acts of 1749 and 1752 (List 1) at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1793-1795: Names of French Emigrants or Prisoners Taken to Jamaica 1793-1795 at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1793-1794 The Royal Gazette This newspaper had a section "Marine Intelligence", which listed departing and arriving passengers
 * 1795: French Families receiving aid from the Government at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1840-1841: Immigrants to Jamaica part 1 at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1841: Immigrants to Jamaica part 2 at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1841: Immigrants to Jamaica part 3 at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
 * 1865-1894 Gleaner Newspaper excerpts include passengers arriving and departing by ship in Jamaica
 * Immigrant Servants Database.
 * Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Choose a volume and then choose Jamaica under "Listed by Port of Departure" or "Listed by Port of Arrival".

Finding the Town of Origin in Jamaica
If you are using emigration/immigration records to find the name of your ancestors' town in Jamaica, see Jamaica Finding Town of Origin for additional research strategies.

Jamaica Emigration and Immigration
"Emigration" means moving out of a country. "Immigration" means moving into a country. Emigration and immigration sources list the names of people leaving (emigrating) or arriving (immigrating) in the country. These sources may be passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, or records of passports issued. The information in these records may include the emigrants’ names, ages, occupations, destinations, and places of origin or birthplaces. Sometimes they also show family groups.

German Immigrants
Between 1834 and 1842 four groups of Germans left for Jamaica:
 * 1) Thirteen families from the Braunschweig area landed in 1834 in Kingston. Their first settlement "Brunswick" failed. They eventually went to Clarendon.
 * 2) In December 1834 506 Germans landed in Port Royal. Some settled in Ballintoy/Alva, St Ann.
 * 3) 532 Germans landed in 1835 in Rio Bueno, Trelawny. Most of them originated from the Weserbergland and Westphalia, 28 came from Waldeck. 251 founded Seaford Town in Westmoreland. Of these settlers 34 died within the next two years, 108 moved on (mostly to the USA) and 119 stayed.
 * 4) 107 settlers arrived in December 1838, originating from Northern Germany, Franken and the Rhön (cultural areas).

For Further Reading
There are additional sources listed in the FamilySearch Catalog: