Guadeloupe Civil Registration

Online Collections

 * 1639-1907 : Guadeloupe Civil Registration and Parish Registers, 1639-1907, index and images.
 * 1770-1907 : Saint Martin Civil Registration and Parish Registers, 1770-1907, index and images.

Historical Background
Many indigenous people were in Guadeloupe when a few Spanish settlers arrived in the 16th century. In 1626, the French expelled the Spanish and took over the islands. The first African slaves arrived in 1650. Slavery was abolished in 1848. Between 1810 and 1814, Britain and Sweden each had control of the islands. Starting in 1854, indentured laborers were brought in from the French colony of Pondicherry in India.