T&T archives receives registry of slaves for British Caribbean

Slavery on the sugar plantations of the British Caribbean

Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston Peters will deliver the features address at Thursday's ceremony to mark the inscription of the Registry of Slaves of the British Caribbean on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh is also listed to speak at the event, which takes place at the National Archives, 105 St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain, starting at six in the evening.

The registry covers the list of slaves of the British Caribbean for the period 1817 to 1834.

The National Archives, which is responsible for Trinidad & Tobago's documentary heritage, has received a Certificate to signify the inscription of the Registry of Slaves on the Memory of the World International Register. 

As a former British Colony, Trinidad and Tobago is now linked to the registry of enslaved persons in several countries, through this joint nomination.

A media release says the Registers are "of great significance because they constitute a unique record of ancestors of the vast majority of persons of African descent in the Caribbean. 

"They are the first official documentation of enslaved persons; they provide information on familial relations and property ownership and are of immense social relevance."