Genealogy research in the Danish West Indies

[Carl Christiansen]

Hi all,

I'm trying to trace my ancestry in the Danish West Indies. Some family lines I've managed to find without much difficulty, others are a lot harder.

For instance, my ancestress Mary Wells married Richard Tuite who was born in about 1765 and had a single child, Mary Anne Augusta Tuite b. 1783-07-23, who later went on to marry John Bertram Peter de Nully. Whereas the Tuite and de Nully lines have been fairly easy to identify, I have not been able to find any information regarding Mary's identity or parentage at all, aside from her name. How can I do this?

One problematic aspect is that some of these Carribean ancestors divided their time between the West Indies and Great Britain/Denmark. Thus, it's not always a walk in the park to track them in the records.

I would be very grateful for any kind of help!
Carl M. Christiansen

[Lise Gorgone]

Hello Carl,

First you get a link that you perhaps have?
http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/tuite/235/

You can try to look for their wills!
I did it many years ago and I saw Richard Tuite's name.

You go on Rigsarkivet and start Daisy.
You do write Christianssted Byfoged: Testamenter/Wills and then the year she died.
I haven't been looking at it since 1990, but I'll look through my books.
I have the Ferrall and Bourke families.

Best wishes
Lise Gorgone

[Lise Gorgone]

I have Mary Anne Augusta de Nully b.Tuite b.1783,d.7.Oct.1840 on Saint Croix.
She was married in 1801 to John Heyliger de Nully.
Now you can find her teatament now you have the date and year.

Best regards
Lise Gorgone

[Carl Christiansen]

Hi Lise and thanks for your input! Thank you for the link as well, even though that's no new information - I have already been Googling like a madman

Regrettably, the one I'm primarily looking to identify is Mary Anne Augusta's mother, Mary Wells. I don't suppose that she'll be included in her daughter's testament more than with her name, at most. And since I don't live near Copenhagen, I can't access Rigsarkivet's documents, unfortunately... and the wills from Christiansted Byfoged don't seem to be available to view online.

Best regards Carl

[Lise Gorgone]

Hi Again,
I found the below from Rigsarkivet, Daisy:
1740 1845 Christiansted Byfoged  Testamenteprotokoller

Then I hope you'll succeed with your  own search.
I will check my own files again. I spent 6 months at Rigsarkivet to find my own relatives in the
Danish Westindies.
So I might get across your ancestors.

Best wishes
Lise Gorgone

[Lise Gorgone]

Richard Tuite's probate began in Christianssted on 24th July 1800
His will dated 2nd Oct. 1800 in ".

Mary Wells should have been buried at the Holy Cross Catholic Church, Christianssted church book
1780-1841, 1801,34.

He gets married 2¤ but I suppose you know that.

Best wishes
Lise Gorgone

[Lise Gorgone]

I had the wrong wife's date.It belonged to Petronella.

   28.  Richard Tuite was born in about 1765. 
   He was married to Mary Wells.
   He was married for a second time to Petronella Zimonson Doncker, who was born on 20 October 1748, baptized Protestant, on St. Eustatius on 8 December 1748.   She was the daughter of Abraham Simonsz Doncker (c1721-after 1781) and Elizabeth de Windt (1722-before 1781).    This was her third marriage.     
    In 1780, he was resident, alone, at Nicholas Tuite & Joseph Stapleton's estate Strawberry Hill, 29 Queen's Quarter. 
   He was the manager at estate Sion Farm, 26 Queen's Quarter, on St. Croix,  e.g. 1788.    He was resident here: 1781 - alone ; 1783 – whites: 1 male, 2 sons, 1 daughter ; 1787 – himself, wife, 1 son & 2 daughters ; 1788 – himself, wife, 1 son, 1 daughter. 

Lise