Caribbean collections

Image: Chamberlain Bridge, Barbados, c.1910. Photographer unknown (Y3072A/8)

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) collections hold a diverse and fascinating range of published, archival and photographic records of Britain's former colonial territories in the Caribbean - the islands known as the West Indies and British Guiana. The majority date from the late 19th century to the mid to late 20th century but there are some important earlier accounts too.

The collection comprises official/government reports, yearbooks and directories, guidebooks, bibliographies, monographs, periodicals and pamphlets, poetry and fiction, memoirs and correspondence, scrapbooks and press cuttings, and slides and photograph albums.

The descriptions below link to online catalogues where they are available and in some cases to very detailed descriptions of individual files or photographs.

Earliest records

Some of the earliest records in the collection include:

• Documents on the loss of Tobago c1781-c1787 (RCMS 267)
• Sir Robert Calder's 'Directions to Calder Bank off Guadeloupe' 1795 (RCMS 240/32)
• Articles of capitulation of Dominica and St Kitts 1778-82 (RCMS 240/18)
• Jamaica viewed: with all the ports, harbours, and their several soundings, towns, and settlements thereunto belonging together, with the nature of it's climate, fruitfulnesse of the soile, and it's suitablenesse to English complexions. With several other collateral observations and reflexions upon the island / By E.H. The second edition, London : printed for Iohn Williams, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1661. (RCS.Case.e.11).

Photographs

Photographic records include:

• Sir Daniel Morris Collection : West Indian views, c1880 (Y307G) and Views in Jamaica 1879-1886 (Y3073D)
• E.A. Gay collection on Grenada, 1890-93 (Y30771A)
• The eruption of Mont Pelée, Martinique, 1902 and in A.P.G. Austin's photographs of the West Indies, 1902-22 (Y307I)
• Records of Royal tours, e.g. Princess Margaret's visit to the West Indies, 1955 (Y307B)

Many Caribbean photographs have been digitised and may be viewed on Cambridge Digital Library. Use search term: Caribbean. This blog post describes some of the interesting Caribbean images we have digitised.

Archives

Archival collections include:

• Grenada scrap book, 1878–83 (RCMS 262)
• Darnell Davis manuscripts relating to the history of the West Indies, and Barbados in particular (RCMS 259)
• Newscuttings on Jamaica and Hong Kong, 1876–1886 (RCMS 48)
• The possibilities of the North-West District of British Guiana by George G. Dixon, 1894 (RCMS 240/30)
• West Indian cable companies, 1923–1931, forming part of the Papers on imperial communications of Sir Campbell Stuart
• Correspondence and report from the University of the West Indies, 1971-72, relating to agriculture, part of the Papers and photographs of Fergus Wilson

Government reports

Government reports include Blue books:

• The blue book for the Colony of Tobago, (later continued by the Trinidad and Tobago Blue book) is held from 1824-1888, with 1882-1884 volumes entirely printed, the rest part printed, part manuscript. (RCS.L.BB.76)
• The Bermuda Blue Book of 1840, recording the introduction of American cotton goods to the island, includes sample swatches of the different grades of cotton cloth. (RCS.L.BB.70)

Other government reports include staff and civil lists:

• British Guiana civil service list...1935,1937,1939-1943 (RCS.SC.79.1)
• British Guiana senior staff list ...1951, 1953 + 1956-1963 (incomplete) (RCS.SC.79.3)
• Report on the Agricultural Department, St. Kitts-Nevis issued by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, 1935-1937 (RCS.L.742.A1.1935-1937)

Directories and yearbooks

Directories and yearbooks include:

• The "Mirror" almanack and general commercial directory of Trinidad and Tobago for 1903 (RCS.YD.75.2.1903)
• De Souza's commercial handbook and directory which contains a complete business directory of the islands, railway, shipping, customs tariff and other valuable information, tourists guide, etc. for Jamaica for 1916 (RCS.YD.73.T1.1916)

Fiction and poetry

Fiction and poetry include:

• Where the trade-wind blows : West Indian tales by Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield. Macmillan, 1898. (RCS.D407.17)
• Poems, written chiefly in the West-Indies / Bryan Edwards, Kingston, 1792 (RCS.Case.c.485, and RCS.Case.c.484)
• Jamaica labrish / Louise Bennett; with notes and introduction by Rex Nettleford. Jamaica : Sangster's Book Stores, 1966. (RCS.D3073.3)
• From our yard : Jamaican poetry since independence / edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications, 1987. (RCS.D3073.10)

Rare books

Rare books include:

• Jamaica viewed : with all the ports, harbours, and their several soundings, towns, and settlements thereunto belonging together, with the nature of it's climate, fruitfulnesse of the soile, and it's suitablenesse to English complexions. With several other collateral observations and reflexions upon the island / By E.H. The second edition, London : printed for Iohn Williams, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1661. (RCS.Case.e.11)
• Report from the Committee on the Petition from Dominica respecting losses by the fire at Roseau, etc. [during the Napoleonic Wars], 1807. (RCS.Case.a.161)

Periodicals

Periodical holdings include:

• Kyk-over-al, published in Georgetown, Guyana : British Guiana Writers Association, 1945-1998 (RCS.Per.1510)
• Proceedings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago (Port-of-Spain), 1894-1950, continued by
• Journal of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, 1951-1991 (RCS.Per.1363)

Help

For guidance searching for items in the Royal Commonwealth Society collections, please refer first to the RCS web pages, in particular:

• Induction notes
• Catalogues & Remote access
• Services

For guidance in searching for official publications within the RCS collections, see:

• Finding RCS official publications

Our collection DOES NOT include the minutes of the Society of West India Merchants or The West India Committee LIbrary and Archives. The originals of many of the early minutes of the West India Committee are now held at the University of the West Indies. Copies of these minutes are available on microfilm at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.

Donations

The Royal Commonwealth Society Library is not actively collecting new archival collections, photographs or manuscripts. However, donations of small collections which complement its existing collections will be considered.

Potential donors should contact the Smuts Librarian with details of their collection including, in the case of photograph collections, approximately how many images, whether or not they are captioned, geographical regions covered, dates, and, where known, the names of photographers or collectors.

Consideration will be given to the size and condition of the collection, as well as its subject content and provenance. If the Library feels unable to accept a collection, advice about alternative repositories will be given.