In line with the objectives of the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture a Research Project named “Origins/Genealogy” Project is being worked out at the center since 1996. The aims and objectives of this ongoing project initiated by Dr. Vijaya Teelock, is to set up a structure at the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture which would assist Mauritians in establishing their slave descent and to trace the linguistic, geographic, cultural origins of the Mauritians of slave descent.
This is being done by collecting all demographic, ethnographic and historical data on the slave population. The demographic collection consists of slave registration returns, manumission returns and marronnage returns, all with different formats.
In the context of this project, manumission data, the names of 66 392 slaves from the 1826 census (together with photos of tattoo marks), the names of 5053 slaves from the 1823 slave registration returns and 43 384 slaves from the 1835 slave registration returns(obtained from the National Mauritius Archives and the Public Records Office London) have been retrieved and put in the Centre’s database. The maroonage database has been populated with 1 373 records.
The 1835 database was compiled through the support of the Mauritius Research Council between 1996 and 1998. Funding was continued from 2006 by the Ministry of Culture and is ongoing.
The Following students were recruited as from August 2007 to May 2008 for the input of the 1826 Slave Registration Returns:
- Estelle Ramdeal
- Natacha Marie Cindy
- Vanisha Oodit
- Reshma Gulbul
- Arnima Sahadey
- Roy Kumar Lofur
- Rinesh Duval
- Jessica Joseph
- Anusha Bussawon
- Manisha Meetun
- Karuna Dusoye
- Reema Goocheram
- Sharon Ng
- Allan Charlot
- Priscilina Durbarry
- Yeshna Haton
- Prisma
- Kevina Ramasawmy
- Stephan Karghoo
- Christelle Mia Foh
To browse the database click here: Slave Family History
For any further information please contact Mr. Stéphan Karghoo, Research Officer, on nelson.mandela.centre@gmail.com |
