Hi Everyone,
I am on the never-ending quest to finish my family tree and am in need of any information of inhabitants of Salt Island from before 1920. My great grandmother, Belencita Roselynn Abbott was born on Salt Island in 1910. I understand only 1 person lives there now but am hoping someone has some historical information. Thanks.

Hi... I'm searching for another Salt Island family, the Leonards. Did anyone ever reply to you about your family? I too have been told there's only one person there now, an woman in her late 60's, 70s (?). But my Leonard and Vanterpool family lived their in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

No I have not heard from anyone. It has been very difficult to find info for there. England seems to have some of the records but someone else told me to look at the Danish records. Thanks.

Hi Maria,

The ABBOTTs of Salt Island and the SMITHs are related through marriage. James Flanigan SMITH of Salt Island was married to an ABBOTT-- Amanda Melvina, if my memory serves me correctly. They had either 18 or 19 children between the late 1850's and about 1893. One of their daughters, Victoria Belviana (I believe), married a son of Harding and Caroline THOMAS.

Florence THOMAS Fuentes aka "Teacher Florence"/"Dona Flor" was one of Victoria's children. Dona Flor died in the 1990's at about 93 years of age in San Juan, P.R.; her daughter, Dr. Sylvia Fuentes, was still living in San Juan the last I knew. However, she only had what info I had provided her. I'll try to find a copy of the info I had provided her.

Maria,

Amanda Melvina ABBOTT was the wife of James Flanigan SMITH. I documented 17 of their children as follows:

1. Peter; b. 16FEB1858 on Peter's Island;

2. Elizabeth; b. 24JAN1860 on Salt Island;

3. Mary Augusta; b. 05FEB1862 on Salt Island;

4. Rebecca Melvina; b. 22DEC1864 on Salt Island; is
believed to have married Frederick PENN, but not
documented;

5. Sophia Angelina; b. 1867 on Salt Island;

6. James Edwin; b. 08APR1869 on Salt Island; married
Arletta Arsenath PENN on 27NOV1890;

7. Victoria Belviana; b. 21JUN1871 on Salt Island; married
Edmond Milton THOMAS on 28DEC1893;

8. Amelia; b. 31DEC1873 on Salt Island;

9. Esther Louise; b. 1876 on Salt Island; believed to have
married William Henry SMITH, but not documented;

10. Ernest Leopold; b. 17MAR1878 on Salt Island;

11. Charlotte Amelia; b. 22SEP1881 on Salt Island;

12. Herbert Alexander; b. 14APR1885 on Salt Island;

13. Isabella Rebecca; b. ???? at Sea Cow's Bay;

14. Charlotte Melvina; b. o4FEB1888 at Sea Cow's Bay;

15. Sarah Alberta; b. 03MAR1890 at Sea Cow's Bay;

16. James Whitfield; b. 26JAN1892 at Sea Cow's Bay; and

17. Alexander; b. 24JUN1893 at Sea Cow's Bay.

Dona Flor also has another daughter, Rosita Henry, living in Puerto Rico and a son, whose name I do not know.

The late H. R. [Howard Reginald] PENN, BVI legislator and politician married Alicia Regaline THOMAS, a daughter of Edmond Milton and Victoria Belviana (SMITH) THOMAS. One of their daughters is Marlene PENN Evans of St. Thomas and Tortola.

Maybe one of the descendants of one of the persons listed here may be able to provide further info on the ABBOTTs for you. Good luck!

This is great. Do you know who James Whitfied Abbott married. My great-great-grandfather was James W. Abbott, born before 1890, Salt Island. Married Francesca Almestica from Puerto Rico and they moved to St. John. They had Constancia Augustina, Bellencita Roselyn (my ggrandmother), Ida, Victoria, Idona, Victor, Thomas, James Jr., Briggs, Samuel, Hendreta and Frances. Most of them either stayed on St. John or now live on St. Thomas. I hava had absolutely no luck.

Where were you able to find this information?

Thanks,
Maria

Hi Maria,

I'm not familiar with any of the names you've listed.

Amanda Melvina ABBOTT Smith's parents were Francis and Elizabeth ABBOTT.

If I come across anything else, I'll let you know.

Have you checked the LDS Tortola microfilm? The Methodist baptism records start from 1816 (actually about 1824 with a few entries for 1815/1816 brought forward) and 1859 for the Episcopal records. Civil birth registration records begin in 1859.

Karl

Hi Maria:

I obtained this information through microfilm available at the LDS Library & Family History Centers. They've got baptismal (basically from about 1824 forward) and burial (some as far back as 1845) records for the Road Town Methodist Church; baptismal and other records (about 1859 forward) for St. George the Martyr Episcopal Church; and civil birth and marriage records (1859 forward) for the BVI.

I happened to have collected the ABBOTT info about 10 years ago when I was helping some THOMAS, SMITH and PENN relatives with their genealogies.

The children of Francis and Elizabeth ABBOTT that I've documented were:

James Francis, b. 22FEB1843 on Salt Island, baptized on 06APR1843;

Ellen Eliza, b03MAR184[4/5?] on Salt Island, baptized on 06MAR1845;

Frances Rebecca, b. 15JAN184[6?] on Salt Island, baptized on 09MAR1847;

William Edward, b. 11DEC1848 on Salt Island, baptized on 21DEC1848;

John Samuel, b. 24[?]AUG1850 on Salt Island, baptized 26DEC1850;

Alexander, b. 16NOV1852 on Salt Island, baptized 21NOV1852; and

Henrietta, b. 09FEB1855 on Salt Island, baptized 09DEC1855; all baptisms were at the Road Town Methodist, Road Town, Tortola, BVI.

Hope this helps. If I come across anything else, I'll let you know.

Karl

Hello:

Two names on your Abbott list are familiar: Sarah Alberta and Charlotte Melvina. I believe that Sarah Alberta may be by husband's maternal great-grandmother. Do you know if Charlotte was called "Nen-nen"? Also, might you know if Sarah Alberta married another Smith of Sea Cow's Bay?

L. Inniss

My name is Carswell Leonard. My grandfather was Cornelius Leonard from Salt Island. We are related. I would like to make contact