Authentic affirmation
published: Wednesday | October 22, 2003

THE EDITOR, Sir:

IN THE article of October 16, 2003 titled 'Morant Bay 1965' Martin Henry wrote, (paragraph subtitled 'intriguing affirmation'), "11,400 free Africans were brought to Jamaica after emancipation and that many of them settled in the Morant Bay and Plantain Garden River valley area."

This affirmation is quite authentic because it relates to my African ancestry. In 1992 my mother (now deceased) who was an elementary school teacher at the Belle Castle Primary School in eastern Portland drew a family tree tracing the lineage to that point in history showing her great grandmother arriving in Jamaica from Guinea coast at age 12 and that she lived in the parish of what was then known as St Thomas in the East.

I am willing to give a copy of this family tree to anyone who is interested.

I am etc.,

HUGH MARAGH

hughm407@bellsouth.net

Orlando, Florida

Via Go-Jamaica