Hi Malcolm,
Thanks for your kind words, but I must tell you that what I’ve said is based on what worked for me on the ground and also on speculation on various strategies I would probably try if a straightforward approach did not yield any result.
Your story seems to have a lot of promise. However, I have to tell you that I’m doubtful that you would find his parents’ names listed on his death certificate if that record is available. My understanding is that the condition of records from the 1800s vary in its state of preservation [or lack thereof].
On the other hand, you seem to have sufficient information that may help you find out a little more about your ancestor if you want to make a trip or hire a researcher/genealogist provided of course you have some of the following.
Do you have any idea of what year he died and where in Trinidad he lived, or where he was likely to have died? To what church did he belong? Where was he buried? Do you know the name of the estate on which he worked? What do you know about his secretary, John Clark?
If your ancestor was a churchgoing man, or was alone in Trinidad, it’s likely that he would have been buried by friends [and/or his secretary]. At the very least, his burial service would likely be recorded at a local church. You may be able to find information in the records of the cemetery in which he was interred or in the cemetery itself. There have also been many examples of tombstones in Trinidad cemeteries of persons buried by their compatriots and friends. So depending on where he was, you should be able to locate the cemetery which may yield his burial record or a tombstone that would tell you more about him.
Also, if the story is true and if the record exists for that time period, you may be able to ascertain a few more details about him by examining documents available from the Probate Office at Knox St. If his secretary did indeed wind up his affairs then he would have had to apply to the court in order to administrate the estate. If he owned any property, he would have been assessed for taxes. You may be able to locate these records in the National Archive of Trinidad & Tobago [visit their website to see what records they may have that may be of interest to you and contact them regarding the record set for more information: http://www.natt.org] or if they are not housed there, in the District Warden’s office governing the district in which he lived.
The Trinidad Gazette [kept at the NATT] may provide you with some leads. If you are uncertain of his date of death, and a probate notice is posted, it will let you know where and when he died.
Whatever you can learn about John Clark may help you to locate more information about your ancestor if you have an idea where their lives intersect.
I also suggest that maybe you’d want to join the facebook group Angelo Bissessarsingh’s Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago. You’ll find it at : https://www.facebook.com/groups/191766699268/
From time to time there are bound to be posts from there that may be relevant to your search.
By the way, you may also want to check Tobago records. I am not certain, but I think I came across the name of William Bland as an estate owner in Tobago. It is possible that he may have been your ancestor. So perhaps you can check the slave registers on Ancestry to see if he is likely to be the same William Bland. You can also follow up with a search in Google Books for your ancestor’s name. You never know what you may turn up…his story might just get more interesting than you expect. Hope this helps.
Wishing you all the best in your search,
Joanne