Christiana “Miss Chrishy” Brown - Ancestry claim

Here is the Snopes article Phillipp referenced: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kamala-harris-ancestor-slaves/

It raises really good points laid out by experts. We may need to cut the parents here, and also reevaluate the Hamilton Brown / Mary Melvina Brown marriage.

In South Africa many children of slaves were acknowledged by fathers and many were not. Famous Appel/Botha parentage argument of who was really the father only resolved after modern day DNA testing and Botha replaced with Appel --
In 1683 Maria Kickers and Jan Cornelitz got married in Cape Town. Today, 330 years later, the living patrilineal descendants of Maria's four sons, number in excess of 76,000 people. Curiously, none of them carry the surname Cornelitz - in fact, they are all called Botha and include former President P.W. Botha, general Louis Botha and Minister Pik Botha. The reason for this anomaly is also the reason why Jan got divorced from Maria in 1700. According to Maria's testimonies she did indeed have a long term relationship with Frederik Botha, but in her defence she claimed that her husband was impotent and that he actually encouraged her. Other witnesses, presumably prompted by Jan, gave testimonies that implied that Maria was in fact licentious. We combined haplotyping with the AmpFℓSTR(®) Yfiler™ kit with deep-rooting genealogies to show that Maria's first son was actually fathered by Ferdinandus Appel and that roughly half the living Bothas (38,000 people) actually descend from Ferdinandus Appel while the remaining three sons all stem from the same father, presumably Frederik Botha, and this implies that Maria's husband did not father any of her sons.
-- here link to that
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23948326/

This might be what is needed for Brown and Harris ancestry

It's a nice idea, but let's stick with records we actually have access to. :)

Many Jamaican records are available on FamilySearch. We can also wait for the "official" U.S. presidential (and vice-presidential) genealogists at NEHGS to publish their findings in the spring. They always have a special post-inauguration issue of their magazine that details everything known with certainty.

Instead of us focusing on going back further, I'd say that for now we should focus on gathering records for what we already have.

Errors ? Think wrong parent or parents here .
Her mother also child of same man as her father ?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-VN9P-MT?i=15

----
Found baptism of Mabel Melvina Brown 27 April 1879
father Hamilton Brown and mother Mabel Melvina Brown

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHDB-7VH

Think husband of
Mary Melvina Brown born 1839 child of Hamilton Brown JNR
is Hamilton Brown born 1839 child of Charles Brown .

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-VN9P-MT?i=15

Her brother Hamilton Brown born 1833 in Ireland married to Susan Frances Brown ( ?? maiden name )

Gilbert Brown son of Hamilton and Mary Melvina Brown signed death registration of Hamilton Brown died 10 October 1918.
Mary Melvina Brown " white " on all documents .

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-30136-153119/hamilton-br...

Christina Brown 1888 mother as Jessian Prince

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XNJ1-CHM

Nice work, keep it up.

I’ve added some references to Margaret Preston

And I think this is the correct baptism for Joseph Alexander Harris

Joseph Alexander Harris

"Jamaica, Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHDX-SPS : 16 August 2019), Harris in entry for Joseph Alexander Harris, 30 Jul 1871, Christening; citing p. 189, All Parishes, Jamaica, Registrar General's Department, Spanish Town; FHL microfilm 1,291,706. (illegitimate)

Thx Erica .
Have corrected d.o.b and baptisms for both children of Margaret Preston .
On familysearch some person/persons made wives sisters etc. so frustrating .

so far: confirmed
Hamilton Brown died 1918
wife Mary Melvina Brown
son Gilbert C C Brown
not sure of his d.o.b 1833 or 1839 or his father Hamilton Brown or Charles Brown

Mary Melvina Brown born 1839 father Hamilton Brown Jnr ?
Who was he ?

If you’re up to it, try going through the filmed registers. I’d bet Margaret (Brown?) Biggs Preston had more children.

https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000164232168846

Here’s the record for the other Joseph Alexander Harris, son of Victoria Harris, born 1884. I don’t know which one is correct - born 1884 or born 1871.

Name Joseph Alexander Harris
Gender Male
Birth Mar 4 1884
Parish Of Saint Andrew, Jamaica
Mother Victoria Harris
GS Film number 538758
Digital Folder Number 004005251
Image Number 01482

https://ps-services-us-east-1-914248642252-pipe-storage-das-cloud.s...

Looking for Lydia Brown signed as witness on documents .

? Signed by Thomas Phillip -- ?

1871 record only Harris a surname no name of mother .

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHDX-SP3

Would think 1884 record possibly more correct .

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF12-T8D

I think Victoria Harris is the mother of a different Joseph Alexander.

I uploaded the tombstone image from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134484457/joseph-alexander-harris - an 1871 date is a lot more likely,

Joseph Alexander Harris

Is there agreement?

Also the son of Victoria is white.

LOL Phillip ! I’ve gone back and forth on this. We need more info.

? MM ? why not say one only per century with that name ?
so then No name for mother of JA Harris born 27 April 1871 baptised 30 July 1871

From Donald Harris:

“The Harris name comes from my paternal grandfather Joseph Alexander Harris, land-owner and agricultural ‘produce’ exporter (mostly pimento or all-spice), who died in 1939 one year after I was born and is buried in the church yard of the magnificent Anglican Church which Hamilton Brown built in Brown’s Town.”

So it’s the correct tombstone at Joseph Alexander Harris. I’m disconnecting Victoria.

Seems the JA Harris in his book was possibly white .
died 11 August 1939

Birth 1874 ?? closer to 1871

Exactly. Also the location for Victoria Harris is different from everyone else.

See name on registration d.o.b 5 April 1914 Orange Hill , St Ann
child Oscar Wilde male mother Christiana Brown seamstress

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YST7-64C?i=21&...

Agree --Think till more sources found leave Victoria Harris out.

Agree --Think till more sources found leave Victoria Harris out.
Was going to add gravestone as photo but too late .

Not fair I had the Thomas Harris and Ctherine as parents !
Well you snooze you loose.
grt work Erica .

Much more to do. Hamilton Brown May be apocryphal however - just gave his name to everyone. Did you see the “Legacies of British Slave Owners” profile?

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/11358/#relationships

But I would have expected them to be able to build more relationships through the assets.

Oh - something to keep in mind when looking at the records.

“ A family tree on FamilySearch also indicates that Harris is a descendant of a woman named Jessian Prince, who is listed on birth and death records as a “labourer.” In Jamaican history, “labourer” was a term lent to emancipated slaves and their descendants who were kept on and paid.”

https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/aug/14/looking-claims-kamal...