A growing number of people are now interested in
their geneaology. On a small island such as ours, it can be frustrating to
plow through the tangle of Hassell's and Johnson's who were always present
in large numbers on Saba, and trace your ancestors correctly.
However if you belong to one of the smaller surname groups, with some luck
and plenty of research you will succeed in tracing your ancestors back to
England or Holland. Here is a sample of how I traced back one of the
branches of the families from which I am descended.
Abraham Adriaensen of Vlissingen landed on the uninhabited island of St.
Eustatius on April 25th, 1636 and claimed the island for the Dutch. He later
(1641) became Commander of St. Eustatius and Saba. His son Peter was
Commander in 1665. He was the father of Jacob who in turn was the father of
Isaac (population list 1699). Isaac was the father of Martha Adriaensen who
in 1728 married to Mark Horton who came in to Saba from the island of St.
Kitts.
Mark was the grandson of Richard Horton who in a last will dated December
18th, 1659 as son of Elizabeth inherited sugarlands on the island of
Barbados from his grandfather Richard Peers.
Richard Peers was born in 1595 most probably in Strettum, county Surrey in
England. He arrived in Barbados before 1635 and acted as governor for his
brother-in-law Henry Hawley in 1633 and 1634. He accrued 900 acres of sugar
land on Barbados. He apparently traveled to England in 1634 but stayed there
only briefly, leaving London in January of 1635 to sail back tot Barbados.
Mark Horton and Martha Adriaensen had a son James Horton Sr., born in 1728.
His son James Horton Jr. moved to Saba around 1795. His son also James
Horton Esq. was the father of Alice Eliza Horton born 1831 died 18-6-1910,
who married Charles Simmons born 1824 died 3 July 1883. They were the
parents of James Horton Simmons born 16-12-1866 died 17-11-1948 who married
Agnes Johnson born 1880 died 1962, who were the parents of Alma Blanche
Simmons born 24-7-1908 died 16-10-1977 and who married Daniel Thomas Johnson
born 9-1-1907 died 5-11-1971. They in turn were the parents of William
"Will» Stanley Johnson born 22nd, 1941. In case you were wondering what this
is leading up to? Just bragging man, just bragging!
