This is a place for any Whitehead families out there who have roots in Caribbean islands (possibly linked with Chandler, Dowden, Gill, Greaves, Medford, Searles, and others).

Examples:
• James WHITEHEAD m. Susanna GILKES on 25/10/1790 St Lucy, B'dos
• Charles WHITEHEAD married Alice GILKES on 07/07/1822 St Peter, B'dos
• John Benjamin WHITEHEAD (c.1822) married Rebecca Ann Johnson GREAVES on 03/12/1845 St Lucy
• John Withstandley WHITEHEAD m.Samuel Thomas GILKES on 22/06/1848 St Lucy, B'dos
• James Wm WHITEHEAD m. Susanna Jane GILKES on 28/07/1864 St Peter, B'dos
• Mary Elizabeth WHITEHEAD married Charles Henry SEARLES (c.1843) on 24/12/1867 St James B'dos
• Jane Elizabeth WHITEHEAD married Cornelius SEARLES (c.1855) on 08/08/1878 St James B'dos

Has anyone done any work at linking the WHITEHEAD families and their links to the SEARLES, GREAVES (and GILKES). Has anyone linked them (or similar) to their family line.

Ok - the WHITEHEAD and SEARLES family. The WHITEHEAD's are one of the families that left Barbados a half-century after emacipation on that island. Attempting to start anew they took up a limited offer between the Grenadian and Barbadian governments to encourage immigration and bring in workers (land managers) to Grenada. Hurbert Ernest WHITEHEAD probably managed Molinier Plantation and by the turn of the new century he fell in love and married Georgianna Elizabeth SEARLES (the had some 6 children).

On 2 September 2009 Christianna Dowden (Trinidad) writes:
"I remember that my grandmother, Addie Toyer (maiden name)... she told me that her family is decended from the WHITEHEAD's which in turn is my family.  They were irish if I'm not mistaken. Sooo cool.  My grandfather (her first husband) was Doyle Percival Dowden. He was from Grenada! My dad is Davidson Renrick Dowden (or fondly called Dave). I do know that Stella Dowden, Doyle's sister lives in Australia now. I do not know my great-grand parents on my Dad's side... but on Addie Toyer's side... here goes... my great-grand mom was Miriam Toyer (Ma) and my great-grand dad was Isaac Toyer (Pa). Addie and Doyle had four kids - my aunt Carole Dowden, uncles Allen Dowden and Ralph Dowden and my dad Davidson Dowden. But they are not close at alllll. I barely know my cousins - Ashley, Adrian, Brandon Sparkle, Marc Andre and one more boy... yea dats wat i mean..."

On 15 September 2007 Joel Searles wrote:

Has anyone done any work at linking the WHITEHEAD families and their links to the SEARLES, GREAVES (and GILKES). I have found the following but was wondering if anyone has them (or similar) in their family line:-

• Mary Elizabeth WHITEHEAD married Charles Henry SEARLES (c.1843) on 24/12/1867 St James B'dos
• Jane Elizabeth WHITEHEAD m. Cornelius SEARLES (c.1855) on 08/08/1878 St James B'dos
• John Benjamin WHITEHEAD (c.1822) m. Rebecca Ann Johnson GREAVES on 03/12/1845 St Lucy B'dos
• James WHITEHEAD m. Susanna GILKES on 25/10/1790 St Lucy, B'dos
• Charles WHITEHEAD married Alice GILKES on 07/07/1822 St Peter, B'dos
• John Withstandley WHITEHEAD m.Samuel Thomas GILKES on 22/06/1848 St Lucy, B'dos
• James Wm WHITEHEAD m. Susanna Jane GILKES on 28/07/1864 St Peter, B'dos

On 21 December 2007 Jeol Searles wrote:

We know the Whitehead family move to Grenada and ran plantations in Mt. Moritz are Moulinere.

But way back they built the 'Whitehead' estate in St Lucy, Barbados. I found, however, that by in 1901 they didn't own it and by 1914 the Whitehead's estate (72 acres) is owed by A. D. Kellman (dec'd) and managed by C. Kellman and then later (by 1924) Whitehead estate is sill owned by the Kellman family (or at least E. C. D. Kellman dec'd estate).

[Ref: "Index to Plantations Owners 1630-1846" p419; Barbados Archives; Taylor, R; and Sinckler Year Book]