Part Two

In our previous column, we highlighted how a white New Zealander, Bill Grant (pictured inset), realising his great-grandfather was a black Bermudian named Edward Darrell, e-mailed the Government Registrar in Hamilton seeking any information she had on his grandfather.

He mentioned a couple of names, including that of a Kate Minors, his grandfather's sister. By coincidence, the Registrar happens to be a lady named Kim Minors, who is a great-granddaughter of none other than Kate Minors.

The Registrar went into high gear tracking down her own local kinfolk. Among them were Marilyn Darrell Smith and sister Elaine Darrell Bean. Their great-grandfather was Stanley Darrell, the eldest of the ten siblings of Edward, whose parents were Samuel and Artimeza Darrell of St. George's.

It turned out that Edward, for some reason in the 1800s, migrated to far-off Australia. There he married and later settled in New Zealand where he raised a family, from which there are many descendants. Meanwhile, in Bermuda Edward's siblings raised their own large families. Among them are the Mings, Rowlings and others. Marilyn is a travel agent of 56 years' experience.

After communicating with cousin Bill in New Zealand, she put together a 23-day package tour that appealed to many relatives and friends.

It included air fare to Los Angeles and to Sydney, where they boarded the cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas, cruising for the next 14 days to Melbourne and then to New Zealand, stopping in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier and Auckland.

It was in Christchurch they met up with the first of Edward's offspring, his great-granddaughter Collen Darrell Briggs. It was in Tauranga that they caught up with the man who started the roots search, Bill Grant.

In addition, they were joined by a Bermudian-born cousin, Cherylann Rowling Spurway, who had flown directly from her home in London at the invitation of Bill to be a guest in his home. Cherylann is the daughter of Calvin Rowling, of Warwick.

It all turned out to be a joyous first-time meeting of the clan. The Bermudians were well entertained by their cousins and plans were laid for reciprocal visits.

Our picture at left shows Marilyn and Elaine in Christchurch, with Edward's great-granddaughter Collen Darrell Briggs, her husband Daniel and cousins Pete and Brian Darrell.