Colonial Office and Commonwealth Office: West Indian Department: Registered Files...

This series contains records of the West Indian Department. The files relate to the British West Indies and Caribbean as a whole, as well as to particular countries including: Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Guiana, British Honduras, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, the Leeward Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Tobago, Trinidad, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Virgin Islands and the Windward Islands.

There are also files relating to the West Indies Federation and the Federation of Eight. Amongst a very wide variety of subject matter are papers dealing with relations with the USA and some records of the Caribbean Commission and the Regional Economic Committee of the West Indies.

For earlier records relating to the British West Indies see CO 318

For later Commonwealth Office files on relations with these territories see:

For earlier records relating to Bermuda see CO 37

For earlier records relating to British Honduras see CO 123

For earlier records relating to Trinidad and Tobago see CO 295

For earlier records relating to the Windward Islands see CO 321 FCO 43 FCO 40 FCO 44

For earlier records relating to the Bahamas see CO 23

For earlier records relating to British Guiana see CO 111

For earlier records relating to Barbados see CO 28

For earlier records relating to Leeward Islands see CO 152

There are three files with the WIS prefix in CO 137. These are:

CO 137/885/9

CO 137/885/8

CO 137/885/7

• Colonial Office, West Indian Department, 1898-1966
• Commonwealth Office, West Indian Department A, 1966-1967
• Commonwealth Office, West Indian Department B, 1966-1968

In 1981-2013 Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Topics

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Caribbean

Americas

The West Indian Department of the Colonial Office originates from the 1801-1854 War and Colonial Office, where there was an administrative department for the West Indies. The West Indian Department was part of the Colonial Office from 1854 until 1966, briefly part of the Commonwealth Office, and then finally part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1968 until 1972, when it was abolished to form the West Indian and Atlantic Department. The West Indian Department of the Colonial Office was divided into Department A and Department B. Department A dealt with Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad, Windward Islands, Barbados, United States bases, defence and security, and University College. Department B dealt with British Guiana, British Honduras, Bermuda, the Bahamas, closer association, Caribbean Commission, development and welfare, regional economic questions, international relations (except US bases), regional social services questions, and ancient monuments/records.