Catalogue description Colonial Office and Predecessors: St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Nevis and Anguilla: Original Correspondence

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Details of CO 239
Reference: CO 239
Title: Colonial Office and Predecessors: St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Nevis and Anguilla: Original Correspondence
Description:

This series contains original correspondence relating to St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Nevis and Anguilla. The greater part of this correspondence begins with the year 1816 when the government included Tortola and the Virgin Islands.
Date: 1702-1872
Arrangement:

Bound volumes arranged chronologically within the following subject headings: Despatches (letters of the governors), Offices (letters of government departments and other organisations) and Individuals (arranged alphabetically). Each volume with a contents list, or précis of each letter giving name of correspondent, date of letter and subject matter.
Related material:

For correspondence before 1816 and after 1872 see CO 152

For further correspondence relating to Nevis see CO 184

For further correspondence relating to the Virgin Islands see CO 314

See also CO 318
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Physical description: 126 volume(s)
Unpublished finding aids:

For registers to this correspondence before 1849 see under West Indies in CO 326. For further registers to this correspondence see CO 354. For indexed précis of correspondence see CO 714.

Administrative / biographical background:

St Christopher was first settled by the English in 1623. In 1625 French settlers arrived and the island was divided between the two nations. The French portion was captured by Britain in 1702 and formally ceded to her in 1713. Recaptured by France in 1782, St Christopher was restored to Britain in 1783. It became part of the Leeward Islands government in 1671. In 1882 St Christopher, Anguilla and Nevis were united to form one presidency. On the dissolution of the Federation of the Leeward Islands in 1956, St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became a separate colony. Anguilla formally separated from St Christopher and Nevis in 1980.

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