The Common Deed Record Books run in an almost continuous series from 1707 to 1922. There are 52 Common Record books in total to 1922, plus one Entry Book of deeds, 1884-1956, with others continuing into the twenty-first century. They are large bound volumes and, because of the continuity and content, provide a comprehensive record of land and property transactions carried out during the period when slave plantations were the main type of investment and employment on the island. Such a continuous series of these records is only replicated sporadically for other islands that were once British possessions in the Caribbean. The land and property details recorded provide the names of investors, along with their occupation and residence, and precise financial details, either in sterling or in the island's currency. The information on investors includes whites and free blacks, men and women, and absentee residents (in other West Indian Islands or in Britain) as well as those living in Nevis. The financial information is wide-ranging. Credit transactions are included. Mortgages, annuities, loans and bonds are all specified, with the names of the parties involved. The language used is often full of legal terms that need to be mastered. The books also contain much material on slave sales between individuals connected with Nevis; they also have information on slave manumissions. Where sugar plantations are identified the numbers, and sometimes the valuations and names of slaves are given. This is particularly useful for researchers because it was not until after the end of the Napoleonic Wars that slave registration was commonly carried out throughout the British Caribbean. Notes of hand, powers of attorney, wills, writs of enquiry, partition, possession and seizure are also recorded.
The Common Record books were compiled under the auspices of the local courts. They have, so far as is known, always resided with the Supreme Court on Nevis in whatever was the current courthouse, though not until the twentieth century in the courthouse vault. Legal custody of the Common Record Books lies with the ECSC Registrar for St Kitts and Nevis, based in Basseterre, St Kitts. The Common Deed Record Books are, so far as space in the vault as well as fragility of the volume will allow, in chronological order. The volumes for the twentieth century are held in the ECSC Registry office. From 1767 to 1810 they usually cover two years; outside that period they can span multiple years. The indexes are sometimes incomplete or missing. Extent and format of original material: 1 Series comprising 49 individual volumes.
This series contains the following files.
- EAP794/1/1/1: Common Records 1707-1728;
- EAP794/1/1/2: Common Records 1718-1745;
- EAP794/1/1/3: Common Records 1728-1746;
- EAP794/1/1/4: Common Records 1741-1749;
- EAP794/1/1/5: Common Records 1752-1754;
- EAP794/1/1/6: Common Records 1754-1758;
- EAP794/1/1/7: Common Records 1757-1762;
- EAP794/1/1/8: Common Records 1763-1764;
- EAP794/1/1/9: Common Records 1764-1769;
- EAP794/1/1/10: Common Records 1767-1769;
- EAP794/1/1/11: Common Records 1769-1771;
- EAP794/1/1/12: Common Records 1771-1773;
- EAP794/1/1/13: Common Records 1773-1774;
- EAP794/1/1/14: Common Records 1773-1775;
- EAP794/1/1/15: Common Records 1775-1776;
- EAP794/1/1/16: Common Records 1776-1777;
- EAP794/1/1/17: Common Records 1777-1778;
- EAP794/1/1/18: Common Records 1778-1783;
- EAP794/1/1/19: Common Records 1783-1785;
- EAP794/1/1/20: Common Records 1784-1789;
- EAP794/1/1/21: Common Records 1785-1787;
- EAP794/1/1/22: Common Records 1789-1790;
- EAP794/1/1/23: Common Records 1790-1792;
- EAP794/1/1/24: Common Records 1792-1794;
- EAP794/1/1/25: Common Records 1794-1797;
- EAP794/1/1/26: Common Records 1797-1799;
- EAP794/1/1/27: Common Records 1799-1801;
- EAP794/1/1/28: Common Records 1801-1803;
- EAP794/1/1/29: Common Records 1803-1805;
- EAP794/1/1/30: Common Records 1805-1808;
- EAP794/1/1/31: Common Records 1808-1810;
- EAP794/1/1/32: Common Records 1810-1814;
- EAP794/1/1/33: Common Records 1814-1817;
- EAP794/1/1/34: Common Records 1817-1819;
- EAP794/1/1/35: Common Records 1819-1823 Volume 2;
- EAP794/1/1/36: Common Records 1823-1829 Volume 2;
- EAP794/1/1/37: Common Records 1829-1830 Volume 1;
- EAP794/1/1/38: Common Records 1829-1830 Volume 2;
- EAP794/1/1/39: Common Records 1831-1835;
- EAP794/1/1/40: Common Records 1835-1838;
- EAP794/1/1/41: Common Records 1838-1847;
- EAP794/1/1/42: Common Records 1847-1858;
- EAP794/1/1/43: Common Records 1858-1859;
- EAP794/1/1/44: Common Records 1859-1866;
- EAP794/1/1/45: Common Records 1870-1879;
- EAP794/1/1/46: Common Records 1877-1899;
- EAP794/1/1/47: Common Records 1900-1905;
- EAP794/1/1/48: Common Records Entry Book of Deeds 1884-1956;
