Black dutch question

[Sseh]

Hey everyone! I'm new here and I had a quick question about Black dutch people.

My Father's side of the family is Swiss German yet they all have jet black hair, brown skin and dark eyes, my dad says he thinks that they came from the south of Italy long ago, is this common? I've heard of black dutch before but there's not much about it on the internet, or at least that I could find. How would I go back so far as to trace his lineage? Does anyone also know anything about black dutch people?

Thanks,

Sseh

[clematised]

Welcome Sseh,

When starting out with your family history always start with yourself and work up through your own parents then their parents to get at the truth.
Most of us have started out in research trying to follow a family tale about something or other and it is only by doing this research first that you will learn more of your ancestors.
I have heard so many times over the years that someones gt grandmother was related to a Royal, or was a princess from an old Indian family only to find most times these roumers are handed down the family with chinese whispers adding or changing a word or two just to spice things up.

Research on line is becoming easier these days with more records available, but sometimes we have to look a little harder to turn up some information

I know nothing of Black Dutch or Swiss German or the colouring but good luck with your research and hope you find your lines.

Hope we can help you find some things too so dont be afraid to ask as no question is a silly question we all started asking them ourselves.

Edna

[clematised]

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hornbeck/blkdutch.htm

I have just found this informative link but as I have no knowledge of it I cant offer any advice but maybe someone else may know

Edna

[lennon2011]

I think it may be the same as Chematised's link but I'll still post it..

http://www.tngenweb.org/campbell/hist-bogan/BlackDutch.html

[Janet]

You may like to check out Wikipedia but of course the Dutch East Indies was the place for those of darker skin with Dutch ancestry. I had a Dutch penfriend with some Indonesian ancestry, who lived in Holland just after W War 2.

The Dutch East Indies (Dutch: Nederlands-Indië; Indonesian: Hindia-Belanda) was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Dutch government in 1800.
During the 19th century, Dutch possessions and hegemony were expanded, reaching their greatest territorial extent in the early 20th century. This colony which later formed modern-day Indonesia was one of the most valuable European colonies under the Dutch Empire's rule, and contributed to Dutch global prominence in spice and cash crop trade in 19th to early 20th century. The colonial social order was based on rigid racial and social structures with a Dutch elite living separate but linked to their native subjects.

Janet

[kylejustin]

if your father suspects southern italian/sicilian ancestry, what has does black dutch got to do with it?

[clematised]

If you are serious about researching your own tree then for now forget this folklore that you have been told and start to search for the grandparents if your parents are still living, find out as much as you can from your father, but if he is no longer here to ask then you will need to find his birth cert which this board can help you look by giving his details (no living people)where he was born ect

Good Luck

Edna