Love Norman Island?
Learn a little about its past!
Discover Norman Island's History
of Piracy and Buried Treasure
A Family Memoir
by Valerie Sims
I"m excited to announce the launching of my new book!
Vintage Norman Island includes the true stories about a REAL Treasure Island with pirates and buried treasure.
This collection of fascinating stories includes first hand accounts of the discovery of a cache of hidden coins as well as the infamous 1750 discovery that took place in a secret bay. Â
Many of these stories have been passed down from generation to generation and are important in understanding Norman Island's rich history.
I hope you enjoy them!
Vintage Norman Island
A Collection of Fascinating Stories about the History of Norman Island
and the Hunt for Hidden Treasure in the British Virgin Islands
The Book's Blurb
The pursuit of buried treasure is the stuff of legends and has fascinated people for centuries with its promise of gleaming gold doubloons and pieces-of-eight.
When a prominent St. Thomas merchant accumulates 1,500 acres in the Virgin Islands, members of his community suspect he has found his wealth in a bat-filled cave on Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands.
The island, after all, was the hiding place for Captain Owen Lloyd in 1750, when he and ten pirates buried 44 wooden chests of stolen silver, but Henry O. Creque stayed silent as the rumors swirled around town.
Did he really find a cache of precious coins in a dimly lit cavern?Â
Join the author, one of Creque's great-great-granddaughters, on this exciting adventure as she unravels the cryptic clues passed down in the Creque family.
They may reveal the closely guarded secret her ancestor was trying to keep!
Norman Island is thought to be the inspiration behind Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, Treasure Island.
Vintage Norman Island is a collection of fascinating stories about the hunt for hidden treasure.
They paint a vivid picture of the history of Norman Island when buccaneers and privateers used the island as their "Treasure house."
The questions you've always wanted answered!
If you're like most people who are interested in Norman Island, you want to know more about the island's history.
- Perhaps you've heard of the story about a fisherman who had been sheltering from a heavy rain in a cave and discovered an iron chest and several rotting leather bags behind a heap of rocks that had collapsed.
- As the family historian, I was curious too and have spent a lifetime questioning my family members about their past and reading through the documents and photographs they left behind to find the answers.
In my new book, I'll share with you my most important discoveries, including whether this rumor is true and how it got started.
You'll have a new reverence and appreciation for the history, splendor, and magnetism of this little remarkable island plagued by piracy.
Peek into Norman Island's Past!
The Legend of Norman Island
For over one hundred years, a rumor has been swirling around St. Thomas that a prominent merchant found his wealth in a musty cave. Join the author on this exciting adventure as she unravels the cryptic clues passed down in the Creque family.
The Sinking of HMSÂ Santa Monica 1782
Imagine snorkeling over a shipwreck that has been laying undisturbed for 188 years without anyone knowing? The story of HMS Santa Monica adds a rich chapter to the island's maritime history and deserves a prominent place in the history books.
Purchasing the Peter Island Bight 1912
Henry O. Creque's passion extended beyond Norman Island to the Bight at Peter Island. Discover his plans for the old packet station once owned in 1866 by The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company.
A Treasure Tale from 1921
In 1921, a fascinating story was published about a tour through the British Virgin Islands where a search for a certain tree with cabalistic marks on Norman Island was made. It's supposed to indicate the presence of buried treasure.Â
Stevenson's Treasure Island 1883
For years Norman Island has been known as the island that once inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to pen his classic novel, Treasure Island. Â Discover the reasons why and the 14 significant discoveries I found that has rightfully earned Norman island the reputation that it has.
 Finding Treasure in the Caves! 1965
Rarely does one find a documented story for the discovery of pirate treasure on an uninhabited island! In fact, many biographers profess that pirates never buried any valuables, but this story proves them all wrong!
Searching for Spanish Treasure 1750
The first documented discovery of buried treasure on Norman island took place in the year 1750, when the neighboring people of Tortola found it and "made a fine haul of it."  This chapter includes the confession and first hand account of one of the pirates that buried it there.
Purchasing Norman Island 1896
Henry O. Creque, the author's great-great-grandfather was a fascinating man with vision and purpose. Discover his reasons for purchasing Norman Island and the rumors about where he found the funds to do so.
Treasure Hunting with Tony Creque 1986
My uncle, Anthony "Tony" Creque loved adventure and one day we set out to prove a treasure theory we had about the Norman Island caves. Tony and I thought we knew where a secret stash might have been hidden. Find out what the real treasure was that we discovered on that memorable day!
150 Photographs Included!
Who is Vintage Norman Island for?
- Belongers
 - US Virgin Islanders
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School Teachers
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Tour Guides
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Property Owners
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School Librarians
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Hotel Guests
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Charter Captains
- Residents
 - History Buffs
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Students
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Historians
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Island Visitors
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Pirate Enthusiasts
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Researchers
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British Virgin Islanders
 GET ACCESS TO AN EXCLUSIVE BONUS WITH PURCHASE!
COMING SOON!
Valerie’s love of family history all started with wonderful conversations with her grandmother!
Her entertaining tales of buried treasures, haunted houses, and out-of-body experiences sent shivers down her spine and sparked her life-long fascination with genealogy.
- In 2010, she captured the top prize for the Deputy Governor’s History Research Award in the British Virgin Islands for her research paper. It was about her second great-grandfather entitled, The Life of Henry O. Creque, 1857 to 1915, A Biography.
- In 2015, she began researching and writing for her blog, VintageVirginIslands.com.
- Today, her blog hosts over 300 blog posts about the history of the US Virgin Islands, the Danish West Indies, and the British Virgin Islands.
- In 2020, she published her first book about the history of the island of St. John entitled, Vintage St. John, Discover St. John's History Through Seven Generations of Heartfelt Stories.
Vintage Norman Island is her second family memoir.
She hopes it will inspire others to document their family stories and keep their heritage alive.
In 2023, she'll be offering a 6-week program to help family historians publish their family memoirs, sharing her tips and templates.
It's called From Piles of Files to Publishedâ„¢.
Learn more at PublishYour FamilyHistory.com and download a FREE guide to get started.
Valerie and her husband currently make their home in the Caribbean raising their two children with an ever-watchful eye on their two, rambunctious little dogs.
A Quote from Treasure Island
