TRINIDAD
The present Trinidadian McNISH family all appear to stem from
POLYDORE and NANCY McNISH who arrived in Trinidad on 20 August
1816, after Polydore had served in the Corps of Colonial Marines
for a year and a half. They came from the US, having taken their
freedom along with around four thousand others during the War of
1812. Their descendants, numbering nearly three hundred
historically on the latest count, have spread around the world,
and about one hundred assemble every year for the annual
gathering, in former years at McNish Junction in Sixth Company
(near Princes Town in southern Trinidad), and now in Diamond Vale
(near Port of Spain in the north). In the notes below, the
recorded place of birth is shown together with the approximate
year of birth.
TRINIDADIAN McNISH PROGENITORS
POLYDORE: Africa, 1795. Possibly known as Pauldo/Poldo, said in
the family to indicate knowledge of folk magic: perhaps his
African name, and just possibly receiving or even claiming the
Classical name Polydore as being close to his African name.
NANCY: "country born" in the US, 1790, with Native American
lineage according to family stories, with straight black hair.
They brought away with them two children, EVE and BETSY,
followed, according to 1823 listings and deduced from later
records, by two further children.
The genealogical line is fragmented, and records of the
descendants' lines are not complete.
DEPARTURE FROM THE U.S.
They left the Gatehouse Plantation of William McNish, lying
between Crookded River and Satilla River in Camden County,
Georgia, USA, on 11 February 1815 to join the British forces on
Cumberland Island. A number of others left at the same time, all
taking the name McNish or a variant, four more settling in
Trinidad (including two more men who joined the Corps of Colonial
Marines), two joining the 2nd West India Regiment (one with
wife)and possibly finishing in Honduras (later British Honduras,
now Belize), and the remainder settling in Nova Scotia.
OTHER TRINIDADIAN McNISH SETTLERS
ALICK/Alexander, Africa,1789, also in the Colonial Marines and
settled in Trinidad, with his wife DINAH, Africa 1785 (not shown
in 1823 lists): no descendants known.
JERRY/Jeremy/Jeremiah, Africa 1794, also in the Colonial Marines
and settled in Trinidad; no descendants known for certain, but
possibly the progenitor of a detached branch of McNishes in
DeGannes Village in southern Trinidad.
SARAH: no further information and no descendants known.
ELSEWHERE: HONDURAS and NOVA SCOTIA
The others who left the farm on the same day are as follows:
Two who served in the 2nd West India Regiment as McNEESH, both
stationed in Honduras, possibly remaining there after discharge:
BUCKY, America 1777, with his wife JANE, Africa 1785.
JULY, Long Island, Bahamas, 1799.
Those who went to Nova Scotia as McNISH and McNASH, some included
in Canadian listings in later years:
BRUTUS, Africa 1775
WILLIAM, Africa 1777, wife Peggy, Africa 1785
HELEN, America 1796
JUNO, Africa 1777
SUCKEY, America 1800
CONTACT WELCOME
I should very much like to hear from anyone who thinks they might
be related to any of these McNishes, particularly those who went
to Nova Scotia. I should also like to hear from any born in
Trinidad or related to any of the Trinidad McNishes who might
read this, so that they can be included in the current family
tree I am compiling with Trinidadian members of the family.
John McNish Weiss
Whose adoptive ancestors took their freeedom from American
slavery in the War of 1812 in the company of four thousand others
in The Great Escape.