Robert McNish senior

Robert McNish, whose sole surviving trustee Rev. Alexander William McNish counterclaimed against R. Louisa Eldridge for compensation on Mount View plantation, Antigua. Part of the compensation was awarded to Brodie George McNish, Mary Eliza McNish and James H. Barker as executors of Rev. Alexander William McNish (all q.v.).

1. The Slave Registers show 'Robert McNish senior' as proprietor of Mount View 1817-1824, and then in 1828 his executor. This proprietor is possibly but not certainly the same man as the 'Robert McNish junior' shown by Vere Langford Oliver as the husband of Mary Brodie and father of Rev. Alexander William McNish, dying aged 73 in 1828. Oliver shows no parentage for Robert McNish junior but has a Robert McNish senior, apparently in the previous generation, still living in 1797.

2. Unsourced online family tree gives Robert McNish, born 1755 in Antigua, married to Mary Brodie 02/11/1796, died in Antigua 05/02/1828. One of his sons was his trustee Rev. Alexander William McNish; the other two sons were Brodie George McNish (executor of Alexander William McNish) and John McNish. All three sons were jointly awarded compensation for Antigua claim no. 1009.

T71/877 Antigua claim no. 137 (Mount View). Vere Langford Oliver History of Antigua Vol I. p. 6 shows an estate yet to be traced called Allens of 239 acres in St Johns Parish belonging to the heirs of Robert McNish in 1852 and associated by Oliver with William Allen (1709-1804) buried in Newington Churchyard, Surrey, albeit also given (p. 5) as St Mary's parish. The will of William Allen of St Mary Newington proved 19/12/1804 PROB 11/1418/253 has no reference to West India property or to enslaved people.

1. Vere Langford Oliver, History of Antigua Vol II. 'Pedigree of McNish' pp. 230-231.

2. http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/27219609/person/12597197804 [accessed 12/07/2012]. T71/877 Antigua claim no. 1009.