28/08/2017
In the name of Allah (God) the Beneficent the Merciful
7 November 2005
My people my family - often speak about our ancestors, the founders of Farmers Cay. They say that Joseph Michael Nixon and Adam and Eve Brown (twins) were the ones settled on Farmers Cay. But they are wrong - those two boys and the girl were not the ones who settled here. It was their mother Chrisanna. She moved to Farmers Cay from Musha Cay where she lived and farmed for a while. After coming from Great Exuma - as a freed slave woman. Wherever Chrisanna went, those young children had to go! She was their mother and provider. Thus; she was the one to settle Little Farmers Cay. Chrisanna did not have a second name from what we know of her. Chrisanna settled Farmers Cay.
However, she was in company with a white man named John Alexander Smith; his brother owned Musha Cay. He was a former slave overseer. She used to call him master - even though they were sweethearts; he never married her. John Smith was the first to buy 20 acres of Little Farmers Cay. He told the young boys Joseph and Adam to each buy all the remaining acres of crown land on Little Farmers Cay. In 1924 the descendants of Joseph Nixon and the descendants of Adam Brown were found to have been long in occupation of Little Farmers Cay. On 24 September 1926, each family paid fifteen pounds as purchase of all the crown land on Little Farmers Cay - each family to have one half undivided interest as tenants in common and not as joint tenants.
Joseph Michael Nixon was the older brother of Adam and Eve Brown - they lived with their mother and grew up on Farmers Cay. Farming and fishing in and around the Cays. Eventually Joseph took a wife whose name was Susan Larrymore - she came from Cat Island - they had eleven children, eight boys and three girls. Shortly after Adam took a wife whose name was Mary - they had four boys and a girl who died at childbirth.
Joseph Michael and Susan Larrymore Nixon’s children names were:
James Carmichael, Salis, Daniel, Sylvanis (Corn Seed), Julias (Bud),
Sadius (Uncle Shack) William (he drowned) Timothy (Lander - uncle Tim)
Henretta (aunt Henny). Setella (aunt Blomie) Susan (T***y Missy).
James Carmichael Nixon married Mercianna (Marina)Smith from Richmond Hill Exuma. They had six children: Joseph Justice, Daniel (uncle Danny he had no children - his small house is over the wall from his sister Hattie Alberta’s yard. (I, Terry Lamond Bain knew him as a young boy), Alice - married Deveaux, Ann (Izziann) - married Bethune, Delphine (auntie Essie) married a Cartwright from Long Island their children were Sadie and Eric.
Alberta Hattie Nixon - married Captain Henry Uriah Moxey from Ragged Island.
Ann (Izziann) - married a Bethune, their children were Aurrila Nixon - married Joseph Miller (he came from east end Eleuthera) and lived on Staniel Cay. Zetta Olita Nixon married Leon Miller, the brother of Joseph from Staniel Cay. Henretta (aunt Henny) married Sony Smith. Their daughters were Lulie and Blanche who also married a man from Staniel Cay - the grandson of the founder of Staniel Cay William Welchombe Grey (they said he drifted to Staniel Cay on seaweed - but he seems to have come from Long Island) - he had one son Bulkazideck whose wife was Georgana Edgecombe from Long Island.
They had two sons and five daughters - Cleophas (never came back from America) and Richard - Agas, Edith married a Carey - their children were Leonard, Farlin and Rev. Alphas Kelly - his father was from Current Island Eleuthera. Mana, Cassie who married Adam Rolle from the Forrest Exuma - their children were Simon, Bereave, Olilia and Rose who married a Woods. A son named Cleophas and daughter Daisy. Henretta (auntie Henny) daughter - Blanch married Richard Grey. Their son was - Captain Rolly Grey. After Richard died, Blanch had two sons Kenneth Rolle (his father was from Rum Cay - Rubin Rolle) and Leonard Brozogzog his father was from Poland.
Agas Grey married Nicholas Smith from Black Point - whose father was Lemyell Smith (his sons were Samuel (Bulla), Ossie (uncle Best), Sonny and Nicholas. Lemyell was the brother of Mercianna and Henretta Smith - from Richmond Hill Exuma. One of his grandchildren is Payman Smith Rolle the daughter of Sonny Smith, the son of Lemyell Smith. Thus, Agas and Nicholas being somewhat related to each other on both sides through the Smiths. They had three boys and two girls: Burke, Hughie, Herschel, Marjorie and Nelly. Herschel married Ola from Bimini. Burke married Eloise Robertson from Barraterre. They had nine children: Joel, Ruth, Lester, Roland, Eva, Warren, Ivy, Aretha Andrew. Hughie married Florine Rolle from Black Point their children are Dorsey, Eleanor, Helen, Agas, Linda, Phillip, Stephen, Cliff, Harrison (Chubby) his outside children are Betty, Gwen and David.
Joseph Justice (uncle Dodie) the father of Will Nixon who married Catheline Bowe of the Exuma Bowe family were the parents of Willis, Faye, Erinacea, Ena, Alvenia, Kenneth, Harry, Eloise Nadene, Hilarena, Brent and Ghandi.
Alberta Hattie Nixon married Captain Henry Uriah Moxey from Ragged Island. They had two boys and one girl - Cedric, Edgar and Corene Allardyce. Cedric married Vella. They had three boys, Swindell, Floyd and Cedric. Edgar (Captain) had a host of children - Marcus, Boycel, Lesada, Hattie, Elam, Ingrid, Rebecca, James, the list is more than thirty-five and they had many children and grandchildren.
Corene Allardyce married Stafford the son of Eutipe whose mother was Susan Wright from Anastrack Exuma - her father was Julias (Bud), the son of Joseph Michael Nixon whose mother was Chrisanna. Corene Allardyce was the daughter of Hattie Alberta - the daughter of James Carmichael the eldest son of Joseph Michael Nixon whose mother was Chrisanna. Thus Corene and Stafford were second cousins; two brothers grandchildren. Both originating from the founder of Farmers Cay - Chrisanna.
Salis married Henretta Smith from Richmond Hill Exuma (she was the sister of Mercianna the wife of James Carmichael Nixon - two sisters married two brothers. Their brother Lemyell Smith married a woman from Black Point. Their sons were Samuel (Bulla), Sonny, Ossie (uncle Best) Nicholas - the father of Burke and Hughie from Staniel Cay. Salis and Henretta had two children the daughter died at seventeen from a bad fever - the boy was Aldolphus (uncle Ossie) Nixon he married Lilly Brown from Black Point. Their five children were Henretta Faith, Fred, Asa, Eddie and Eula - he had another outside daughter name Eula in Pleasant Bay Andros. Ossie used to Smack fish, sponge, Turtle and farm.
Daniel married Marriah Rhamming from Black Point they had five children - Blooming married in the US, Inez children were Kathleen, Dillis, Kenneth, Rowland, Towley, Hartman he moved to Wemyss Bight and married - he had children, one of his grandson name is Rev. Daniel Nixon. Aviel Jefford married Patience Taylor from Stevenson Exuma. They had children Zerlene, Leonie, Glover, Eugene, Curlene and Elizabeth one son King Richardson. Zerlene Nixon married Lincoln James Maycock they had thirteen children Addison, Aviel, Patrick, Lincoln jr. Merlin, Moody, Dwight, Noel, Shulie, Mavis, Mary, Maud, Areneta.
Sylvanis wife Muriah she was from Nassau. They had children. The son was Simeon - their daughters was Batie, Blonnie, Olive - she married a Smith from Richmond Hill and Edith (second teacher on Farmers Cay) who married Sonny Brown from Black Point.
Julias (Uncle Bud) married Susan Wright (she was from Anastrack - her mother was from Cat Island the Newbolds family) their children were - Freddie married Maggie Patton, she was from Black Point. The sister of Robbie Patton. Freddie and Leah Rolle were sisters and brothers - on the mother side Maggie Patton was the sister to Leah Rolle on the father side. Leah Rolle children were Cyril Rolle, Marrie Rolle married Kirkwood Ferguson from Black point - they had no children. Herbie Smith, Gwendolyn Rolle - the mother of Richard Ellis, Hallan and Junior Rolle. Freddie and Maggie children were - Susan, Rodney, Lear and Holly. Julias and Susan other son Adam Nixon - moved to Water Fort, Eleuthera and married - their children were Emma Nixon Mackey she married and had children -
Margaret she married a Multhrue from Andros - Julia married a Collins they had no children and Euterpe - she married Charley Bain from Andros, he came to Farmers Cay via the Berry Island. He came on a fishing boat, married and never left. They had seven children - Stafford (old Ste), Charles, Leon (Nus), Henrietta (sister Queen), Joyce (T***y), Dorothy (Dot) and Muriel (Titter). Julias and Susan other daughters were Francis married a cousin - Adam Brown. They were the parents of Dell Brown who never married. She had some children - Bujjie, Irene, Fonzer, Bobby Jane - they all lived in US. Sissy Nixon married a Withfield - they lived in Nassau on Deveaux Street they had children.
Sadius (uncle Shack) wife Silla Smith was from George Town. They had children. One of their daughter’s children is Willis Deal. Inez Smith Carey is one of the granddaughters of Sadius and Silla.
Mispah Johnson is a great-grand daughter.
William Nixon - he went missing when his boat broke away from the mother boat out to sea in a strong Southeaster on the way home and no one saw him ever again!
Timothy married Jane McKenzie from Exuma - a daughter was Ida. Her daughter was Lessee (aunt Lessee Farmers Cay midwife) her daughter was Norah, Nola, a son Clarence Brown - who was the father of Rev. Adam Brown of Exuma and brother Victor. One of Victor’s daughters is Sophie Brown Smith married to Ray Smith in Stuart Manor Exuma. A grand daughter was Lee Rolle and Florene Rolle - one of their great grand sons is Feather Tinker jr. Zella was an outside daughter of Timothy - the mother of Lena (Nainie) Nixon the mother of Blanch the mother of Wendell and Cleveland. Another daughter of Timothy and Jane, was Eroda, she married Samuel Davis from Barraterre - they had 16 children. Some of their children were Zack, Chrisanna (one of her daughters was Eloise Robertson she married Hughie Smith from Staniel Cay) Magaline, (she married Tom Brown from Farmers Cay), Enoch, Samuel, Evelyn, Roslyn, Bernice, Edith and Corene
Henrietta (Aunt Henny) married Sonny Smith from Exuma their children were Lule and Blossie
Setella (aunt Bloomy) had three daughters one named Lottie and Florida and one son name Jenn. She lived in the Pond east of Milo Butler shop Nassau. Another daughter name was Bertie
Susan (T***y Missy) married George Hepburn they did not have any children
Adam and Mary Brown had four boys: Levy, Zachariah, Joseph and Herman and a girl whose name we don’t know. Joseph wife was Louisa Barr. From Exuma. The parents of Rev. John Brown who married Zilpha Bethune - whose mother was Annie Nixon Bethune one of the daughters of James Carmichael and Mercianna Nixon. John and Zilpha’s children are - Myrtle, James, Tiny Alma, Nelly, Annie, John and Kingsley.
Eve, the twin sister of Adam had no children as far as we know.
The first teacher on Farmers Cay was Sylvanis wife Muriah she was from Nassau. The next teacher after her was her daughter Edith who married Sonny Brown from Black Point. After her - the third teacher was Lincoln Maycock from Ragged Island - he married Zerlene Nixon, the daughter of Jefford and Patience (from Black Point) the son of Daniel and Riah (she was from Black Point) he was the son of Joseph Michael Nixon.
Our ancestors of Farmers Cay farmed the land and surrounding Cays. Big Farmers Cay was the main farm area. Little Farmers Cay and Great Guana Cay were second and third. They fished and traded with Great Exuma, Nassau and even ventured to Eleuthera and Andros. Trade with Cuba and Haiti was strong with the Bahamas for a long time. Trade routes by ship was through Ragged Island and through Farmers Cay for the most part. They had to pass Little Farmers Cay.
Trading dry fish, dry conch, turtles. In trade was plantains, bananas, eddy, yam pumpkin, mango, barbincourt and taffier rum. Farmers Cay was considered the capital of the Cays up to around fifty years ago. Folks from Staniel Cay and Black Point came to Farmers for trade, post office service, to vote and many cultural events - especially dancing - with many variations of dancing and partying sometime for days and nights without end.
Most of the trade and logistics coming in and out of Farmers was done for nearly a hundred years from the South side (sous’side) of Farmers. The remains of the old dock are still there. Some boat building was done on the North East bay (called norid’bay). Whiteland - the south end quarter of Farmers Cay - is so called because of the white man. John Smith was the first to farm there. The highest hill on Farmers Cay is Dabba Hill at sixty feet - no record of its name origin; other than it’s an Arabic word, meaning from very bad all the way through to very good. Naturally Farmers Cay was chosen for the harbour’s protection of boats. Boats for fishing conching, sponging, turtling and basic transportation.
There was a big hurricane that hit the Bahamas in 1926 - it did a lot of damage to the islands. But in 1929 another hurricane devastated the Bahamas to such an extent; that a great part of the out island population moved to New providence - instead of trying to rebuild - they went where all the supplies came from - Nassau. That was certainly the case with Farmers Cay too.
The second wave of migration from the out islands came during the “contract” - A time when Bahamian workers went off to the U. S. on the contract - as migrant farm workers. They hired many men from all over the Bahamas. When their men went off to the contract - life was easier for many of the families by moving to Nassau.
Nowadays’ Farmers Cay has an annual Festival called Farmers Cay Festival First Friday in February (5F), an annual School Fair on the third weekend in March a Conch Jamboree on the first Saturday in May - A full moon Beer Festival in July and a Camouflage Day on the Saturday before the last in October. Farmers Cay also has its own Flag. Our landscape and people welcome you to Farmers Cay and will lay out the aquamarine carpet in the heart of the Exumas - the center of The Bahamas for you.
Dear Family, I urge each descendant - that read this document to find their place in it - from their parents and trace back to their roots herein. Many descendants of Farmers Cay are all over the Bahamas, US, Canada, the world. Too many they are - to document in a short time. That is another important reason to circulate this information to every family member - everywhere. Thereby anyone can trace and update our family tree. Do brief our/your family on this - near and far; about our family tree - encourage all to continue with it - to include all you/we/they know to be added to it. It has never been detailed to this state - until now. To the best of my knowledge. I dare say this information is just a beginning a continuum.
This, our family information is dedicated to Muriel (her children - Verlease and Yvette)Titter Bain - sister of Stafford - husband of Corene Allardyce Moxey Bain - their children - Marina, Anthony, Daloris, Beverly, Terry, Dawn, Nancy, Valerine, Harry, Billy, and Warren - whose grandparents were Charley and Euterpe Nixon Bain and Henry Uriah and Hattie Alberta Nixon Moxey and their ascendants etc.
Remember that our ancestry goes back in names to Chrisanna; the woman we know of - before her we know obviously that we are descendants of the people from the beginning forever - Africa!
Terry Lamond Bain
Farmers Cay, Exuma, The Bahamas
Tel: 242 355 4006 Fax: 242 355 4011
e-mail> [email protected]
www.oceancbn.com
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Ocean Cabin, Farmers Cay - A taste of the tropics at the heart of the Exumas in central Bahamas.
James C Nixon the son of Mercianna A.Deveaux and Joseph J. Nixon
