Thomas Nash

Other Events:

• Research Overview: 1700s, Caplin Bay to St. Mary's Bay, Newfoundland
• Land: 25 Sep 1773, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 9 Oct 1774, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 15 Sep 1790, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Occupation: 1794, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Census: 1799/1800, Ferryland, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
Although various articles have indicated that Thomas Nash was born in Callan, Co. Kilkenny, I did not find any primary document clearly stating that this location was his place of birth. However, this geographic location was associated with his cousin, Father Patrick Power, and Irish records show that there were Nash families associated with Callan, Co. Kilkenny.

Research Overview:
Based on Nash family lore and some Ferryland court records, Thomas Nash and his family appear to have left Caplin Bay and resettled elsewhere about 1790/1791. The resettlement location stated from several sources appears to be rather confusing. While the location containing the word 'Mosquito' is mentioned in several references, the location recorded by some researchers doesn't appear to be valid. One article stated that the Nash family moved to Mosquito Island, Placentia Bay. However, the only island of that name that I could find is actually located much farther west, off the south coast of the island, in Fortune Bay, not Placentia Bay.

Supposedly Thomas Nash had said that the main reason for the family move from Caplin Bay was so they could more aggressively prosecute the salmon fishery. While that may have been one valid reason, we know that the feud between Thomas' cousin, Father Patrick Power, and the Roman Catholic Prefect Apostolic James Louis O'Donel, living at St. John's, led to a riot at Ferryland in early 1788. Although it doesn't appear that Thomas Nash, or any of his immediate family, were directly involved in the Ferryland riot, they were subject to alienation, and even threatened with excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church, for providing accommodations to Father Power. Thomas' stance likely made him and his family somewhat unwelcome and he was likely shunned by at least certain factions of the local population who supported Father O'Donel.

In researching the location of the Nashes new homestead, I am inclined to believe it was in St. Mary's Bay where there were several bountiful salmon rivers, namely Salmonier River, Rocky River, Little Salmonier River, Colinet River, Branch River, and Big Barachois River. Within St. Mary's Bay, on Great Colinet Island, there was a later established settlement named Mosquito that may initially have been the Nash family's temporary homestead. This settlement was abandoned in the 1960s as part of the Newfoundland Government's resettlement scheme.

A number of surviving Court Records (and some mercantile documents) point to the Nash family presence and fishing activities in various areas of St. Mary's Bay throughout the early nineteenth century. However, Nash family lore contends that about 1800 Thomas Nash actually became the founder of the settlement of Branch. It is located on the eastern side of the Cape Shore peninsula that divides St. Mary's Bay from Placentia Bay. Their family lore states that about 1803 the first child born at Branch was Thomas English, a grandson of Thomas and Nora? Nash. Sometime later the Nashes second daughter married Nicholas Power. Both of these men were Irish born and employed by the Sweetman enterprise, which was headquartered at Placenta.

Land:
Colonial Secretary's Letter-book, September 25, 1773, - Thomas Nash and Roger McGraugh (sic) were granted fishery property at Caplin Bay, by the Colonial Governor, Molyneaux Shuldham. This fishery land grant was described as being "on the Southwest side of Capling (sic) Bay, from the North Side of Deep Cove to the Quay."

Although his name was never mentioned later, Roger McGraugh (sic - McGrath) was recorded with Thomas Nash as the co-holder of this fishery grant. A week or so prior to receiving this grant, on September 13, 1773, Roger McGraugh, identified as a "Capelin Bay - Master" was in court at Ferryland looking to seize the assets of David and James Fitzgerald. This was the same date that these two individuals had been found 'guilty' of assault on Stephen Kennely, however, due to some oversight, they had fled before they could be jailed.

It appears that the Fitzgeralds were both fishing for McGraugh out at Caplin Bay, so it is likely they were in debt to him for their summer fishing gear, provisions, etc., so this was probably a preemptive move by Roger McGraugh to try to recover what he could before the courts seized the Fitzgeralds assets. In the old fishery scheme, the cost of such assets were usually paid off at the end of the fishing season. However, McGraugh knew that if the court found the Fitzgeralds guilty, it is likely their/his assets would be seized immediately and sold off to pay the defendants fines and to cover court costs.

Court Action:
In Surrogate Court, Ferryland, Thomas Nash claimed he was overcharged for a cod seine sold to him by a merchant/agent named William Shapley.

Court Action:
On Sept. 15, 1790, in District Court at Ferryland, Thomas Nash, a long established planter residing at Caplin Bay, claimed he was owed money by the executors of the now deceased Caplin Bay resident, David Fitzgerald. Three days later, on Sept. 18, 1790, Thomas sued Mary Fitzgerald (his widow) for an unspecified amount of money.

At other sessions on the the same two dates, the District Court at Ferryland also heard a another suit initiated by Tobias Nash against Arthur Monney/Morrey??, a fisherman from Briguais (sic - likely Brigus South) who owed him an unspecified amount of money.

It seems likely that these two cases were the settling of accounts by the Nash fishing enterprise as they prepared to move out of Caplin Bay. It is generally believed that Tobias was a son of Thomas Nash, but their exact relationship cannot be verified.

After these two court cases, there is no mention of any further court activities involving the Nash fishing enterprise of Caplin Bay.

Census:
In 1799, and on into 1800, three lists of individuals, were compiled in Ferryland District, for various reasons. The only Nash surname recorded in any of these documents was for a male child, named Edmund, aged 8 1/2 years old. He was recorded at Ferryland along with Margaret Blake (his mother?) and (step-father?) Peter Blake, and two younger children, Fanny Blake aged 6 1/2 years and Mary Blake, aged 2 years. Unfortunately, there are no surviving church records to clarify if Edmund Nash was Margaret's child from a previous Nash marriage, or if Margaret herself was a Nash, and this son was from an unwed relationship.

Died:
This date is based on family lore since no written record was found to substantiate the date of Thomas' demise.

Thomas married Honora(h) "Nora" Ryan 1760s?, Newfoundland or Ireland. Honora(h) was born 1730s, Ireland or Newfoundland?; died Yes, date unknown, Branch, St Mary's Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Yes, date unknown, Branch, St Mary's Bay, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Court Action: 1 Nov 1804, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 29 May 1818, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 1 Aug 1822, St. Mary's, Newfoundland

Notes:

Birth:
Thomas Nash, his brother Walter Nash, and James Kearney (of Ferryland) were paid &7.5.3 for freighting fish from Mosquito, St. Mary's Bay, to Ferryland ??

Court Action:
Thomas Nash sued merchant William Clapp and Company of St. John's for money owed for fish that he had supplied to him. Thomas claimed the worth of the fish was £431.2.6.

Court Action:
Payment of £9.0.0 from Stuart Rennie &Co., St. John's for fish.

Court Action:
Court records indicate that rental money was owed to John Davis of St. Mary's by Thomas Nash for two houses he had been renting from him in Little Salmonier since 1814. Seven years of rent worth £7.7.0 was still outstanding in 1822 at the time of Davis' court action.

Thomas married Unknown female About 1819. Unknown was born Yes, date unknown; died Yes, date unknown, Branch, St Mary's Bay, Newfoundland; was buried Yes, date unknown, Branch, St Mary's Bay, Newfoundland. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Court Action: 13 Sep 1797, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 1 Jan 1806, Ferryland, Newfoundland
• Court Action: 17 Oct 1812, Ferryland, Newfoundland

Notes:

Court Action:
Although it is generally believed that all of the Nash family left Caplin Bay in the early 1790s, it appears there was a Walter Nash who still had some dealings with people in the Ferryland area. In 1797 in District Court at Ferryland, a Walter Nash was sued by James Murphy to recover £14-5-6 that Nash owed him. It appears that Walter had come into some money from the sale of his boat to Robert Holdsworth &Co. so in 1797 Murphy decided to sue Walter for the outstanding debt.

Court Action:
In Ferryland District Court an individual named ??? Nash sued an individual named ??? Bryan. Although no first names or details are given, it appears they both came under the Ferryland court system.


Court Action:
In this case, it appears that Walter Wallice sued Walter Nash but the details are not given. However, it states that these two individuals were both employees of a merchant named William Goff. William Goff was a St. John's merchant at this time but he operated a fishing room at Ferryland. In later records, it appears William Goff and his family eventually lived at Ferryland and are mentioned there up until 1829.

Other Events:

• Court Action: 15 Sep 1790, Ferryland, Newfoundland

Notes:

Court Action:
The District Court at Ferryland heard a suit initiated by Tobias Nash against Arthur Monney/Morrey??, a fisherman from Briguais (sic) - likely Brigus South) who owed him an unspecified amount of money.