James Nisbet( 1772-1834) and Helen Nicol (1778-1856)
The two gilded-frame miniatures shown above are today in the possession of a descendant of Isabella “Belle” Ferguson Breeden (1858-1929), youngest daughter of Mary Anna Nisbet (1823-1863). Belle was orphaned with her sister Helen and later adopted by their uncle Douglas in South Carolina. These images are among Douglas’ effects which have been handed down through five generations.
I believe these may be the only surviving images of Helen Nicol Nisbet and her husband James. Supporting this theory is a photographic copy of the man’s portrait found among the papers of Laura Jessie Smith (1906-2000), great granddaughter of William Nisbet of Providence, RI. Ms. Smith was a dedicated and thorough genealogist, and her handwritten notation on the photocopy –“James Nisbet 1775-1834” – lends credence to the identity of the man.
Given the provenance of the original paintings, and accepting that the man is indeed James, then my presumption is that the other portrait is of Helen Nicol Nisbet, and these two images were treasured remembrances kept by their son Douglas.
SECTION 1: The Children of James And Helen Nicol Nisbet and their spouses
HENRY NISBET
Henry Nisbet (1809-1867)Matilda Ann Douglas Nisbet (1810-1849)Henry Nisbet married Matilda Ann Douglas on June 24, 1830 in Cramond, Scotland. Henry was a lawyer and banker in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. They had one daughter, and one grandson. Matilda developed insanity and was committed to the Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum where she died in 1849.
WILLIAM NISBET
William Nisbet (1816-1886) circa 1855Catherine Angus Nisbet (1821-1897) circa 1865William Nisbet 1882Catherine Angus Nisbet 1882William Nisbet and Catherine Angus were married March 7, 1842 in Glasgow and a week later emigrated to America, never to return. Most of the remainder of their lives were spent in Providence, RI where they raised six children, the ancestors of many descendants living today.
ISABELLA NISBET
Isabella Nisbet (1813-1868) On July 31, 1853, at the age of 40, Isabella married David Wilson, a widower with three children. They lived in Edinburgh where he was a teacher. David died in 1862 and Isabella lived with her stepson George B. Wilson until her death six years later.
MARY ANNA NISBET
Mary Anna Nisbet Ferguson (1823-1863)Peter Ferguson (1819-1863)Mary Anna was the youngest of the Nisbet children born in Kirkcudbright. She married Peter Ferguson, a warehouseman, on August 31, 1852 in Glasgow, Scotland. Tragically, she died just six months after her husband and few weeks after her 1 year old son. She left two daughters who were cared for by her sisters in Glasgow, and later by their uncle Douglas in South Carolina.
DOUGLAS NISBET
Douglas Nisbet (1820-1877) 1875Sarah H. Turner Nisbet (1834-1888) 1875Douglas Nisbet emigrated to America in 1839 and built a career as a shipping agent. On January 20, 1853, he married Sarah H. Turner of Cheraw, SC. Although the had no children of their own, in 1871 he took custody of his two orphaned nieces – the daughters of his sister Mary Anna – who were young teenagers at the time.Douglas Nisbet (1820-1877) circa 1876
HELEN NISBET
Helen Nisbet (1811-1867) circa 1865James Hamilton (~1810-1888) circa 1865Helen Nisbet married James Hamilton, an auctioneer, in the Barony Parish of Glasgow, Scotland on March 11, 1844. She had a career as a dressmaker which continued after her marriage. The Hamiltons never had any children.
SECTION 2
The Grandchildren of James and Helen Nicol Nisbet and their spouses.
Mary Bell Nisbet (1826-1873)William Dewar MD Esq. , husband of Mary Bell Nisbet
John Nisbet and Jane Wildgoose, 1873
John and Jane Wildgoose Nisbet, circa 1915
Helen Nisbet Ferguson Roberts, born 1855 in Glasgow
Isabella “Belle” Ferguson Breeden, 1896
Children of William Nisbet (1816-1886)
James Nisbet (1843-1904) ———- John Angus Nisbet (1844-1908)
Jessie Gibson Nisbet (1848-1912) —— William Douglas Nisbet (1850-1894)
Helen Nicol Nisbet (1852-1922) —– Catherine Douglas Nisbet (1854-1925)
Family Lore by Ian Nisbet Ross 