The Nyack family of Grenada – a legacy of land, enterprise, and faith

​

The Nyack family in Grenada traces its origins to John Abraham Nyack, also known as Ibrahim Nyack and widely remembered as “Papa Nyack.” He arrived from India during the 19th century, in the period associated with the Indian Indenture System, and settled in Mt. Rose, St. Patrick, where he established a lasting foundation for his family.

​

Papa Nyack was a farmer, transporter, and man of enterprise. He cultivated the land and carried produce such as nutmegs by horse and buggy from Mt. Rose to St. George’s, building his livelihood through discipline and endurance. He worked beyond wages, often accepting land in place of cash, and through this approach accumulated significant holdings in Mt. Rose, as well as lands in Petite Suckie and La Tante (Le Tage). In doing so, he established the Nyack family as landowners, creating stability and security for his children and future generations. Land was central to his philosophy. It represented independence, provision, and long-term strength. Through hard work, frugality, investment, and enterprise, he built a base that would sustain the family across generations.

​

His home at Mt. Rose became the centre of both economic and cultural life. His horse stables, located behind his house, laid the foundation for a lasting tradition of horsemanship. This tradition later evolved into horse racing and influenced not only members of the Nyack family but also others in the community, including the Ramdhanny family and figures such as Lyden Ramdhanny. Papa Nyack was also a man of faith. A committed member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he opened his home for early worship and later gave land for the construction of the church, contributing directly to the establishment and growth of Adventism in Grenada.

​

He married Kate Nyack, his first wife of Indian origin. After her death, he married Eliza Noel Nyack, a local Grenadian woman. He also had a daughter, Maggie Thomas, whose mother remains unconfirmed. His children included Abraham John Nyack, also known as Ramgur Nyack and referred to as “Pa,” George Emanuel Nyack, Jimmie, Jessie, Mary, and Ellen Nyack, as well as Ruth Nyack and DaCosta Nyack, children of Eliza Noel Nyack, and Maggie Thomas. Through these children, the Nyack family expanded widely, forming strong connections through intermarriage with families such as the DeCoteau, Ramdhanny, Salim, Seethal, Kanhigh, Rathan, Lalbeharrisingh, Japal, and Mirjah families.

​

In his later years, Papa Nyack made a decisive and controversial decision in his will, leaving the bulk of his estate to his two youngest children, Ruth and DaCosta, children of Eliza Noel Nyack. This led to a legal challenge brought by his son George Nyack and resulted in a redistribution of the estate. Ultimately, all the children received equal portions of land at Mt. Rose, approximately three roods each.

 

During this period, Eliza Noel Nyack was required to travel on foot to attend court proceedings. On one such journey, she was caught in the rain, fell ill with pneumonia, and later died. At the time, Ruth and DaCosta were still teenagers, and their early lives were shaped by this loss and the support of the extended family.

​

Among the descendants of Papa Nyack, Norbert Nyack, son of George Nyack, and Lyris Nyack, daughter of Abraham John Nyack, stand out as defining figures in the continuation of this legacy. As first cousins who married, they united two major branches of the family. In 1944, they purchased Belmont Estate from the trustees of the Houston family, one of six estates that they owned, becoming among the first Grenadians of East Indian descent to own estates on such a scale .

 

From this base, they expanded their holdings across the island, owning and operating several productive estates and employing large numbers of people. Norbert also developed significant business interests in Grenville, strengthening the family’s commercial presence beyond agriculture.

​

They carried forward the family’s horse tradition with distinction, owning and racing horses successfully in Grenada and across the region, and establishing the Telescope Race Track near Grenville, which became an important sporting and social centre. Their influence extended beyond business and sport into community life. They were known for quiet philanthropy, supporting churches, schools, hospitals, and persons in need. Norbert served in public life as a Senator, while Lyris continued to manage Belmont Estate for many years after his death, preserving and strengthening the family legacy.

​

The Nyack family stands today as a powerful example of what can be built through discipline, foresight, and commitment across generations. Belmont Estate remains in the family and has evolved into a leading agritourism enterprise, reflecting both preservation and innovation. The family continues to be known for its investment in land, particularly in St. Patrick and St. Andrew, and for its contribution to business and national development.

​

Across generations, the Nyack name has also become associated with professional excellence and public service. Figures such as Wilberforce Nyack, a respected attorney in Grenville, and Kenneth Nyack, the first lawyer in the family to be educated in Trinidad and Canada, who later practised in Vancouver and undertook significant legal work including the administration of Norbert’s estate, reflect the family’s expansion into the legal profession. Buxton Nyack’s work as a veterinarian in the United States and his leadership at St. George’s University, along with Ray Fouche’s prominence in the transportation industry in New York, reflect the family’s reach beyond Grenada.

​

From its origins in Mt. Rose, the Nyack family has grown into a network of landowners, farmers, entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders across Grenada and the wider diaspora. Its legacy is defined by landownership, farming, security for family, hard work, frugality, investment, and enterprise, supported by a deep commitment to faith and community. It is a story of migration, resilience, and creation, from labour to ownership, from local roots to national and international impact, and from one man’s vision to a lasting and influential family legacy.