 The Protestant, seafaring MacNiders quickly became well established in Scottish shipping and trading circles.Taking advantage of the British Conquest of New France, MacNider came to the new colony around 1760, extending the reach of his business to Quebec City.The MacNiders quickly became one of the leading mercantile families there, selling Canadian timber and supplies to the Royal Navy and trading in wine and spices from Europe and the British West Indies to Quebec, London and Scotland.