 He was supported in his election bid of 1792 by his nephews (the brothers), John and Mathew MacNider (1762–1820), of Glendrishock, Ayrshire.They helped to garner support for him in the Upper Town of Quebec.In 1801, MacNider purchased the Barony of Portneuf County, Quebec and the Seigneury of Sainte-Croix on a fifty-year lease from the Ursulines of Quebec.