John "Juan Maclis" McClish

According to the descendants of John McClish living in Baja California, Mexico, John was a student in England when he and some friends were abducted and forced to work on a whaling ship. He and his companions escaped from the whaling ship off the coast of Baja California and swam ashore near Sta Maria.

During this period of Mexican history it was necessary to be rebaptized in the Catholic Church in order to marry and to become a fully accepted member of the community. John McClish took the name of his Baptismal Sponsor, Juan Aguilar. He also used a 'Spanishized' version of John McClish: Juan Maclis. Some of his children continued to use the name, Aguilar for a time. Thus you will note that John's son, John, was also known as Juan Aguilar and this is the name on baptismal records for some of his children, the grandchildren of John McClish, b. 1797.

• Descendants