About Your Island Hosts

We are a deep rooted Bahamian multi generation family, and today Pam and Tony Ambrister operate Fernandez Bay Village. The Armbristers' history in the Bahamas began around the time of the American revolutionary war. Tony's great-grandfather, John Armbrister, a loyalist, moved from St. Augustine, Florida to Nassau, the closest British colony to the Southern United States in 1790. For a time he kept a general store and was involved in public affairs. John became interested in planting and around the early 1800's he moved his family to Cat Island, thinking it would be a good place to grow cotton, sisal and pineapple.

After his first wife died, and for the benefit of his daughter, John moved his family back to Nassau, remarried and had several more children, one of whom was William Edward Armbrister, Tony's grandfather.

History notes show that W.E. Armbrister was in Nassau in 1834 studying, whilst his mother was running the family business on Cat Island. Shortly after this period,cotton was abandoned and many loyalists fled the Out Islands. Not the Armbristers. W.E. was a merchant store owner in Nassau and quite involved in government, while still cultivating pineapple and sisal on Cat Island. Sadly he buried his entire first family, but at the age of 76 years old, he remarried Eugenie Bode. They had a son, Cyril ArmbristervTony's father.

When W.E. died at the age of 88, Eugenie moved to Canada with Cyril. Schooled in England, Cyril was a Captain with the Canadian Militia during World War II and later involved himself in theater and radio. He met Francis Fintel, the actress, in California. They married in Mexico and moved to the Bahamas, splitting their time between California and Cat Island. They had two sons, Cyril Edward (Ted) and Anthony Frederick (Tony). The boys spent their summer holidays playing on New Bight beach. Ted followed his dream of becoming an attorney and Tony at age 19 moved permanently to Cat and built Fernandez Bay Village.

Tony and his wife Pam, along with their children Tameron and Shane, hope you enjoy
their village and would like to thank you for your interest in the resort.