John Bain

BMDB data

     John Bain was born cir. Nov 1832 Gerston, Par. of Halkirk, CAI, SCT.^2,3 He was baptized on 11 Nov 1832 Halkirk, Par. of Halkirk, CAI, SCT; entry reads: Bain, John, lawful son of Donald Bain and Margaret Taylor at Gerston was baptised 11th Nov 1832. there and John Bain in Clayock witnesses (assumed to be mother's sister-in-law and father's brother respectively.)²
     John Bain married Sinclair Manson, daughter of Donald Manson and Isabella Sinclair MacAdie, on 24 Nov 1854 Pres. Ch, Wick, CAI, SCT, death cert says Watton, CAI; IGI says Wick, CAI, SCT.⁴
     John Bain died on 23 Apr 1909 Benevolent (now Fulton Home), Caversham, Dunedin, OTG, NZ; Atheroma, senile dementia, exhaustion.⁵ He was buried on 24 Apr 1909 Southern Cem., Dunedin, OTG, NZ.⁵

Migration

     John Bain and Sinclair Bain immigrated Dunedin, OTG, NZ, arriving 1875; On the same voyage of the "Invercargill" were Sinclair's brother George and his family.⁶

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     John Bain appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 Sibster, Par. of Halkirk, CAI, SCT, in the household of Donald Bain and Margaret Bain and is assumed to be a son.^7,8
     John Bain appeared on the census of 1851 Noss, Par. of Wick, CAI, SCT, enumerated as an 18 yr old farm servant in the hsehold of farmer Andrew & Hellen Keit (as indexed by ancestry) or Keir (as transcr. on FreeCen). Another farm servant (one of many) in the same hsehold is a Donald Bain, 21 b Watten, not a known relation. Given that I have no idea how John and Sinclair met, perhaps Donald Bain of Watten is their cupid? On this completely circumstantial evidence, I have therefore assumed that the correct 1851 John is the one at Noss, where he was to be found in a later census.
However I should point out that there is at least one other good possibily for John in this census. The other candidate is a 22 yr old farm servant b. Halkirk, at Buckies, Thurso listed as head of a hsehold of farm servants, previous entry Elizabeth McLeod, following entry the farm manager John & Margaret Paul.⁹
     John Bain was shown as the head of the household in the census of 7 Apr 1861 Gallowhill, Wick, CAI, SCT, with Sinclair enumerated as BAIN: John 28 ploughman b Halkirk; Sinclair 33 b Watten; Children: Donald 6, Isabella 4, Margaret 2, Jemima 1mth, all b Wick.^10,11
     The census of 7 Apr 1871 showed John with his wife Sinclair, their dtrs Isabella and Jamesina Gallowhill, Hill of Noss, Wick Landward, CAI, SCT, household enumerated as BAIN: John 38 farm servant b Halkirk; wife Sinclair 43 b Watten; Children: Isabella 13, Jamesina 10, John 7 all b Wick; (dtr Margaret & son Donald, a 16 yr old farm servant, were at Gersay with their uncle James and grandmother Isabella Manson.)^12,13 By 1896 John was living Argyle St, Mornington, Dunedin, OTG, NZ, but probabaly from a lot earlier, and was still there in 1901.

Wills/bequests

     John Bain Mornington, Dunedin, OTG, NZ, wrote a will on 25 Sep 1906 dividing his estate amongst his children Donald, Isabella, Jamesina and John
John BAIN, labourer of Mornington near Dunedin; all furniture & chattels belonging to him in his house at his death to daughter Jamesina Bain WARES; All money at Savings Banks to daughter-in-law Margaret BAIN wife of John BAIN of Oamaru blacksmith except Five pounds to Elizabeth BAIN wife of my son Donald BAIN. Everything else to Trustees for his four children: Donald BAIN of Mornington near Dunedin carpenter; Isabella Bain DAVIDSON wife of Adam DAVIDSON of Woodhaugh near Dunedin, miller; Jamesina Bain WARES wife of John WARES of Timaru New Zealand Dredgehand and John BAIN the younger of Oamaru New Zealand blacksmith; in equal shares and proportions; Trustee appointed John WILKINSON Solicitor.¹⁴ His estate was probated on 4 May 1909 Dunedin, OTG, NZ; indexed as John BAIN, labourer, died 23 Apr 1909, will, prob. ref #493 filed Dn, held Dn Arch.
Probate file includes affidavit from John Wilkinson that John died 23 Apr 1909, being present at his funeral. Estate under £250.^14,15

All the other info

     John outlived his wife Sinclair Bain who died on 26 Jun 1893.¹⁶

External links

     Click here to see John's page on WikiTree, a (free) collaborative on-line tree.¹⁷