John Bain

     
     John Bain was born cir. Nov 1832 in Gerston, Par. of Halkirk, CAI, SCT.^2,3 He was baptized on 11 Nov 1832 in 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 at the Pres. Ch, Wick, CAI, SCT, death cert says Watton, CAI; IGI says Wick, CAI, SCT.⁴
     John Bain died on 23 Apr 1909 Benevolent, Caversham, Dunedin, OTG, NZ; Atheroma, senile dementia, exhaustion.⁵ He was buried on 24 Apr 1909 Southern Cem., Dunedin, OTG, NZ.⁵ His estate was probated on 4 May 1909 at Dunedin, OTG, NZ; indexed as John BAIN, labourer, died 23 Apr 1909, will, prob. ref #493 filed Dn, held Dn Arch.⁶
     
     John Bain appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 at 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 at 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 at Gallowhill, Wick, CAI, SCT, with Sinclair enumerated as BAIN: John 28 ploughman b Halkirk; Sinclair 33 b Watten; Assumed 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 at the 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
     John Bain and Sinclair Bain immigrated at Dunedin, OTG, NZ, arriving 1875; On the same voyage of the "Invercargill" were Sinclair's brother George and his family.¹⁴
     John outlived his wife Sinclair Bain who died on 26 Jun 1893.¹⁵ By 1896 John was living at Argyle St, Mornington, Dunedin, OTG, NZ, but probabaly from a lot earlier, and was still there in 1901.