John Donald McBain
- Born: 17 Jun 1886
- Marriage (1): Jane Gray Shields on 31 Dec 1900
Research Notes:
Jean Cameron wrote:
Did I ever tell you about my grandfather, John Donald McBain, son of Susan Riach, wonderful sea captain and once given an award for the
speediest run between Scotland and Buenos Aires in a double topsail schooner, sometime in the early 1900s, being before the Panama Canal
opened when ships had to round Cape Horn to reach the Pacific.
But when the committee arrived to present whatever it was, he couldn't be found. Had gone drinking with some of his buddies.
My father did go round Cape Horn with Grandad, but only once - a martinet on board. So when they returned to Scotland after what used to be a two year trip, my father went as an apprentice in a Glasgow dockyard and ended up as Chief Engineer with the RFA but he always wished he'd become a Captain.
Jean later added:
John, born June June 17, 1886, married Jane Gray Shields on December 31, and their son - my cousin John - was born a scant 7 months later. Jane's grandson, Alistair, who furnished all this information was very amused to discover it because his grandmother was such a prim and stern woman and they didn't find out about the hurried marriage until after her death. My mother knew, because John was engaged to a friend of hers, Margaret. I met her once, nice lady. The engagement was hurriedly broken when Jane announced that she was pregnant ! Oh dear, old family scandals.
Noted events in his life were:
• source. Jean Cameron (nee McBain) who notes:
John lived in Fife, married to Jean; their daughter Margaret died of septicemia in about 1948. Their son John lived on Grieve Street in Kirkcaldy. Wife, Jessie. His two sons, Alastair and Donald, went to St Andrew's and at least one of them became an actuary in Edinburgh.
My grandfather, John Donald McBain, died in the 1940's I think, and my sister reckons he was over 90 when he died, so that would put bis birth in the 1850's. When he was a small boy, there were old men in Portsoy who had been pressganged into Nelson's navy (they pronounced it Neelson) and fought at Trafalgar. 1815
John married Jane Gray Shields on 31 Dec 1900. (Jane Gray Shields was born circa 1885 and died circa 1948.)
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