Family Surnames in Caithness - My List of Names I'm Researching

[davelna]

Hello Bonnie,
I think your letter refers to my great grandparents David Campbell who married Williamina Bain when she was 16yrs old in Janetstown. Bella Bain was witness at their wedding.
David`s mother Isabella Ross died on the 8th January 1885
Regards David

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

Thanks so much, David! I appreciate the information. I'm not related but we're trying to identify as many people mentioned in the letters as possible!

Bonnie

[davelna]

Could anyone help identify Bella Bain? Letter states she is cousin of David Campbell.

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

If Williamina Bain was David Campbell's cousin, there is always the possibility that Bella and Williamina are one and the same. Could be that it was her nickname before she married or did Williamina have a middle name that you know of? It could have been her middle name...Isabella?

Bonnie

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

If on the other hand, Annie Doull mistook Williamina for Bella, we're not even sure how old Bella is. If she was about the same age as Williamina, there are a couple of candidates that I could find in the census records. One is:
1881 Scotland Census
about Isabella Bain

Isabella Bain 11 abt 1870 Daughter Emely S Miller Female Canisbay, Caithness Shire 35 Canisbay Canisbay Caithness Scholar 7 22 23 cssct1881a_103234 Emely S Miller 3 David Bain 5 Betsy Dunnet 64 Isabella Bain 11

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

Although this record did not give further family members, another is:

1881 Scotland Census
about Isabella Bain

Isabella Bain 11 abt 1870 Daughter Female Latheron, Caithness Shire 41 Thurso Thurso Caithness Geise Scholar 9 14 15 cssct1881a_103236 Isabella Bain 11

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

On the LDS website (which may or may not have correct records...but I consider them leads), I found the following five listings for Isabella Bain:

5. ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI Gender: Female Birth: 05 JAN 1867 Latheron, Caithness, Scotland 16. ISABELLA ANGUS BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI Gender: Female Birth: 27 APR 1869 Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland 23. ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI Gender: Female Birth: 30 SEP 1870 Wick, Caithness, Scotland

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

From the LDS records which may or may not be correct but are leads at the least:

5. ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI Gender: Female Birth: 05 JAN 1867 Latheron, Caithness, Scotland 16. ISABELLA ANGUS BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI Gender: Female Birth: 27 APR 1869 Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland 23. ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI Gender: Female Birth: 30 SEP 1870 Wick, Caithness, Scotland

[davelna]

Williamin and Bella Bain are different people. Marriage certificate for David Campbell and Williamina Bain has a Bella Bain as witness. I guess this the same Bella Bain, cousin, as mentioned in your letter.

Regards

David

[Bonnie Parker-Duke]

Then the records I sent apply. It's possible, I guess, that Annie Doull confused the names. If the Bella Bain who was a witness at the wedding was an older person, there are at least a couple of dozen candidates from what I can tell. I don't think there is enough to go on unless you do an extended genealogy for David and include collateral lines and figure out who the cousin was. If you don't have access to the records on Ancestry.com or some other organization, I can try looking for you. Who were David's parents and grandparents? I need birth dates and places as well if you have them.

[peediedj67]

THERE Wares from Thurso (my dad and his mum etc) and from Castletown also