I've attached the story of my G-Grandfather William Bain and his Halfbrother Donald Bain and Brother in law Alexander Cormack early last century, exact date unknown, but Death Certs dated 1907. It was sent to me by cousin Val who also passed on to Org the photo of Ann Taylor, Herring Queen after I had been unable to clean it up enough to submit it.
Fishing Boat Disaster at Keiss
Three Men Drowned
A distressing fishing boat disaster occurred at Aukengill Pt on Friday evening whereby three lives were lost.
It appears that the small boats were prosecuting the winter herring fishing left Keiss in the afternoon. As the boats were returning to Keiss Harbour fairly well fished one of there number got swamped and floundered off the point of Aukengill at the spot locally known as the “Rough of Aukengill” It is supposed that the boat was overloaded with herring.
The three men, who formed the crew, were drowned. They were Wm Bain and Donald Bain (half-brothers) and Alexander Cormack (Brother-in-law). Wm Bain and Cormack were married and leave widows and families. Donald Bain was unmarried. Another member of the crew had sprained his foot and was unable to go to sea. To this accident, no doubt, he owes his providential escape
James Henderson, boatman, Keiss desires to thank the Feswick fishermen and crofters for their very great kindness in assisting his son John Henderson and crew in their great need on Friday night last, and their kind hospitality bestowed on them. They also desire to express their thanks to Mr and Mrs James Mowat for their kindness by keeping their fires on for their comfort.
United Memorial Service
The boating disaster which happened near Keiss on Friday is perhaps one of the saddest in the entire history of the community. In the life of the village it is unparallel. The dark pall of death has cast its shadow over the whole district, and is relieved only by the thought that, since some of the other boats had a narrow run for safety the loss was not heavier than it is.
On Sunday morning a united service was held in the Free Church, Keiss, by Rev Mr McKay, Minister of the church , presiding. In addressing the meeting, the Rev Mr Dunlop Minister of the Keiss Baptist Church said – My reasons for suggesting ,as I did, to the other churches, a united service, a memorial service, - is not far too seek; it seems wise and not impossible. I felt sure that our common Christianity, at least our common humanity, would be strong enough and deep enough to lift us over all religious differences and enable us to unite at a common centre - and this church is the centre – to express our common sympathy and supplicate with united hearts God’s grace and favour for the bereaved homes.
After a short address based on the words “And there was no more sea,” the preacher said “You will bear with me if I make passing reference to the circumstances which have called us here I speak as Pastor of the church which suffers most through the heavy loss which has befallen our community. Our friends are gone. Friends that we hoped……………………
end of first column some few words missing here
…………………………..prospect were not sent as the messages of despondency and despair. In God’s time, the clouds will burst and enrich, as for ever, the spiritual soul of your life. If I were permitted to speak from experience, I could say that, however much the torch of our Christian life may be shaken by the winds of adversity, God will never point even the flicker of life to go out. Perhaps, here to, we may say that “the more ‘tis shaken the brighter it shines.” We have come again to the parting of the ways. Friends are dropping off on either side. We are being moved unconsciously up to the front. But let us not say in our grief that our friends are lost. Let us say that they are found. Their road was short and sad. But, however much the ways may differ the
………… is a common one – we meet beneath the shadow of the eternal city. Like travellers we have met on life’s great highway at the darkest hour of midnight. We have enjoyed our fellowship. We have tried, each for the other to make the long journey appear short and pleasant. Suddenly we lose each other in life’s darkest hour. But we rejoice that heaven’s morn will break; that we shall meet again and enjoy the fellowship of those self-forgetting lives who helped to make life’s joys and gladly shared life’s sorrows”
The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev Mr McKay Whose interesting discourse was full of sympathy for the bereaved and was much appreciated by all present.
On Sabbath evening special memorial services were held in the United Free and the Free Churches. At the close of an impressive sermon in the United Free Church the Rev A Scott Berrie made the following reference to the calamity: - “It would ill become me if I did not even in this imperfect way, give utterances to a calamity, the painful shock of which, together with the memory of it, will not for a long time be effaced from your lives. These villages, nestling by the sae, give evidence, in their quite annals, to a strange ad-mixture of the lyric and the elegiac – at one time you feel the rare glamour of the glittering wavelets, at another, you catch “ the melancholy music of the main”- that undertone of doleful solubreness begotten of many a tragedy. As I sat in thought, there came with rude insistence into my mind the poet’s words and with slight adapt ion are sadly applicable:-
“Three fishers went sailing out ………….the west
O………..the west as …………..ent down
………………were weeping and wringing their hands
For those who will never come back … the town
For men must work and women must weep
Though storms be sudden and waters be deep
And the harbour bar be moaning “
Who can forget that Friday night? There were hearts torn with anxious pain, mooring themselves to hopes that were only to be sadly and reluctantly surrendered; there were eyes that kept long and loving watch and swept the horizon for the returning sail……and what a pang of genuine pity turned every one to melancholy when daybreak confirmed the worst fears of the night. The fisherman’s calling is at best precarious, and yet it witnesses totally deeds of quiet heroism; success in toil comes ofted, almost always unwillingly; in this case it was not so. Yet while the reward was rich, its very abundance proved their undoing, for the treasures were snatched back whence they came and alas! With them went the toiling hands. Silver herring …………………………………despairing of the lives of men
With their God; their bodies rocked by ……until the sea gives up………………….
There is also a poem. No auther known but suggestions gratefully received
An Elegy on the
KEISS BOAT DISASTER
The Old Year had just passed away,
The New Year scarce drew breath;
When to the village suddenly
There came the news of death.
Three of its fishermen so brave,
Who oft had braved the deep,
By duty found a watery grave,
Leaving their friends to weep.
They sank beneath the swelling wave,
Unseen by mortal eye;
But they were seen by Him who gave
Those souls that never die.
We hope that they have only passed
A vale of sin and woe;
And found a Father's home at last
To which we all must go.
Let those who now for them do weep
Just trust God for his love;
In Him their loved ones are asleep,
And they shall meet above.
Let fishermen both far and near
A warning take by this;
Their neighbours love, and their God fear,
And nought shall come amiss.
Regards to all robyn
Looking for Bain, Mowat(t), from Keiss-by-Wick
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