OK - I'll break down: I would ask GGGGgrandpa John McBain (Croy Parish, Nairnshire, 1775-6 or so) and potential GGGGUncle William McBain (Croy Parish, Nairnshire, 1778) to the Christmas table and ask the following: 1) John, was your son Allan mistaken when he stated on your death certificate that your own dad was also a John Mcbain and also a Chelsea Pensioner? 'cause you have no birth/baptism record that I can find to confirm or deny Allan's claim. 2) If Allan was not mistaken, which of the four John McBain Chelsea Pensioners that fit the biil as your dad (I have their records of service from Kew right in front of me) is the right dad? 3) If Allan was wrong, then was your dad Angus McBean, husband of Jean Cameron, to whom you may have been born in Croy and Dalcross in March, 1776? 2) William, are you the right William I am looking for whose mysterious son John McBain of Arbroath (b. 1925 or so) ended up in Dundee co-habitating with his cousin Grace McBain, daughter of my GGGGgrandpa John McBain, for over thirty years 'til they finally admitted they were not married (after lying on the 61, 71, 81 and 91 censuses) and got married in 1893? 3) If you are the right William, are you the brother of my GGGGgrandpa John McBain (and thus also the son of either a John McBain, Chelsea Pensioner, or of Angus McBean and Jean Cameron of Nairnshire)? 4) If so, what happened to your daughter Elizabeth, b. 1830, and when did you die? And why can I not find you on the muster rolls for the 75th Foot when your son John of Arbroath wrote that you served in it on his marriage certificate? well, I'm going to break these walls at some point, and finally connect William to John in some way and then with their parents... Merry Christmas! Ruth Filbert <[email protected]> wrote: I would like to have James Grant to join my family for Christmas dinner. He was born about 1761 in Knockando. I would like to ask him who were his parents were and did he have brothers and sisters. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. Ruth ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message