Bain is quite a common name in the North of Scotland, there were quite a few in Caithness. However, it means 'fair', and was often used as a nickname (also in the form Ban, or Bhan), You might recall Donal-Bain in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' where it was probably a nickname. The reason for some many nicknames in the Highlands is that so many people had the same surname and forename, so a common name like Donald could have 'Bain' (fair) or 'Dhu' (black or dark) attached to it. A name like Ross was so common in Ross-shire (not surprisingly), that the whole family might have been called 'Bain', if they were fair-haired, to distinguish them from the other Rosses. My family, for instance were called 'Tarrol', even though we were Munros, because that was the farm where the family progenitor worked, and the name 'Tarrol' carried on for three generations after they had all dispersed. If I had lived up in Ross-shire, I too would have been called Lachie Tarrol, like my Dad. Amusingly, we had distant Ross relatives in Tain who were tailors, and the whole family were call 'The Patchies' (Jimmy 'Patchie', Willie 'Patchie'), because the humourous suggestion was that they sewed 'patches' onto garments. Just a thought, Lachie (Munro)

I'm off to search for my elusive Donald Corbett <1833> and his father, Alexander Corbett <1786>, tailors of Tarbat, to see if there's a Patchie reference. Needle in haystack has new meaning. Thanks Lachie Gayle CORBETT/MCLEOD ----- Original Message ----- From: <Lachiemunro@aol.com> To: <ROSSGEN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 12:04 PM Subject: Re: [RossGen] Bain > > > Amusingly, we had distant Ross relatives in Tain who were tailors, and the > whole family were call 'The Patchies' (Jimmy 'Patchie', Willie 'Patchie'), > because the humourous suggestion was that they sewed 'patches' onto > garments. > > Just a thought, > > Lachie (Munro)