Thanks Mary, for checking this out. Seems very unlikely they were related to mine - but I knew it was a long shot. I have a John Blain, just a little younger, but he was born in Stranraer (or possilby Inch - forget which and don't have the details in front of the me just now), son of William Blain and Mary Maxwell and elder brother of my g-grandfather William Blain. Most of this family (though not John) were in Stranraer in the 1841 census but then disappear, some to reappear in Greenock. Thanks again. Jenny At 19:16 -0500 15/1/2007, Mary Richardson wrote: >At 06:19 PM 1/15/2007, Jenny Blain wrote: >>Please does anybody have information about Blains in Merton Hall > >Hi, Jenny -- > >I checked my copy of "Penninghame -- The Story of a Parish." The >Merton Hall estate included many properties, farms, or whatever. >The 1851 census summary for each referenced BLAIN at only one: >Drumterlie. Checking the 1851 online census at >http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/historicalindexes/census.aspx, I found only >one John BLAIN in Penninghame -- at Drumtarlie, household 11/26. >His wife was: > >Name: BLAIN , Catrine >Relationship: wife of John >Marital Status: married >Occupation: >Age: 37 >Born: Mochrum Wgt > >Like Catrine, John (age 38, ag. lab.) was born in Mochrum, but the >three children -- John Jr., Charlote, and Mary were born in >Glasserton between 1839 and 1845.