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William Fergus McKain (my 1st cousin 5 times removed) was born in 1826 at Sheerness, Kent, the son of James McKain R.N. (c1781-1845) and Kate Lewis (nee Dobbin). Following in his father's footsteps, William took up a career in the Royal Navy.
In 1851 William married Katherine Anne Dobbin, his cousin. They had 8 children, born in Devon or Hampshire, as William's career required his movement from one R.N. establishment to another. In retirement, William and Katherine lived at various addresses at Spring Grove,Isleworth, High Wycombe, Felixstowe and Ipswich.
William Fergus McKain's Naval Career
1851 - Lieutenant, Royal William Battalion
1854 - Clerk for Royal Navy at Royal William Victualling Yard, East Stonehouse, Devon
1861 - Clerk for Royal Navy at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport, Hampshire
1871 - Senior Clerk, Victualling Depot, Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport, Hampshire
Date unknown - Deputy Store Officer, Royal Victoria Yard, Deptford
1881 - Retired Civil Servant
1901 - Retired Admiralty
William Fergus died on 19th September 1912 and his wife Katherine in 1925. They are both buried in the family grave at Ipswich, Suffolk.
William's death was announced in the Oban Times and Argyllshire Advertiser, dated Saturday 28 September 1912.
DEATH OF A HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN. MR W. F. MACKAIN OF ARDNAMURCHAN. We regret to announce the death, on Thursday of last week, of Mr William Fergus Mackain, the lineal representative of the ancient family of Ardnamurchan. In his 88th year, Mr Mackain passed away at Ipswich, where he had resided for the past two years. Some eight years ago Mr Mackain and his wife, who survives him, went to reside at Felixstowe, near Ipswich, where Mrs Mackain had relatives, and both at Ipswich and Felixstowe they had a large circle of friends. Notwithstanding his great age, Mr Mackain was hale and hearty. Upright in stature, his brain was clear to the last. He was only ill for twelve hours from a severe gastric attack, heart failure succeeding. Mr Mackain, who came of a naval stock, was born at Sheerness Dockyard on the 7th April, 1825. He was the second son of James Mackain, R.N., who was at that time Naval Storekeeper of the Royal Dockyard. Previous to that James Mackain had seen distinguished service abroad. He served as a midshipman on H.M.B. Monarch under Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, and on H.M.S. Canopus at the taking of Santo Domingo. The father subsequently was Chief Naval Officer in charge at Lisbon Dockyard during the whole of the Peninsular War, and also held the same post at Pembroke Dockyard. The late Mr W. F. Mackain entered the service of the Admiralty in 1847, receiving his nomination at the hands of Lord Auckland, who was then First Lord. He remained in the service for 33 years, holding posts in the Naval Victualling Establishments at Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Deptford ; in the two latter dockyards as Principal Officer. When the Royal Dockyard Battalion, which took precedence of the Militia Battalions, was formed about the time of the Crimean War, Mr Mackain received a commission direct from Queen Victoria, and he is believed to have been the last survivor of that corps. In 1879 Mr Mackain retired from the Admiralty on pension. On his retirement he travelled, frequently on the Continent, and he was an unusually fluent French scholar. More recently he had given up his annual visits to Homburg, and visited Bath or some English watering-place. As already stated, Mr Mackain was the lineal representative of the ancient family of Ardnamurchan, which sprang from John the Bold, third son of Angus, Lord of the Isles, and he was recognised as Chieftain of that branch of the Clan Donald. He is succeeded in the Chiefship by his eldest son, the Rev. W. J. Mackain, vicar of Little Waldingfield, Suffolk. The funeral took place at Ipswich Cemetery on Monday" (23rd September)