(5 Nov. 1820-26 Oct. 1908), gold miner. (John D. McBain) (date of birth 1819 also found) Born at Williamstown, GC. Parents: Richard McBain and his wife Sophia Dingwall. He was educated at the Williamstown Grammar School. He early acquired a love of mathematics, and enjoyed solving mathematical problems till late in life. In his early years he was a schoolteacher. He went to Australia in the early 1850s and was a miner in the gold fields there for 33 years. Having returned to Canada, he lived much of the time in the home of his brother James C. McBain (the father of Andrew McBain) near Williamstown, then after the death of James C. McBain in 1898 he lived at Maxville with the family of D. A. McArthur (he may have been the uncle of Mrs McArthur). Till late in life, he would walk from Maxville to Williamstown in one day. He died at Maxville. He never married.

     It is not clear whether he had any connection with the two following men, (1) William McBain, who in the spring of 1887 was directing the building of the Salvation Army barracks in Maxville, and (2) James McBain (sp. McBean also found), of Maxville, who was a moneylender for Patrick Purcell, and reportedly also acted as a political agent for Purcell in the 1887 election, and was described in that year as a Salvation Army adherent.

Cornwall Freeholder & Glengarry News both 30 Oct. 1908 * various ref. in Papers of Andrew McBain, Archives of Ontario, Acc. 9333 * Fraser, Gravestones, I, 146-147 * William McBain: CF 6 May 1887, cited DTL Standard Freeholder 10 May 1947 * James McBain: Glengarrian 11 March 1887; Purcell 1887 12, 27 (various), 47, 48, 110, 129 * Salvation Army: Maxville (1967) 19, Maxville (1991) 194 * McBean’s Hall, Maxville (the Salvation Army hall), mentioned Glengarrian 14 Feb. 1890