Thanks so much for replying.
The clock & fax Alexander Bain (1810 - 1877) was amazing! I found a ton of things about him, but don't know his ancestry beyond his having a father John from Watten & mother Isabella Waiter (Walter?) from Halkirk, with John's father probably an Alexander from Leanmore. That was from
http://www.whittlespublishing.com/userfiles/shop/200/The%20Caithness%20Influence.pdfI love all the questions:
Do you mean you would like to prove that Margaret was the mother of the above named children or do you mean the next step back (up the ladder)?
Either is fine. I don’t mind whether or not it was Margaret or Elespet who was their mother. I’d just like to know who was the mother: get it right. I’d also like to get to the next step back, so I can explore my ancestors as far back as I can. There are several Bains closer in the tree too, but it seems to have been a fairly common Caithness name.
Do you have the original baptisms for the children, where/when & who were the Sponsors?
This may hold some clues?
I have the old parish record baptism for John. It was 12 Apr 1730 Northdun, with witnesses John Miller? & Andrew Petrie.
You say the baptisms don't name the mother i.e. do the dates fit with the marriage in 1727 & what leads you to think Margaret is the mother?
The only birth/ baptism dates I’ve seen start from 1727, when William & Margaret married. I haven’t seen any between 1721 & 1727.
Do you have the marriages of any of the children, when/where & who were the witnesses?
John Teat m Elizabeth Young 1754 Watten, with no witnesses recorded, with John from Wester Watten & Elizabeth there? in the old parish registers.
Do you know when/where William died & his occupation?
no
Have you found a MI, Will or anything else regarding William?
No. I haven’t seen anything that jumped out in the Caithness memorial book, FindMyPast, SP or
http://www.oddquine.co.uk/gravestones/Can you list all the children in order please from eldest down to youngest with dates from both marriages?
I’m only fairly sure of Jannet 1727, Margaret 1728 John 1730 (Northdun as above), all in Watten with William Teat as father. Archibald is b/ bp 1730 according to
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=elizabeth365_1&id=I23723 It also has Jannet 1727 & Peter/ Patrick & Elizabeth with no b/ bp date. From SP search, there are 2 Archibald b/ bp in old parish registers with parents William Tait & Margaret Bain in Watten, but they are 1780 & 1788.
Do any of all those children (from both marriages) have the mother's name & do any give Williams occupation?
Margaret has the possible mother’s name (Margaret Bain).
Who were the witnesses on both marriages, were any the same names on both, were they in the same area in Watten?
I have both of them from the old parish registers, but neither gives any witnesses. The first has William being from Bannaskirk & Elizabeth from Strath of Watten. The second has William from Northdun & Margaret from Brabster Dorren.