BY THE DULNAIN AND THE SPEY

The Victorian Saga of James Bain of Duthil

Written by: Frank D Bardgett

Published by: Itelsor Ltd

Price: £13.98

The story of a Victorian minister and his ministry, punctuated with controversies and battles for social justice, has captured the imagination of a retired Church of Scotland minister.

The Rev James Bain served the parish of Duthil from 1877 to 1911. He left no papers or diaries behind, but his life and battles featured widely in local newspapers, notably the Elgin Courant and Courier it is thanks to these archives that the author has been able to piece together a fascinating account of a life amid turbulent times of change. It emerges that Bain and his wife feared for their lives at one point amid the battle of change, which included arguing for the rights of crofts and improvements to a local estate.

The author is emphatic that the book is a social history, rather than a piece of academic work, explaining: “Victorian Scotland was a time that saw a blossoming of religion, a multiplication of churches and yet also the beginning of the 20th century’s crisis of faith in Christian belief and practice. The shape of our current congregational institutions owes much to this period.”