The spotlight this month falls on my great x3 grandfather John Sheret.

John Sheret was born in the Parish of Benholm and to be more exact Johnshaven on the 18th of August 1808. John was the seventh of eleven children born to James Sheret and Elspeth Burness.

Not unlike many working class men of his time John turned his hand to different jobs depending to the time of year and opportunities present. At different times from different sources he worked at least three different jobs these being; Labourer, White Fisherman and weaver.

During the summer of 1848 John went out to sea on what seemed a calm day, however an unusually bad summer storm hit the east coast. He was aboard the ship 'John and Thomas' according to the local papers of the time and perished with all but one of the crew of 5. The boat perished when attempting to take Catterline harbour. John had one day earlier celebrated his 40th birthday.

John's body was recovered and he was buried in Benholm Churchyard. His death meant that John left a widow and six children as well as a seventh on the way. John's widow Ann Watt would marry again a decade later to George Douglas.

Due to his untimely demise, John only appeared on one census that being 1841. One of John and Ann's sons also drowned at a later date.

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