John was baptised on Monday the 24th of June, 1822 at Rathven. He was the fourth of five children born to James Flett and Janet Smith, who were married on the 29th of January, 1815. The witnesses at his baptism were John Flett and John Sutherland. John's elder sisters were Jane and Barbara, born in 1816 and 1818, while brother James was born in 1820. His younger brother, William, arrived in 1825 to complete the family and its comparatively limited size may suggest that Janet may have been widowed in the twenties. It is probable that his siblings, Barbara and James, died young as their names do not appear in any subsequent source material.

In June 1841, John was had gone to the ports in the south of Scotland with many of the local fisherman to sell the cured or dried fish from their spring season's catch. The source suggests that he was the bread winner, or at least partly supporting his widowed mother and sister Jane, who may have also been involved in weaving fishermen's stockings as his mother is certainly known to have done in later years.

Margaret was born in Findochty in 1828, the second of nine children to Alex Campbell and Ann Reid, who were married on October 23rd, 1824 at Rathven. At Margaret's baptism on Monday, March 10th the witnesses were James Anderson and John Campbell, probably an uncle.

She was recorded on June 6th 1841 as a twelve year old, living with her family, comprising, Alex, (15), Lillie, (10), William, (8), Ann (6), the twins, John and Isabella, (3), and James, (1), and no doubt Margaret was kept busy helping her mother with chores and looking after the youngsters. Her father was absent, having gone south to the fishing grounds for the season.

In 1842 a sister Helen was born and shortly afterwards, Margaret's mother Ann died, although it isn't known exactly when. In 1848 her father married Janet Garden, widow of William Thain. From this union Margaret's half sister Janet and half brother Joseph were born.

On July 2nd, two days before her father's second marital pledge was made, Margaret and John were contracted in marriage. Two sons, James and John were born in 1849 and 1850. In 1851, the young couple and family were recorded, in Findochty with a 13 year old living in servant Isabella Flett. In 1853 and 1854 the couple had two more children, Alex, my great grandfather and his sister Margaret.

In November 1856, tragedy hit the family when eldest son James was drowned in an accident at Findochty shore. He was only seven years old and was interred in the old kirkyard at Rathven. Worse was to follow as in May 26, 1857, while at the Caithness fishing station, Margaret was killed instantly by a rock fall crashing through the roof of the wooden hut where she was staying. Her body was brought home and buried at Rathven.

John never remarried and his unmarried sister, Jane with mother Janet rallied round in bringing up the young family and moved from their own house at number 83, where John had been brought up to number 74. In 1861 we find John, his sister and mother recorded with the three remaining children all of school age. John's mother Janet, the owner of number 83, died in 1864, aged 77.

In 1872, the house in Findochty were renumbered and we find that 74 has become 107 and 83 is recorded as 113.

Eldest son John married Isabella Flett, `Dodie' in 1871 and moved into 113. In the census of that year they had settled down, while John, now 48, was recorded in 107 with only son Alex, an eighteen year old fisherman and daughter Margaret, a sixteen year old domestic servant along with sister Jane, who remained at 107 although she now owned 113, following the death of her mother.

In 1876 John's son Alex married Margaret Flett, `Dodie' sister of Isabella, son James's wife, and in 1877, daughter Margaret married George Smith. Probably because of their mother's untimely end, Alex and Margaret always seemed close and a number of photographs of Auld Margaret in old age have been kept in the family.

By 1881 John's sister Jane was still the housekeeper in the family home, later to become 21 Sterlochy Street. Brother and sister stayed together there for the rest of their lives. A decade later the siblings, now in their seventies, were recorded in the same house. A grandson, John Flett, the sixteen year old fisherman son of John and Isabella, was also staying with them. Upstairs were living Margaret and her husband George Smith and another grandson, William, son of Alex and Margaret, who were living nearby at number 103 Findochty.

In April 1897, John's sister Jane died after a bout of influenza had acerbated a cardiac debility. She was 81 years old and the informant was John's eldest son John of 113 Findochty. Jane was buried in Rathven old kirkyard.

On Wednesday, March 26th, 1902, at 11.30pm, John died of old age. He was 79 years, 9 months and 2 days old and the informant was his eldest son John as before.