Following text was copied from the above image file for ease of reading.....

The original article appeared in the September 1888 issue of the Rayne Parish Magazine.   This image file is an extract from the original text, and it appeared in the Aberdeen FHS Journal - Issue #55, May 1955

"The late Alexander B. Beaton - In the Parish Register will be observed the death of Alexander Brown Beaton, Bonnyton, the Rayne Centenarian, for long known as "Old Beaton" at the very unusual age of 102 years.  His wife died on the 8th July and he never recovered from the shock thereby.  He was put to bed as her body was being carried away to its burial, and was unable to rise alone afterwards.  He gradually became weaker, and at last passed away on Friday, the 10th August.  The date of Beaton's birth is not actually known, but it is almost certain that he was born in 1786, in the parish of Quarrywood, now New Spynie, near Elgin.

When he was a child three years old, his parents removed to Durno, in the Chapel of Garioch, and he resided there till Whitsunday, 1801, when he went into service.  His first situation was with the Misses Duff, who then occupied the Old House of Hatton, in Auchterless, and he continued with them till Martinmas, 1802.  He then entered service of the Freefield family, in which he remained up to the last - a period of 86 years, and a record of continuous service in one household such as must be exceptionally rare.

"The Quiver" a London magazine, began last year to give orders of merit and badges for long and honourable service, an application having been made for Beaton it was found that thus far he was easily the first, and accordingly became the "King of the Order".

Beaton was gamekeeper, but he also acted as body servant and general attendant to the successive lairds of Freefield, with whom and whose families, friends, and visitors he was universal favourite.  He was a man of average size, firmly made, active, vigourous, and lively, and of ready wit and intelligence.  He enjoyed excellent health baring accidents that befel him and a slight tough of paralisis some years ago.  Since then he has had occasional blasts, but generally his health was notably even, and he retained his sight, hearing, and other faculties, almost unimpaired, up to the very last.

Till long past 90 years of age he went regularly to the shooting; at the age of 93 he went to Edinburgh and gave evidence in a case before the Court of Session; and in the spring of the present year he sowed his own garden seeds.  He was, indeed, a wonderful example of human vitality and energy.

A hundred years is a long time, even in the life of a nation.  It covers three generations of men.  When Alexander Beaton was born, George III was in his prime, Louis XVI and Maria Antionette were still at Versailles in all the splendour of royalty, the old thrones and orders of Europe seemed firm and stable as ever, and Napoleon Bonaparte and Wellington were mere boys: in fact the great drama of recent history beginning with 1789, had not commenced.  There were no railways, steamships, telegraphs, telephones, and such marvels.  It was a rare journey to make from Rayne to Aberdeen; a serious business to set out for Edinburgh; no inhabitant of Rayne, perhaps, had ever been to Glasgow, to which so many have made excursions this summer; and as for London, no one, gentle or simple, would have ever thought of it.  How much all that is changed there is no need to say.

Alexander Beaton lived under four British Sovereigns - under George III (1786-1820), for 34 years; under George IV (1820-1830), for 10 yearsl under William IV (1830-1837), for 7 years; and under Victoria (1837-1888), for 51 years.

Beaton was twice married and leaves numerous descendants.  He was buried on Tuesday, the 14th August, in the old churchyard of Logie-Durno.

The above extract, slightly shortened, was submitted by Anne Park No. 3879".