I came across this old thread of messages and am intrigued to discover that there was a family connection between Major Robert Cain VC ( 1909-1974 ) and a Richard Costain of the international civil engineering company.

Piecing together clues from these two messages----

from Debbie Redmond in 2002
"I am just starting to delve into the family tree (I am a rookie at this so bear with me) This is my mothers side of the family nee Costain her middle name is Kermode showing her Manx roots - her sister who passed away in 2000 lived in Port Erin and later Castletown and was a volunteer worker for many years at Home for Old Horses in Douglas - I would like to try and extend our knowledge of the Manx connection - The Cain I know comes from my mothers cousin Maj Robert Cain (who I believe was the only Manx receipient of a VC at Arnheim)- I am living in Ireland at the minute -though my home is Canada and I want to go and visit IOM and dig up some of the roots any suggestions for a neophyte reasercher???? all suggestions gratefully accepted thanks"

and Robert Cain in 2006
"I am the grandson of Major Robert Cain V.C. I do know that his cousin was Richard Costain, and that family set up the costain civil engineering company. I know my Great Aunty Betty lived next door for years to a costain relation, I'll need to confirm this with dad, they lived in heathfield, sussex for years unfortunately she has now passed away as i believe she was interested in the genealogy of the cain family and may have been a great assisstance. I know that my Great Grandfather was a pilot on the yangtse river in china, hence my grandfather being born in Shanghai, I think my great great grandfather was in the construction industry in the isle of man, hence the connnection."

------I'm guessing that the Richard Costain mentioned above was either Richard Rylandes Costain ( 1902-1966 ) son of William Percy Costain and Maud May Smith, or Richard Edward Costain b circa 1920, son of John Kneen Costain and Mary Cain.

Both these Richard Costains were grandsons of the Richard Costain ( 1839-1902 ) who was the founder of the building company, in partnership with his brother in law, Richard Kneen b1841.

Richard Costain b1839 married Margaret Kneen b1843 of Croit e Caley, Rushen in 1866. Margaret was a sister of my g grandfather, Thomas Kneen b1846. Their father, Richard Kneen b1803, had been instrumental in helping with the financial aspects of setting up the partnership. Qouting from his joint 1883 will with wife Eleanor nee Kermode, "We give to our son Richard Kneen & daughter Margaret wife of Richard Costain four hundred pounds equally between them of the monies already given to Costain & Kneen."

Looking for clues as to how Maj Robert Cain and Richard Costain jr were connected, I'm wondering whether the Mary Cain who was the mother of Richard Edward Costain may have been a sister of the Mr Cain who was the father of Maj Robert Cain. I believe that Richard Edward Costain gave one of his daughters the middle name "Kermode", and I'm wondering whether this was Debbie's mother.

So, can anyone tell me the names and dates of the parents of Maj Robert Cain, and also his Cain grandparents?

Yours hopefully

Jean C