Re: The Port Roseway Associates-John Murray
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In reply to:
The Port Roseway Associates-John Murray
Darren Hall 7/19/01
I am, in part, abstracting from, "History of the Murrays: Bedeque, P. E. I.", the Rev. H. Arthur Murray, privately, Saint John, NB, 1996; with a foreword by the Rev. James Lawson. John Murray b. ca. 1735 was probably the son of William and Christian Murray of Gleinzerhead, Eskdale (whose son, John, was bpt. 31AUG1735. He married Mary Kennedy, and most of his children were born at Over Mumbiehurst (Upper Mumbie), Canonbie Parish, Eskdale, Dumfrieshire, Scotland. He was a tenant of the Duke of Buccleuch, and, unhappy in his tenancy, about 1772 went to the Province of New York, settling in Harpersfield, NY. On 3MAY1777, John Murray was indicted as a Loyalist. He had been seized in 1775 and goaled in Albany, released, and with the indictment was required by the Tryon County Committee of Safety to appear the first Monday of April, 1778. It is possible that his son, David, enlisted with the New york Volunteers in Capt. William Johnston's company. A david Murray was a lieutentant, promoted to that rank in the "King's Men" in 1783. It is possible that John Murray, Jr. was also active as he was not at home, but there are too many John Murrays to determine what his activities were. His farm and possessions were seized 29DEC1783 ( a direct contravention of the Treaty of Paris.)
About late 1782, he went to New York City and was transported to Shelburne in mid 1783.When he followed Schurman to P. E. I., he was unhappy with the land offered him, refused to sign the agreement, and squatted on a piece of land he liked by the Dunk River. He acquired title for at least some of it 4JUL1794. John, Jr. had signed for his land and was caught in the mess that resulted. Unhappy with the situation, he moved to the west end of the island.
In the winter of 1797-8, James Anderson sailed from the Miramichi to sell his cargo in Nova Scotia. Returning, he was shipwrecked, and spent the winter in P. E. I. with John Murray and his family. In 1798 he returned to Burnt Church on the Miramichi with Mary Murray as his wife, and with her sister, Helen (or Ellen, this seemed to be varioable for generations) Murray, who was soon married by Alexander Loggie. John Murray, Jr., who had married, about 1802 moved to Tabusintac, NB near Burnt Church. This gives two branches of the family, those whon remained in Prince Edward Island, and those in New Brunswick. His children were:
JEAN MURRAY bpt. Mumbiehurst, Scotland 16DEC1756
JANET MURRAY bpt. Mumbiehurst, Scotland 11FEB1759
JOHN MURRAY b. Mumbiehurst, Scotland 5APR1761, m. ELIZA CHAMBERS
DAVID MURRAY b. Mumbiehurst, Scotland 25MAY1763, bpt. 29MAY1763
DAVID MURRAY b. Mumbiehurst, Scotland3FEB1765, m. ELIZABETH PENMAN
HELEN MURRAY bpt. Mumbiehurst, Scotland 2AUG1767
WILLIAM MURRAY b. Mumbiehurst, Scotland 23SEP1770, bpt. the same day, m. 1st HANNAH WRIGHT; m. 2nd RUTH GOULD
MARY MURRAY b. Province of NY 1773, m. JAMES ANDERSON
ELLEN MURRAY b. Province of NY 1777, m. ALEXANDER LOGGIE
There are genealogicl works published on the Schurmans and the Wrights which include many of these intermarried families. I suspect the bond which brought them together was a common origin in New York State; but not necessarily in the same place. The Strangs, for example, I believe were from around Rye, Westchester Co., NY and were connected to the Purdys. Joseph Wood might be connected with the Woods (Jonas 'Halifax' Wood, Jonas 'Oram' Wood, Edmond Wood) of Connecticut and Long Island.
In about the 12th century, many of the semi-Pictish inhabitants of the Firth of Moray region were apparently transplanted to the south of Scotland to keep their rebeliousness in check. This is thought to account for the commonness of the name in the south. In the north, the family responsible for the displacement took the name as indicative of their new lands. This is somewhat legendary, but is probably the only to explain why the noble Murray families of the north have so many commoner name-sakes in the south.
Thomas A. Murray