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Murray

MURRAY  -  I am looking for help, with any information on my Murray family.  It is a difficult task with such a popular surname. I have been researching family history for more than 50 years but cannot seem to sort my husband's family out and I have no one left in the family to ask questions. I am almost 80 and would like to leave this legacy for my three sons Christopher Charles, David Neill, and Andrew James all in their 50’s.

Donald James Murray b. 1939 Lilydale Victoria Australia (married Margaret Helen White) is the son of James Edward Murray b. 1905 Aberdeenshire Scotland (married Inez Louisa Langley), son of James Murray born in 1863 or 1866 Armoy, Antrim, Northern Ireland (married Catherine Neill in Ballintoy, Northern Ireland in October 1888), and is the son of John Murray (married Jane Grace) stated as the parent of James Murray on his death certificate He died 1842 in Montrose, Victoria, Australia. I cannot find any details about John Murray.

James, Catherine, and their family are listed in the 1901 census.

Other than Donald James Murray I do not have any list of siblings for John or James.

James and Catherine Murray's children were: Daughters Catherine Neill Murray, Rosetta Murray, Matilda Murray, and Sarah Murray all born in Ballycastle Northern Ireland, and a son James Edward Murray born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

James, Catherine, and family migrated to Australia in 1913

margaretmurray

3 replies

Margaret,

This looks to be your Murray family in the 1901 Irish census in Creggan, a townland near Ballycastle in Co Antrim. James & Catherine and 4 daughters.  Looking at the GRONI birth indexes, I see births of children Rosetta on 1.7 1890, Ellen 3.7.1892, Matilda 2.1.1895, Margaret 28.2.1897 & Sarah 9.7.1898.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ramoan/Creggan/921872/

Ellen Jane Murray died 29.7.1893

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1893/05996/4705760.pdf

Margaret Murray died 6.2.1901

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1901/05739/4620154.pdf

James Edward Murray wasn’t born in Aberdeenshire. His birth certificate shows he was born in Cockle Row, Newton, just on the outskirts of Edinburgh on 27.12 1904. His birth cert records that his parents were married in Ballintoy on 7th Oct 1888. Here’s their marriage certificate:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1889/10746/5918539.pdf

The 1901 census also lists a Catherine aged 15. That’s a couple of years before her mother married. This looks likely to be Catherine’s birth. No father given so can’t say who he was:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1886/02617/1965910.pdf

What other information would you like?

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you very much Elwyn.  You have cleared a quandary about James Edward Murray's birthplace. 

My next step is to find out where and when James' parents John Murray and Jane Grace were married as this hopefully, will give me the next step back. I would be most grateful if you could help with this one. I did find a John and Jane Murray living in Larne but I have nothing to back up that they are my connection. John is listed as a police pensioner but I cannot find any records to this end or if this is the one I am looking for. James and Catherine and family moved to Scotland before they emigrated to Australia.  

Catherine's parents were Hugh Neill and Jane Jamison (1830–1875) in 1862 they lived in Glenstaghey, Antrim, Ireland

Thank you again for your help.

Regards,

Margaret Murray

margaretmurray

Margaret,

I found Jane Neill’s death in 1874, aged 52:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1874/020663/7250392.pdf

Hugh Neill’s death in 1882 aged 67:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1882/06405/4839374.pdf

There was an inquest. I searched the newspapers for a report of the inquest but did not find one.

I searched for their marriage but did not find it.  Marriage registration started in 1845. I suspect they married just before that. In which case you need to know which church and to hope that the relevant records still exist.

Likewise I searched for the marriage of John Murray and Jane Grace but without success. Again it was probably pre 1845.  I don’t think the John Murray you have found in Larne is likely to be the correct person.  Your family’s John was a labourer according to the 1889 marriage certificate. Not a police pensioner.

Your Murray family were Church of Ireland according to the 1901 census. You also say that James Murray was born 1863 - 66 in Armoy. Births from 1864 onward were recorded in the statutory records. I do not see one for James or any other child of that couple. I suspect therefore he was born before 1.1.1864. If he was born in Armoy then the bad news is the Church of Ireland baptism records for that parish (Loughguile & Armoy) were destroyed in the 1922 fire in Dublin. I don’t see any likely deaths in that area for John or Jane Murray 1864 onwards. Labourers often moved around a bit to follow available work, making them difficult to trace. In contrast farmers, like Hugh Neill, tended to stay put.

Neill family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ballintoy/Glenstaghy/922268/

And 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Ballintoy/Glenstaghey/113564/

Some probate abstracts from the PRONI wills site:

Neill Robert of Glenstaghey county Antrim farmer died 22 May 1929 Probate Belfast 12 November to Robert Neill and James Neill farmers. Effects £141 10s.

Neill Elizabeth of Glenstaghey Ballycastle county Antrim married woman died 29 September 1948 Probate Belfast 23 February to Hugh Neill and William James Hill farmers. Effects £1004 13s. 8d.

Neill James of Glenstaghey Ballycastle county Antrim farmer died 10 May 1949 Administration Belfast 12 January to Robert Neill farmer. Effects £159 17s. 6d.

The wills for the first two should be in PRONI (in paper format). The last one died intestate so no will but there should still be a probate file in PRONI.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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