James MURRAY & 1) Janet BRUCE 2) Jane MACDONALD

James MURRAY
married
1) Janet BRUCE
[1834-5/10/1879]
2) JANE MACDONALD
[c1843-7/12/1893]

James, a shoemaker, is the son of James Murray and Elspet Mackay of Rhemusaig, Rogart. He was firstly married to Janet Bruce, daughter of John Bruce and Ann Murray. They married on 7th May 1858. James worked as an agricultural labourer at Rhemusaig according to the 1861 census. From 1865 onwards James is recorded as a shoemaker. In 1871 the family were at Rhemusaig in a two roomed house. Janet died on 5 October 1879.

James and Janet had the following children:
JAMES MURRAY, born 6 December 1858 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 15 July 1927 Rhemusaig] [married Helen Macnaughton] – 1871 census at Rhemusaig with parents, scholar
JOHN MURRAY, born 3 October 1861 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 20 June 1950 Perth] [married Margaret Mill] – 1871 census at Rhemusaig with parents, scholar
GEORGE MURRAY, born 23 August 1865 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 24 December 1867 Rhemusaig]
CATHERINE MURRAY [Kate], born 18 June 1870 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 21 September 1916 in hospital – usual residence Rhemusaig - she was a nurse] – following her mother’s death in 1879 Catherine went to her grandmother’s house at Rhemusaig with her father – they were there in the 1881 census - I believe his daughter Catherine (Kate) continued to live at home until her death in 1916 although she was not at home in 1901

2) Following his first wife’s death James returned to his widowed mother's home with his youngest daughter Catherine. They were there in the 1881 census. On 22 November 1889 James married for the second time to widow, Jane Macdonald, daughter of John Macdonald and Janet Macintosh. The 1891 census shows James, second wife Jane and daughter Catherine at Rhemusaig. His mother had died since the previous census. He was recorded as a crofter and the home had increased in size to six rooms. In 1893 Jane died leaving James a widower for the second time.

In the 1901 census he had an Effy Mackay, unmarried, aged 52, born in Rogart, as a domestic servant living with him. James died at Rhemusaig in 1918. He is buried in Rogart with his first wife, Janet, and their daughter Catherine.

Dorothy in USA plus Sheila in Edinburgh also have links to this family.

David MURRAY & Julia MACINTOSH

David MURRAY
[1842-8/7/1893]
married
Julia MACINTOSH
[c1841-5/2/1904]

David was born at Rhemusaig, Rogart, son of William Murray and Catherine Grant. Julia is the daughter of Alexander Macintosh and Ann Gunn of Rhianbreck, Lairg. David and Julia married on 28 June 1867 in Lairg. When their son Thomas was born at Rhianbreck, Lairg, David was a railway pointsman at Blair Atholl, Perthshire. Thomas’s birth is registered in both Lairg and Blair Atholl. He died aged 4 months in Perth where David was said to be a Railway Porter. A year later when baby John Alexander was born David was recorded as a Railway Shunter. By the time Julia was born in 1879 the family were back in Rogart. David was now a Railway Surfaceman.

In 1881 they were at Eden, Rogart, in a two roomed house. In 1891 they were at Dalmore, Rogart not far from Eden. David died there in 1893. Extracts from 1893 letters of the Rogart Ground Officer James Alexander to Donald MacLean the factor at Dunrobin. NLS Acc.10225 read: “1893 July 10, David Murray, 68 Dalmore, died 8 July “…has left a widow, with a grown up family, and all are doing for themselves. except the youngest, who is 12 years. and lives with her mother.”

Julia died at Dalmore in 1904.

David and Julia had the following children:
WILLIAM MURRAY, born 27 March 1868 in Lairg
CHRISTINA ANN MURRAY (Christy), born 18 September 1869 Tain, Ross-shire - in 1891 Christina, a cloth dyeworker, was living in, Renton, Dumbartonshire, with her cousin Margaret Murray married to George Matheson.
THOMAS MURRAY, born 11 November 1872 Rhianbreck, Lairg [died 5 March 1873 at Cross Street, Perth]
JOHN ALEXANDER MURRAY, born 24 April 1874 Cross Street, Perth - 1881 census with parents
HECTOR MURRAY, born 9 October 1875 Lairg [died 21 October 1875 Rhianbreck, Lairg]
JULIA MURRAY, born 17 May 1879 Eden, Rogart

Walter MURRAY & Elspet MACINTOSH

Walter MURRAY
[3/2/1818-24/12/1890]
married
Elspet MACINTOSH
[28/4/1821-1/8/1896]

Walter was born at Rhemusaig, Rogart, the eldest child of William Murray and Catherine Grant. Walter and Elspet married on 1 December 1843 at Dornoch.
Elspet was born in Rogart daughter of Kenneth Macintosh and Catherine Douglas. Walter and Elspet lived at Culdrain, Rogart, for a time and it was there that their first child was born. Their second daughter, Isabella, was born in England in 1848 suggesting that they spent some time there. On their return to Sutherland they lived with Elspet's widowed mother, Catherine Douglas, in Rogart. The 1851 census shows them there. Walter worked as a railway labourer at this time. Sometime in the 1850s the family moved to a 24 acre farm at Fourpenny, Dornoch - the 1861 census shows them settled there. In 1871 Walter and Elspet's farm had reduced to 18 acres and they had a two-roomed croft house. In 1881 they gained another two acres and the house grew to seven rooms. Walter died in 1890 and is buried in Dornoch. In 1891 Elspet, a widow, continued to farm at Fourpenny until her death there in 1896.
Walter and Elspet had the following children:
CATHERINE MURRAY born circa 1846 Dornoch [died 11 March 1938, Dornoch [married George Grant] - in the 1861 census Catherine, was at Strahan, Dornoch, living with her aunt, Jane Macintosh
ISABELLA MURRAY born circa 1848 Hertfordshire, England [died 9 February 1925, Dornoch] [married George Matheson]
ROBINA MURRAY born 6 August 1852 Culdrain, Rogart [died after 1929 in Canada] [married Neil Macaulay] – 1871 census at home with parents
MARGARET MURRAY born 22 January 1853 Culdrain, Rogart [died 20 April 1885 Dornoch] - Margaret remained a spinster living at home. She is buried with her parents in Dornoch.
WILLIAM MURRAY, born 7 March 1855 Rogart [died 18th August 1927 Vancouver, Canada] [married Isabella Leslie] - 1871, 81 & 91 census at home - following his father's death in 1890 William took over the croft at Fourpenny and was there or a considerable time until he left for Canada where he died in 1927 - "The sad intelligence recently notified in the 'Northern Times' concerning the death of a highly respected son of Sutherland - Mr William Murray, late of Fourpenny - was a severe blow to many of his near relatives and friends. Mr Murray in his very early days, with his father, and a family of young girls, left Rogart and settled in Fourpenny, Dornoch. Subsequent to his father's death he occupied the Fourpenny Farm for a considerable time, but the call from the Golden West attracted him across the seas to Canada where he remained to the end. Many of us can still recall the fine qualities which constantly characterized the behaviour of William Murray - his transparent honesty, his touch of nobility in assisting his less fortunate fellows, and his big affection, made him a man of a genial personality and a lasting friend. Our deep sympathy is extended to his sorrowing family abroad and to his relatives at home" (NT 12/1/1928).
ALEXANDERINA MURRAY born 21 October 1856 Fourpenny Farm, Dornoch [died 6 March 1944 Dornoch] [married John Ross] – 1871 census at home with parents
ANN MURRAY (Annie) born 30 September 1858 Fourpenny Farm [died 2 March 1941 Dornoch] [married Robert Mackay] – 1871 & 81 census at home with parents
ELSPET MURRAY born 5 May 1860 Fourpenny Farm [died 11 September 1930 Hillside, Dornoch] [married George Macaulay] – 1871 & 81 census at home with parents