Ann MURRAY & Robert MACKAY

Ann MURRAY
[30/9/1858-2/3/1941]
married
Robert MACKAY
[31/5/1866-2/5/1936]

Ann (Annie) is the daughter of Walter Murray and Elspet Macintosh of Fourpenny, Dornoch. Robert was born in Loth, son of George Mackay, farm servant, and Janet Mackay. Annie and Robert married in Glasgow on 9 January 1891. Robert was said to be a police constable in Paisley at that time. In 1895 when their son Walter was born he was a railway platelayer. He was described on his death certificate as a carting contractor. Annie and Robert both died at Balloan Cottage, Dornoch, and are buried in Dornoch with Annie’s parents.
They had the following children:
Walter Murray MACKAY, born 7th January 1895 Paisley] [died 9th April 1917] – Walter fought with the 1st/5th Seaforth Highlanders in France. He died in France during World War One and is buried in Plot 1, Row A, Grave 15, Roclincourt Military Cemetery, Arras, France.
JANET MACKAY (Jessie) born circa 1893
GEORGE MACKAY born ? [died 5 January 1956 Winnipeg, Canada] (NT) – “Off to the Land of the Maple Leaf - Mr. George Mackay, Balloan, son of Mr. Robert Mackay has left for Canada” (NT 10/6/1920)

Catherine MURRAY married Alexander CUMMING

Catherine MURRAY
1830 - 13/4/1873]
married
Alexander CUMMING
[4/5/1831-21/1/1870]

Catherine was born at Rhemusaig, Rogart, daughter of James Murray and Elspat Mackay. Alexander, a farm servant at Rovie, Rogart, is the son of George Cumming, cooper, and Ann Taylor of Boydnie, Banffshire. Alexander and Catherine married in Rogart in 1854. They lived at Culmaily, Golspie, where Alexander was employed as a farm grieve. Catherine died there in 1870 leaving a very young family. Three years later Alexander passed away leaving the children orphans. They are buried in Golspie where the gravestone describes Alexander as “late of Boydnie, Banff”.

Catherine and Alexander had the following children:
ANN CUMMING born 12th June 1856 Golspie
ELSPET CUMMING born 22nd July 1857 Golspie
WILLIAM CUMMING born 25th October 1858 Golspie [married Janet Mackay]
GEORGINA CUMMING born 7th July 1860 Golspie – following the death of her parents lived with her Mackay grandmother at Rhemusaig
ALEXANDER CUMMING born 7th December 1862 Golspie – 1881 census working as an 18 year old servant at the Strachan Farm in Fordyce, Banff
JAMES CUMMING born 30th August 1864 Golspie – following the death of his parents lived with his 76 year old grandfather George Cumming at Little Craigherd, Boydnie, Banff – shown there in the 1881 census
AGNES MACPHERSON CUMMING born 6th December 1866 Golspie – 1881 census at High Shore, Banff, a servant aged 14
ROBERT CUMMING born 17th September 1868 Golspie – following the death of his parents lived with his 76 year old grandfather George Cumming at Little Craigherd, Boydnie, Banff – shown there in the 1881 census

William MURRAY & Margaret Ann MACKENZIE

William MURRAY
[1/1/1876-1923]
married
Margaret Ann MACKENZIE
[7/10/1883-8/7/1970]

William was born at Torbreck, Rogart, the eldest child of Alexander Murray and Jane Mackenzie of Rhemusaig. He was named after his paternal grandfather, William Murray of Rhemusaig. As a young boy William lived with his widowed maternal grandmother Elizabeth Mackay [Mrs William Mackenzie] at Torbreck where she farmed seven acres. Young William was there with his grandmother and Aunt Christina in 1881. The 1891 census shows him still there with his younger sister Bessie, aged 11 years. Granny Mackenzie was now 78 years old. Life was hard on the crofts - crofters struggled to support the large families and many children were boarded out to grandparents.

William was with his parents at Rhemusaig in the 1901 census. He left Sutherland within the next few years heading south to Edinburgh where many of his sisters were already settled. He found work as a jobbing gardener in the Morningside area of Edinburgh. On 10 June 1910 he married Margaret, daughter of John Mackenzie, a farm servant and his wife Mary Mackenzie. Margaret was born in Inverness. The marriage took place at the United Free Church, Polwarth Terrace, Edinburgh. After the wedding they moved into Morningside Road, an address which would be the family home for at least sixty years. William continued to do gardening and odd jobs while Margaret [Meg] cleaned at the big houses in the area.

The 1914/18 war required all men under forty to be enlisted - William was called up. He served with the Black Watch attaining the rank of Sergeant. In the trenches of Northern France he suffered very severely from gas poisoning. He lived until 1923 when his death certificate showed he died from illness associated with gassing. His young widow continued her life as before bringing up her children.

They had the following children:
ELIZABETH MURRAY [Bessy], born 27 February 1911 Morningside, Edinburgh [died 30 September 1976 Edinburgh] [married John Mackay in Edinburgh 1931] – had family, some of whom still live in Scotland
WILLIAM MURRAY, born 18 October 1912 Morningside, Edinburgh [died 29 April 1969 England] [married Robina Gordon Wilson in Edinburgh 1940] – had family of three, two of whom now live in England - these are my parents
ROBERT MURRAY, born 21 September 1914 Morningside, Edinburgh [died 8 April 1968 Edinburgh] [married Isabella Christina Chisholm in Edinburgh 1943] – had family some of whom still live in Scotland
MARGARET MURRAY [Peggy] born 5 May 1921 Morningside, Edinburgh [died 14 May 1977 Stirlingshire] [married James Thomson in 1944] – had family one of whom lives in Dundee
JOHN MACKENZIE MURRAY, born 3 February 1923 Morningside, Edinburgh [died 11 July 1975 Edinburgh] [married in Edinburgh where his widow still lives]
William Murray and Margaret Ann Mackenzie are my grandparents. Their son William, my father. Photograph above shows 'Gran Murray', Margaret Ann Mackenzie with three of her children, Bessie, William and baby Robert taken in 1914.

Donald MURRAY & 1. Mary BELL 2. Elizabeth MACKAY

Donald MURRAY
[17/8/1828-28/12/1879]
married
1) MARY BELL
[13/7/1829-14/5/1859]
2) ELIZABETH MACKAY
[born 27/6/1829]

Donald was born at Rhemusaig, Rogart, fifth child of William Murray and Catherine Grant.
There is a fascinating story told in Rogart of Donald, as a young man, sitting on the parapet by the bridge at Pittentrail with two other young men one Sabbath evening. James Matheson ("Holy James") passed on his way to Rogart Free Church. The young men mocked him and he rebuked them telling them that "they would be sealed over water and would die by water". The young men laughed!

Donald married Mary Bell on 27 December 1855 at Rogart. Mary was born in Lairg, daughter of James Bell, shepherd, and Margaret Mackay. Sadly Mary died at Pittentrail, Rogart, in 1859 aged 29 years, mother of two children. Donald worked for the Postal Service as a mail guard/sorter on the railway - firstly he worked on the coach by which the railway mails were conveyed to Wick and Thurso before the extension of the railway network. The 1861 census shows Donald, a widower, working as a postrunner in Golspie village.
He and Mary had the following children:
WILLIAM MURRAY, born 18 August 1856, Dornoch (IGI) [died Norwich, England] [married Mary Seaman]
MARGARET MURRAY, born 20 May 1858 Rogart [died 8 December 1928 Renton, Dumbartonshire] [married George Matheson]

The widowed Donald married on 28th February 1866 in Golspie to Elizabeth Mackay, who was born in Old Kilpatrick, Dunbarton, daughter of Donald Mackay and Margaret Grant.
Donald and Elizabeth had the following children:
DONALD JOHN MURRAY, born 28 August 1869 Thurso, Caithness
WALTER HUGH MURRAY, born 10 April 1872 Thurso, Caithness [died 8 January 1941 at Johnston Avenue, Dundee] [married Catherine Williamson in 1897 in Dundee, daughter of Thomas Williamson, marine engineer and Catherine Brassel - Walter, a mercantile clerk, and Catherine had three children Donald, Constance and Ella. In the 1901 census the family were living at Commercial Street, Dundee. He and his wife died at Johnston Avenue, Dundee.

Donald’s elder children, William and Margaret, remained at Rhemusaig, Rogart, where they were looked after by their grandmother, Kate Grant, and their Uncle Sandy. Donald and Elizabeth moved again, this time to Dundee where they are shown in the Dundee Street Directory living at 13 South Ellen Street in 1878. Donald continued to work on the railways and was now a mail sorter and mail guard. South Ellen Street was situated about a ten minute walk from the railway station.

On the morning of Sunday, 28th December, 1879, Donald and Elizabeth were preparing to go to church when a colleague arrived to say they were short-staffed that day and requested that Donald work an extra shift. Donald changed from his church suit into his uniform. As the weather was particularly bad on this Sunday he wore two pairs of 'drawers', one cotton and one of plaiding; trousers of a yellow colour and a blue pilot jacket. On his head he wore the uniform cap with its gold lace and as always, his large watch on a silver chain. In his pocket he put his pass book and his keys. He said goodbye to his wife and children and left for work. His duties took him on the stretch of line between Dundee and Ladybank which lies midway between Cupar and Glenrothes in the heart of Fife.

The weather continued to deteriorate. A newspaper report later described it so - "Dundee was visited by one of the most fearful hurricanes which has ever been experienced in this neighbourhood." His journey to Ladybank was smooth and uneventful. The train on which he was to return to Dundee left Edinburgh at 4.15pm and headed for Granton where the passengers boarded the ferry for Burntisland (the Forth rail bridge was not built until 1890). The ferry then connected with the 5.27pm train from Burntisland to Dundee. As the train pulled out of Burntisland in the cold darkness there was a strong south-westerly wind. The train reached Ladybank on time and Donald boarded the train. Shortly after seven o'clock the train reached St Fort, a small station about two miles from the south end of the Tay Bridge, where the tickets were checked as usual. The ticket collector, William Friend, was an old friend of Donald. There were about 75 people on the train, including staff, at this point. As they were now only a few minutes from Dundee I imagine Donald had completed his work and was looking forward to home, supper and a warm fire. The weather was still dreadful and if anything had worsened since morning. The train slowed down for its approach on to the Tay Bridge. The wind had reached hurricane speeds and the river below was one sheet of white seething foam.

The train was seen to reach the high girders of the bridge. A few seconds later a gust of wind, more violent than any that had preceded it, was experienced and simultaneously spectators saw several flashes of fire descend from the bridge and disappear into the water. In one terrible moment columns, girders and train went down to the foaming river with not the faintest chance of survival for the victims.

Donald's body was never recovered. An article in the Dundee Advertiser of 31st December 1879 stated "........ in the north especially, where he [Donald] was a great favourite, his sad death will be heard of with much regret ......." It is interesting to note that not only did Donald die by water but I am assured that his two companions 'cursed' by the old man in Rogart, also died by water!

Elizabeth continued to live in 13 South Ellen Street, Dundee. She was recorded there in 1881 with her sons Donald and Walter. She also had two lodgers. In 1884 Margaret Murray, Donald’s daughter Margaret, by his first wife, married at Elizabeth’s house.