George MURRAY & 1) Isabella MATHESON 2) Helen MATHESON

George MURRAY
[20/2/1871-3/7/1937]
married
1) ISABELLA MATHESON
[died pre 1935]
2) HELEN C. MATHESON
[1883-28/4/1977]

George Murray, a master tailor, was born at Bank, Rogart, son of Paul Murray and Jane Ross. He was firstly married to Isabella Matheson.

George, a widower, married Helen Chalmers Matheson at the Ben Bhraggie Hotel, Golspie on 27th December 1935. At the time of this wedding George was living in Main Street, Golspie and Helen at Burgage Villa, Golspie. Helen is the daughter of Thomas Matheson and Grace B. Mackenzie. Less than two years after this marriage George died suddenly of heart disease at East End Golspie. Helen is buried with her parents in Golspie.

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.

Paul MURRAY & Jane ROSS

Paul MURRAY
[1847-31/3/1924]
married
Jane ROSS
[1849-6/3/1919]

Paul was born at Rhemusaig, Rogart, son of William Murray and Catherine Grant. Jane is a daughter of George Ross and Margaret Matheson. Paul and Jane married at Rogart on 26 March 1869.

In 1871 they were living with Jane's aunt - Catherine Matheson (1804-1897), sister to Margaret Matheson, Jane's mother - at Milton, Rogart - which is sometimes known as Miltonbank or simply Bank. Catherine was a daughter of James Matheson and Elspet Sutherland. Her brother Donald and sister Jane, also lived with her.

Paul worked as a railway platelayer in Rogart. They were still in the aunt's five-roomed house in 1881. The house was home that year to Catherine Matheson; her brother, Donald, her sister Jane, plus Paul, his wife Jane and their five children. Aunt Catherine was still alive in 1891 aged 88 years. She died in 1897 at the house. Paul and Jane continued to live at the house - by this time the house was referred to as being at Bank, Rogart. Jane died there in 1919. Paul also died at Bank, in 1924, and is buried with his wife in St Callan's churchyard, Rogart.

"The Reaper has been busy in our midst lately, gathering in the young and aged. On Saturday there was laid to rest one of our older inhabitants in the person of Jane Ross, wife of Mr. Paul Murray, Bank. For a number of years Mrs. Murray was laid aside from any active participation in life, and latterly had been confined to bed, from the effects of a stroke of paralysis. An attack of influenza which also seized the other members of the family, proved too much for Mrs. Murray’s strength, and she succumbed to the disease. Of a kindly and cheery nature, she will be missed in the home, and by a wide circle of friends of the older generation" (NT13/3/1919).

Paul & Jane had the following children:
WILLIAM MURRAY, born 25 January 1870 Bank, Rogart [died 31 December 1898, ironworker, bachelor, killed by falling from a train at Dalmore, Rogart] - at home in the 1871 & 81 census
GEORGE MURRAY, born 20 February 1871 Bank, Rogart [died 3rd July 1937 East End, Golspie] [married Isabella Matheson & Helen Chalmers Matheson]
ALEXANDER MURRAY, born 11 February 1872 Torbuie, Rogart (IGI) [died 2nd February 1943] [married Isabella Ross] – at home with parents in 1881 & 91 census
CATHERINE MURRAY, born 27 November 1876 Bank, Rogart [died 1st February 1932 Glasgow] [married 1st George Craig Stewart and 2nd James Mactaggart] – at home in 1881 & 91 census
DONALD MURRAY, born 14 August 1880 Bank, Rogart [died 18 March 1934] – at home in 1881 & 91 census

James MURRAY & Elspat MACKAY

James MURRAY
[1786-10/12/1869]
married
Elspat MACKAY
[6/2/1795-7/2/1891]

James is the son of William Murray, cattleman, and Isabella Mackay of Kinnauld, Rogart.
Elspat is the daughter of William Mackay, crofter, and Marion Sutherland.

James and Elspat (Elspeth) married on 9 May 1819 at Dornoch. The Parish Register states that Elspat was a Mackay or Mackenzie but as her own death certificate shows her as the daughter of William Mackay this seems to be an error. At the time of their marriage they both lived at Kinnauld.

The Dornoch Militia list of 1824 shows James as a tenant at Rhemusaig, Rogart – next to Kinnauld. The Militia List tells that James was excused from service being poor with children. The 1841 census shows the family at Rhemusaig, Rogart. Like so many people in Rogart James and Elspat were not at home on census night. However, while their parents spent the night 'in the heather' their children Donald, James, Catherine and Robert were at home.

It was said that many folks objected to giving personal information to the 1841 census enumerators. This was the first census as we know them today.

On the evening of the 1851 census James and Elspat were home. James is shown as a farmer of two acres. When the census enumerator came round in 1861 James was 76 years old and Elspat was 67 years. Their children had left home but they did have their grandaughter, ANN MURRAY aged 10 years, born in Glasgow and recorded as a scholar, living with them.

James passed away on 10 December 1869. The school records of Rogart show that on 13 December attendance at school was not so good because of James Murray of Rhemusaig’s death. As James appeared to have died on the 10th perhaps this was the day of his funeral.

The 1871 census shows Elspat as head of the family. This census tells that their home had two rooms and Elspat was tenant of four acres. Living with her in 1871 was her granddaughter, Georgina Cumming, daughter of Catherine and her husband Alexander Cumming. Catherine had died in 1870 leaving the young Georgina motherless at 9 years old. Sadly, her father then died in 1873. Georgina continued to live with her grandmother and the next census in 1881 shows her still there. Elspat was now recorded as 86 years old and the tenant. As well as Georgina the house was also now home to Elspat's son James and his daughter Catherine Murray aged nine years. James's wife had recently died. Young Catherine attended school and the census shows that she was born in Dornoch. Shortly before the 1891 census was taken Elspat passed away. The census of that year shows young James as head of the family and a crofter. The house had been extended to six rooms and James had taken a new wife Jane Macdonald. His daughter Catherine was at home on census night.

James Murray and Elspat Mackay had the following children:
WILLIAM MURRAY, born 12 March 1820 Rhemusaig, Rogart [married Elizabeth Ross]
GEORGE MURRAY, born 14 June 1821 Rhemusaig, Rogart
DONALD MURRAY, born 22 September 1823 Rhemusaig, Rogart – at Rhemusaig in 1841 census
ISABELLA MURRAY, born 24 November 1825 Rhemusaig, Rogart
JAMES MURRAY, born 20 August 1828 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 15 December 1918] [married Janet Bruce and Jane Macdonald] – James was at Rhemusaig in 1841 & 51 census – there in 1881 and 1891
CATHERINE MURRAY, born 4 May 1831 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 21 January 1870] [married Alexander Cumming] – Catherine was at Rhemusaig in 1841 & 51 census
ROBERT MURRAY, born 12 July 1833 Rhemusaig, Rogart [died 21 February 1881 Glasgow] [married Catherine Fraser] - was at Rhemusaig in 1841 and 51 census - we know, from an old family letter found in Canada, that Robert Murray was in Glasgow on the 13th April 1871. He wrote on that day to his niece Isabel Murray in Embro, Ontario.