Murray Family - James and Agnes Murray (First generation)

James and Mary's eldest son James, aged 21 emigrated to New Zealand in 1866 arriving aboard the ship Caribou. Departing Glasgow on the 6th October arriving in Port Chalmers on the 13th January 1867.

SHIPPING TELEGRAMS—YESTERDAY.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 1572, 14 January 1867

Page 1 Advertisements Column 3
Otago Daily Times, Issue 1572, 14 January 1867

Page 1 Advertisements Column 3,
 Otago Daily Times, Issue 1572, 14 January 1867

Page 1 Advertisements Column 3,
 Otago Daily Times, Issue 1572, 14 January 1867

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam."
DUNUDIN, WEDNESDAY, DEC 26.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 1574, 16 January 1867

Page 1 Advertisements Column 3,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 1573, 15 January 1867

Hints for a successful voyage to New Zealand

James found work with Peter Whitelaw at Taieri and later at Balclutha, two or so years later James purchased a dray and two horses and started carrying on his own account. Eventually acquiring a wagon and eight horses. He carted regularly on the roads between Dunedin, Switzers, Waipori, Tapanui and Shag Point. 

TAIERI PLOUGHING MATCH.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 1728, 15 July 1867

In 1869 James married Agnes McKay (1849-1928). Agnes was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland her parents names were Thomas and Agnes and that is about all I know. This information I have found on her death certificate. Thomas and Agnes were married at Four mile creek, Warepa. Warepa-Kaihiku area map (m.1869/4896).

James and Agnes had 10 children:

Mary (1870-1930)

Andrew (1871-1946)

Janet (1872-1928)

James (1875-1941)

Robert (1877-1961)

Elizabeth Anne(1880-1931)

Agnes Welburn (1882-1925)

John William (1884-1937) my great-grandfather

Thomas Hugh (1886-1908)

Jane Jean MacKenize (1891-1975)

I will tell you more about each of the children in future blogs.

James is found on the Borough of Balclutha, Burgess Roll in 1878. James is entitled to 1 vote.

Burgess rolls were compiled and printed according to directions included in the Municipal Corporations Act 1867. The burgess rolls for the City of Auckland record the names of all adults who owned or occupied rateable property there. Each person on the burgess roll was automatically entitled to cast between one and five votes, depending on the annual rateable value of his or her property. The owner or occupier of a property rateable at less than £50 had one vote, while an owner or occupier with rateable property valued at £350 or more had five votes. The Municipal Franchise Reform Act 1898 abolished plural voting. City of Auckland Burgess roll search.

James and Agnes took over a property in Waipahi in 1878. James Jr. attending schools at Warepa and Te houka. Robert, Elizabeth and Agnes attend Warepa, Port Molyneux, Wiltshire Bay, Reomoana, Waipahi and Nugget Bay schools.  In 1993 John (9 yrs) leaves school to work, may have been only temporarily. In 1894 Agnes and Elizabeth to Balclutha and Thomas home. In 1896 Thomas off to Waipahi. Not unusually for children to miss school depending on the help needed on the farm.
Electoral rolls show James' farms in the Waitepeka area between from 1880 - 1890. Agnes appears to be also leasing land.

DISPOSAL OF CROWN LANDS.,
Otago Witness, Issue 2100, 24 May 1894

LAND BOARD.,
Otago Witness, Issue 2218, 3 September 1896

From 1896 - 1919 James farms in Port Molyneux. Agnes appears to move around abit, in the 1896 Electoral roll Agnes is living at Nugget Bay, a domestic. 

James and Agnes purchasing (or leasing??) False Island farm in abt. 1899 from Mr Forsyth who cleared the land in abt. 1876 farming and farmed there until 1899 when he passed agway.

THE COUNTRY. ROUND ABOUT DRUMMOND.
 LAKE COUNTY. CLIFDEN. CLINTON. TUAPEKA WEST.
 BALD HILL FLAT. WETHEKSTONES. POMAHAKA DOWNS.
 OWAKA. MILTON. TAPANUI. GREEN VALLEY.,
Otago Witness, Issue 2380, 19 October 1899

I found many articles in the newspaper reporting a lovely day was had at False Island a very popular picnic spot.

CONSTIPATION.,
Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905

A lovely description of False Island. If only they could have seen it from the air.

ROUND ABOUT OWAKA.,
Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4496, 6 November 1897

Can find no reference as to when James' purchase False Island farm but his name appears a numbers times in the newspaper associated with False Island farm.

BREACHES OF THE RABBIT ACT.,
Clutha Leader, Volume XXIX, Issue 1680, 30 January 1903

BREACH OF THE RABBIT ACT.,
Clutha Leader, Volume XXIX, Issue 1681, 3 February 1903
James Murray Defence - Man employed to deal with rabbits.

COMMERCIAL., Clutha Leader,
 Volume XXIX, Issue 1692, 13 March 1903

HIDE SALES,
Otago Witness, Issue 2590, 4 November 1903

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.,
Otago Witness, Issue 2450, 27 February 1901

In 1905 False Island farm was sold to Mr Alfred North, Portobello.

PROPERTY SALES.,
Otago Witness, Issue 2688, 20 September 1905

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 13516, 13 February 1906

James suffered a painful injury to his hand in 1913 at the age of 67.

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS,
Evening Star, Issue 15305, 3 October 1913

This photo of James must have been taken sometime later as you can see James has a glove on his right which he wore on his hand after the accident. My Aunty Violet remembers this.

James Murray circ. later than1913

James' Day in Court
Page 4 Advertisements Column 4,
Evening Star, Issue 16166, 14 July 1916

In 1916 Agnes has her land lease at Port Molyneux renewed.

OTAGO LAND BOARD.,
Otago Witness, Issue 3240, 19 April 1916

On the 6th September 1919 James and Agnes celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary at Port Molyneux.

PERSONAL.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 17726, 10 September 1919

GOLDEN WEDDING.,
Clutha Leader, Volume XLVI,
Issue 22, 12 September 1919

The perfect opportunity for family photos.

Agnes and James Murray's 50th Wedding Anniversary - 1919
Back row left to right - Jean, Andrew, Thomas (deceased), Robert, Elizabeth, James, Janet
Front row Left to right - John, Agnes, James Mary, Agnes

James and Agnes Murray's daughters - 1919
Left to right - Elizabeth (Irvine), Agnes (Cunningham), Janet, Mary (Carrick), Jean (Paterson)

Extended Murray Family - 1919

Link to list of people in the photo.

It was this photo that started me on this journey of discovery. Where was my grandfather Thomas Hugh Murray? Born in 1908 he would have been 7 years old I would have thought he should have been in the photo. After a lot of visits to the Hocken library I found my grandfather and his brothers were living in Dunedin at the Anderson's Bay Orphanage at this time. 

PORT MOLYNEUX.,
Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 74, 2 May 1913

Donations from the Port Molyneux Presbyterian Church Thanksgiving Harvest service were sent to the Anderson's Bay Orphanage.

James was an active member of the Early Settler Association attending an anniversary service at the First Church in Dunedin in March 1926.

EARLY SETTLERS.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 19744, 22 March 1926

James and Agnes lived in Port Molyneux until James death on the 24 Feb 1927 (d.1927/2191). James was 83 years young.

DEATHS., Otago Daily Times, Issue 20033, 25 February 1927

Page 8 Advertisements Column 2, Issue 20043, 9 March 1927

A lovely obituary followed on the 27 September 1827.

Clutha Leader (will find details)

Agnes passed away the following year on 12 May 1928, aged 79 yrs. (d.1928/2857)

DEATHS., Otago Daily Times, Issue 20033, 25 February 1927

Page 8 Advertisements Column 4,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 20420, 29 May 1928

IN MEMORIAL.,
ODT, Issue 20651, 25 February 1929

IN MEMORIAM.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 20714, 11 May 1929

James and Agnes are buried together in a large family plot at the Port Molyneux cemetery.

Hocken Library; School Admission, Progress and Withdrawal Records.
New Zealand Electoral roll
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

Murray family - Andrew and Christina Murray (Second generation)

James and Agnes' eldest son Andrew, was born in 1871 (b.1871/39373) at the age of 25 in 1896 he married Christina Brown (1864-1957) at Clinton.

Andrew and Christina farmed in the Waipahi area for all of their life 1896 - 1946 and had five children.

James Albert was born in Wairuna, South Otago on the 13 March 1989 (b.1898/15937). Employed as a cleaner with the NZ railway in 1918 James was living at 14 Bowmont street, Invercargill when he was called up for army service. Maybe just old enough! Joining the Otago B. COY Unit (Private, Reg. No. 82393) James received training for 5 months (June - Oct) in NZ. Departing on the 2 October 1918 with the NZ Expeditionary Force, 43rd Reinforcements, Otago B Company aboard the "Matatua" for London, England. James served 236 days on active service over overseas until 25th June 1919.

CABLED UP,
Southland Times, Issue 17947, 25 April 1918

In 1918, James is and working as a cleaner for NZR. Following the war working as surfaceman for NZR and by 1928 James is living at Clarkville, a surfaceman for NZR. 

Some 16 years later, in 1935, aged 37, James married Albertina Augusta Christina Beccard (b.1900/8168) (m.1935/3128). James and Albertina are living at Wharetoa in 1935. They had one child Leslie James Murray who sadly died aged 6. (b.1940/  d. 1946/36942). Albertina died in 1954 (54yrs)(d.1954//30230) James following only a few years later in 1957 (59 yrs) (d.1957/39107). They are all buried together at the Waipahi Cemetery.

Elizabeth Agnes was followed James on the 8th March. (b.1900/7723). In 1928 Elizabeth married George Williamson Cunningham (1897-1955) (m.1928/1928). Sadly later that year  only 28 years old Elizabeth dies. She is buried at the Anderson Bay cemetery.

DEATHS.,
Issue 20583, 5 December 1928

IN MEMORIAM.,
Otago Daily Times, Issue 21199, 3 December 1930

George a cleaner for the NZ Railway marries Eleanor Jean Rome four years later (m.1932/7101). George dies in 1955 age 58 and is also buried at the Andersons Bay cemetery (d.1955/19994). Still living at 76 Loyalty Street, Dunedin Eleanor died aged 79 years on 14 June 1980. Her ashes are scattered at the Andersons Bay cemetery.

Alexander Andrew was born on the 1 Nov 1901(b.1901/19469). A farm labourer in 1927 until Alexander in 1940 was called up for service in WWII. Reg. No. 19853 PTE 2nd NZEF. Alexander did not marry and died at the age of 61 on the 19 August 1963 he is buried at the Waipahi cemetery (d.1963/45789).

William Carrick was born on the 9 Mar 1904 (b.1904/14385). A Waipahi farm labourer in 1928. In 1931 William married  Marion May McIndoe (b. 23 May 1905)(m.1931/8675). In 1935 William and Marion are living on Wharetoa Road?, Clydevale (some confusion in Electoral roll, Wharetoa and Clydevale very close). William And Marion have three? children Charles Stuart (b.20 July 1952  d. 2013/30876), Wilma Marion (b.   ) and Andrina Elizabeth (d.     ).
Marion died aged 73 years in 1978 (d. 1978/37408) and William died aged 83 years in 1987 (d.1987/34496) they are both buried at the Waipahi cemetery.

George Nelson was born on 21 Oct 1905 (b.1905/18254). At the age of 34 on the 29 April 1939 George married Linda Edna Powell (b. 12 Sept 1904/11250).

MARRIAGE, ODT, Issue 23800, 5 May 1939

Children arrived Isla (b.1940/    ) Bevan (b.1943/   )
George died aged 93 on the 29 May 1998  and Linda 99 years young on the 10 April 2003. They are buried together at the Waipahi cemetery.

Andrew and Christina were active in the Waipahi community (I can only guess this is our Andrew).

SCHOOL COMMITTEES,
ODT, Issue 17298, 25 April 1918

Page 15 Advertisements Column 8, ODT, Issue 20674, 23 March 1929

WAIPAHI RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION.,
ODT, Issue 20794, 13 August 1929

SOUTH OTAGO NOTES,
Evening Star, Issue 20141, 4 April 1929

COUNTRY NEWS, ODT Issue 23476, 14 April 1938

WAIPAHI SCHOOL,
ODT, Issue 23783, 14 April 1939

SOUTH OTAGO, ODT Issue 24705, 6 September 1941

On the 21 Nov 1946 age 75 Andrew died (d. 1946/36374). Some 11 years later Christina died on the 27 Dec 1957 aged 93 years (d.1957/35314). They are buried together at the Waipahi cemetery.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
NZ Electoral roll