Margaret Mury (abt. 1828)

Born about 1828 in Scotland

Wife of James Craig — married 8 Jan 1849 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

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Biography

This profile was originally created based upon the maiden name given on her son John's marriage record: Margaret Mury.^[1] Records that have since been found, including the birth certificate of that same son John and his siblings, indicate that her maiden surname was actually Murray.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}

Assuming that the 1849 marriage of Margaret Murray and James Craig in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland (see below, under "Possible Marriage") does indeed refer to this Margaret Murray, she was a daughter of Terence Murray.^[9]

No birth or baptismal record has yet been found for a Margaret Murray, daughter of Terence Murray.

She seems to appear in the 1841 Scotland census residing on Meal Vennel (a vennel is like a street) with a Terence Murray of an appropriate age to be her father, and a Matthew Murray about eight years older than herself, possibly a brother. She was recorded as 17 years old and born in Scotland, within the county of Perthshire.^[10] This would give her a birth date of about 1824.

Marriage

It is known from a number of records, including their children's birth certificates, that the maiden name of James Craig's wife was Margaret Murray.^[2][3][4] There are a number of marriages of John Craigs to Margaret Murrays during the appropriate time period. The 1901 census gives a clue as to the possible location by recording the birthplaces of both of them as Perth, Scotland. Although this is clearly an error in James Craig's case, since every other record records his birthplace as Ireland, it could indicate that he was previously in Perth.

There is a database entry for a marriage of a James Craig to a Margaret Murray on 8 Jan 1849 in Perth, Perth, Scotland.^[11] It cites FHL microfilm 1040164, but was difficult to locate within that film because it appeared under the date the marriage was contracted (2 Dec 1848) rather than the date of the marriage.^[9] The record reads:

James Craig Railway Labourer in the Middle Church Parish of Perth and Margaret Murray in the said Parish, Daughter of Terence Murray_ _William Muckensie Elder The Persons before named were regularly Proclaimed & Married the Eighth day of January Eighteen hundred & forty nine by the Reverend Mr McCorry Minister of the Roman Catholic Chapel Perth_

Perth the Second day of December One thousand Eight hundred and Forty Eight Years_Contracted

The fact that they were married in the Roman Catholic chapel lends support to the idea that this may be the correct couple. Their son John Stephen Craig was buried in a Catholic cemetery when he died.

The entry in the Catholic church records at St. John the Baptist is less descriptive of the parties, including only their names, not their occupations or parentage. However, it does include the signatures (or transcriptions thereof) of the two official witnesses: Terence Murray and James O'Neil.^[12]

A few months later, a record for the baptism of their first son, James, appeared in the records of St. John the Baptist. His name was James, and the record indicates that he was born on 4 July 1849 and baptized on 29 July 1849. The sponsors for this baptism were James Murray and Julia Duffy.^[13] This baptism lines up well with their oldest son recorded in the 1861 census.^[14] The fact that no other baptisms for children of this couple subsequently appear in the St. John the Baptist records also supports the hypothesis that the James Craig and Margaret Murray who married in Perth are the same ones who later appeared in the Whitehaven area of Cumberland county, England.

1850s

The Craig family were apparently not yet living in the Whitehaven area of Cumberland county, England when the UK census was taken on 30 Mar 1851. The names were common, even in combination, and most of the children were not yet born, so it has thus far not been possible to identify the family in a census record previous to 1861.

However, James and Margaret's son John Stephen Craig was born in Whitehaven on 7 May 1851. The address was given as "Birkett's Court Irish Street Whitehaven."^[2] Therefore, the family must have relocated to Whitehaven in the year 1851, sometime between March and May.

The 20 June 1853 birth certificate for their son Matthew gave a new address: "Creighton Court Charles Street Whitehaven."^[3] When their daughter Mary was born on 10 Dec 1854, the birth certificate gave the address "31 Charles Street, Whitehaven." ^[4]

By the time their next child, Robert, was born on 17 July 1856, they were residing in Egremont, with no more specific address given.^[5]

In 1859, when their son Jervis was born on 27 March, their location was recorded as "Big Rig Egremont," indicating the village of Bigrigg about two miles outside of Egremont.^[6]

1860s

The first census in which Margaret (Murray) Craig is found with certainty is the 1861 census at Gutterby, Egremont, Cumberland.^[14] At this time she was recorded as being 33 years old and born in Scotland. (This would give her an approximate birth date of 1828. This date has been adopted for this profile as the earliest verified record giving an age.) She was residing with her husband and six children.

A little later that same year, on 27 Sept 1861, her daughter Margaret was born. When Margaret (Murray) Craig reported the birth to the registrar on 23 Oct, she signed with a mark, indicating that she most likely did not know how to write.^[7]

When the next child, James, was born on 13 Mar 1863, the family’s address was again “Big Rig Egremont.” Again, the child’s mother, Margaret (Murray) reported the birth to the registrar and signed with a mark.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ FamilySearch, "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 May 2013), entry for John Stephen Craig and M. M. Robbenult's 1886 marriage; citing Crawford, Iowa, United States, county courthouses, Iowa; Reference ID: p 60, GS Film Number: 1035129, Digital Folder Number: 004311125.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} England and Wales, birth certificate for John Craig, born 7 May 1851; citing 25/193/273, Apr-May-Jun quarter 1851, Whitehaven registration district, Whitehaven sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} England and Wales, birth certificate for Matthew Craig, born 20 June 1853; citing 10b/427/395, Jul-Aug-Sep quarter 1853, Whitehaven registration district, Whitehaven sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} England and Wales, birth certificate for Mary Craig, born 10 Dec 1854; citing 10b/438/86, Oct-Nov-Dec quarter 1854, Whitehaven registration district, Whitehaven sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} England and Wales, birth certificate for Robert Craig, born 17 July 1856; citing 10B/480/252, Sept quarter 1856, Whitehaven registration district; General Register Office, Southport.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} England and Wales, birth certificate for Jervis Craig, born 27 Mar 1859; citing 10B/123/195, Jun quarter 1859, Whitehaven registration district; General Register Office, Southport.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} England and Wales, birth certificate for Margaret Craig, born 27 Sept 1861; citing 10B/503/245, Dec quarter 1861, Whitehaven registration district; General Register Office, Southport.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} England and Wales, birth certificate for James Craig, born 13 Mar 1863; citing 10B/576/410, Jun quarter 1863, Whitehaven registration district; General Register Office, Southport.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} (Perth, Perthshire, Scotland), Old parochial registers for Perth, 1561-1854, "Marriages, 1822-1854; Neglected entries (baptisms), 1809-1854. (Preferred film for viewing. Use this before ordering the other filming.)," entry for James Craig and Margaret Murray's 1849 marriage, p. 96 (image 598 of 760); digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 4 Feb 2023).
10. ↑ 1841 census of Scotland, Perthshire, Perth, enumeration district (ED) 8A, page 19, household of Terence Murray; digital images, National Records of Scotland, Scotland's People (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 25 Nov 2023).
11. ↑ "Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Feb 2023), entry for James Craig and Margaret Murray's 8 Jan 1849 marriage; citing FHL microfilm 1040164.
12. ↑ Scottish Catholic Archives, "Catholic Registers - Banns and Marriages," database with images, National Records of Scotland, Scotland's People (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 5 Feb 2023), 1849 CRAIG, JAMES - MURRAY, MARGARET (Catholic Registers Banns and Marriages MP 41 1 1 1 227, Perth, St John the Baptist).
13. ↑ Scottish Catholic Archives, "Catholic Registers - Births and Baptisms," database with images, National Records of Scotland, Scotland's People (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 5 Feb 2023), 1849 CRAIG, JAMES (Catholic Registers Births and Baptisms MP 41 1 1 101, Perth, St John the Baptist).
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} 1861 census of England, Cumberland, Whitehaven registration district, Egremont ecclesiastical district, Egremont parish, folio 73, page 30-31, Household of James Craig; digital images, Ancestry, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Apr 2015); citing PRO RG 9/3952.

• 1871 census of England, Cumberland, Egremont civil parish, folio 66, page 8-9, Household of Janes Crag; digital images, Ancestry, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Apr 2015); citing PRO RG 10/5262.

• 1881 census of England, Cumberland, Cleator Moor, civil parish of Cleator, folio 117, page 48, Household of James Craig; digital images, Ancestry, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Apr 2015); citing PRO RG 11/5191.

• 1891 census of England, Cumberland, Cleator Moor, civil parish of Cleator, Egremont parliamentary division, ecclesiastical parish of St. Johns, folio 91, page 19, Household of James Craig; digital images, Ancestry, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Apr 2015); citing PRO RG 12/4317.