Walter MacIntosh Murdoch (1865 - 1916)

Born 26 Sep 1865 in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Son of David Murdoch and Harriet Jemima (Parkes) Murdoch

Husband of Anne (Ballantyne) Murdoch — married 1883 in Ontario, Canada

Husband of Elizabeth (McPherson) Murdoch — married 22 Dec 1889 in Calhoun, Iowa

Descendants

Died 13 Oct 1916 at age 51 in Polk, Iowa, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: John Patrick [send private message]

Biography

Walter Murdoch was a British Home Child and was one of many Children Transported to Canada.

This profile is part of the Murdoch Name Study.

Walter MacIntosh Murdoch (1865 – 1916)

Walter MacIntosh Murdoch, the fifth child of David and Harriet Murdoch, was born in Fisher Lane, Bingham, Nottinghamshire on September 26 1865. His father had been posted to this small market town by the Excise Department in 1861, and four of his siblings were also born here.

Soon after David and Harriett were married in Worcester in 1859, David was appointed as an Excise Officer to Birr, County Offaly, in Ireland. Roderick, their eldest son was born there in April 1860. In September that year, David was transferred to Bingham, Nottinghamshire, where the family spent the next 6 years and where their next five children including Walter were born.

In December 1866, David was moved to Wirksworth in Derbyshire “at the displeasure of the Board”, the first indication we have that he was not the ideal public servant. He may have been moved frequently over the next few years [we have no formal Excise Board records] and the next two children’s births were registered in Wakefield, Yorkshire where Harriett’s mother was living [Charles, 1868], and in Liverpool [David, stillborn 1870]. The April 1871 census shows the family in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, where David was still described as an excise-man, but by August 1872 they are living in Monmouth, Wales, where the last child, Lucy, was born. David’s name appears on her birth certificate as the father and informant: his occupation then is described as “commercial”.

At some stage around this time, David abandoned the family and emigrated to Sydney, Australia where he took up a similar post in the Customs Refineries and Distilleries Office for a few years between 1875 and 1878. He was befriended there by his brother-in-law Fred Parkes who had enlisted in the British army in October 1872 but later emigrated. David died of the effects of “intemperance and congestion of the lungs” in July 1879. He is buried in Rookwood Mausoleum, Sydney, with a headstone.

Even before the birth of Lucy, Frederick at the age of 8 was the first of seven Murdoch children to be shipped to Belleville, Ontario, Canada under the auspices of Miss Annie MacPherson’s organisation caring for destitute children. We know virtually nothing of what lead up to this dramatic breakup of the family. On arrival, the circumstances were summarised: “Parents living at Monmouth where father was Revenue Officer, expelled for drink. Now in trying circumstances.” Walter, Colin and Roderick followed in 1873 and Marion in 1874. Harriett seems to have settled in Manchester, but crossed the Atlantic herself in 1875 with Jessie, Charles and Lucy, soon returning with them and with Marion/Minnie, leaving four boys in Ontario. Charles later returned independently to North America as a young man: all five boys [Roderick, Frederick, Walter, Colin, and Charles] eventually lived out their lives in the USA.

Walter (7) and Colin (6) travelled out from Liverpool together on the SS Moravian, arriving in June 1873. They were taken in to the Marchmont Home in Belleville, Ontario, as their brother Fred had been a year before. Walter was placed first with a family in Kingston 50 km east of Belleville and 3 years later he was reported as being well and happy with a farmer’s family. By 1879 (at 15) he was going to school and started to learn the violin he had purchased. The 1881 census shows Walter at 15, still lodging with Wood family in Ernestown, Ontario.

In 1883 (at 17) he was working in a flour mill in nearby Deseronto, but by 1885 Walter was a successful barber with a shop of his own in Hamilton. In 1883 he had married Anne Ballantyne, a woman from Quebec with whom he had two children, Lillian [born 1883] and Walter Macintosh II [born December 1888], but in June 1888 he disappeared to Chicago leaving his family behind in Ontario. Anne never married again and because Walter M jnr had no sons, there are no further Murdochs in that line.

Around 1890, Walter snr married again, this time to Elizabeth MacPherson, a woman from Ardclach parish in Nairnshire where Walter’s grandfather John had been brought up. By 1900 they were living near Des Moines, Iowa with their three children - Charles Roderick, Donald Alexander and Thomas David. Ten years later, in 1910, they had a fourth child Jessie Harriett, and it appears that all were named after Walter’s parents and siblings. These four had many descendants, all living in the US.

In 1911, Walter’s sister Lucy Bradbury Wainwright came to visit from Nantwich, UK as part of a tour of the US which included visits to brother Fred in Meriden, Conn (who financed it), and brother Colin in Tacoma, Washington.

Walter earned his living as a barber in Des Moines. He died in Polk, Des Moines in October 1916 and is buried there. He left a widow Elizabeth and four children.

Drafted by John Murdoch Patrick: January 2016 ____________________________________________________________________________

Name

Walter MacIntosh /MURDOCH/^[1][2][3]

Walter M /Murdoch/^[4]

Found multiple versions of NAME. Using Walter MacIntosh /MURDOCH/.

Birth

26 SEP 1865

Bingham, Notts^[5][6]

Death

13 OCT 1916

Polk, Iowa, USA^[7]

Christening

19 NOV 1865

Bingham, Notts

Alias

/Walter Mackintosh Murdoch/

Event

Travel

BET MAY AND JUL 1911

for a sibling reunion/Indianola, Warren, Iowa, USA^[8]

Census

02 APR 1871

1871/Bromsgrove, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England^[9]

Residence

AFT 18 JUN 1873

and was processed through Marchmont Home/Belleville, , Ontario, Canada^[10]

06 JUN 1887

boards & assists brother Fred for his Jr. matriculation/Belleville, , Ontario, Canada^[11]

JUN 1888

unknown, but possibly Chicago/Belleville, , Ontario, Canada^[12]

1871

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England^[13]

Immigration

18 JUN 1873

aboard Moravian, as a "home child"/Quebec, Quebec^[14]

Burial

13 OCT 1916

Des Moines, Polk, Iowa, USA

Occupation

1916

City Directory gives shop address/Barber in Des Moines, USA^[15]

1885

"hair dresser" at 851 Princess St./Odessa, , Ontario, Canada^[16]

JAN 1882

worker in Mr. Rathburn's flour mill/Odessa, , Ontario, Canada^[17]

1886

barber/Odessa, , Ontario, Canada^[18]

1888

barber/Odessa, , Ontario, Canada^[19]

1887

"hair dresser" at 851 Princess St./Kingston, Ontario, Canada^[20]

Marriage

22 DEC 1889

Also given as Calhoun, Iowa/Lake City, Iowa^[21][22]

1883

Ontario, Canada^[23]

09 JUL 1859

Worcester, Worcs^{[24][25][26][27][28]}

09 JUL 1859

Worcester, Worcester St. Clement, Worcestershire, England, UK^[29]

DNA

Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by a Family Finder test match between Donald Milton Murdoch and his second cousin Dorothy Johnson Hughes. Their MRCAs are their great grandparents, David Murdoch and Harriet Jemima Parkes, FTDNA predicted relationship: 1st Cousin to 3rd Cousin, based on sharing 381 cM across 32 segments.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S249 Page: p. 1
2. ↑ Source: #S338
3. ↑ Source: #S541 Page: Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 3071; Folio: 115; Page: 47; GSU roll: 838888 Data: Text: Name: Walter MacIntosh MURDOCH CONT residence date: 1871 CONT residence place: Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England CONT birth date: 26 Sep 1865 CONT birth place: Bingham, Notts Object: @M368@
4. ↑ Source: #S551 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Anna Ballantyne
5. ↑ Source: #S372
6. ↑ Source: #S541 Page: Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 3071; Folio: 115; Page: 47; GSU roll: 838888 Data: Text: Name: Walter MacIntosh MURDOCH CONT residence date: 1871 CONT residence place: Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England CONT birth date: 26 Sep 1865 CONT birth place: Bingham, Notts Object: @M368@
7. ↑ Source: #S373 Page: Grave of Walter M. Murdock, death date 13 Oct 1916, page #550, Birth Date 1865, Cemetery Glendale, relative 51
8. ↑ Source: #S237
9. ↑ Source: #S290 Page: line 10
10. ↑ Source: #S280 Page: cover letter
11. ↑ Source: #S280 Page: cover letter
12. ↑ Source: #S280 Page: cover letter
13. ↑ Source: #S541 Page: Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 3071; Folio: 115; Page: 47; GSU roll: 838888 Data: Text: Name: Walter MacIntosh MURDOCH CONT residence date: 1871 CONT residence place: Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England CONT birth date: 26 Sep 1865 CONT birth place: Bingham, Notts Object: @M368@
14. ↑ Source: #S312 Page: p. 10
15. ↑ Source: #S595 Page: page 862 in printed version CONT p 884/1895 on internet version. Data: Text: Murdock Walter M barber J E Wenks bds 1718 High
16. ↑ Source: #S374
17. ↑ Source: #S374
18. ↑ Source: #S374
19. ↑ Source: #S374
20. ↑ Source: #S374
21. ↑ Source: #S421
22. ↑ Source: #S596 Page: reference number: 364 CONT film number: 1321767 CONT digital folder number: 004312662 CONT image number: 130 CONT Citing this Record CONT CONT "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XJ8G-3XJ : accessed 15 Feb 2013), Walter M. Murdock and Eliza Mcpherson, 1889. Data: Text: name: Walter M. Murdock CONT titles & terms: CONT event: Marriage CONT event date: 22 Dec 1889 CONT event place: Lake City, Iowa, Iowa, United States CONT age: 24 CONT estimated birth year: 1865 CONT father: David Murdock CONT father's titles & terms: CONT mother: Hariot Parks CONT mother's titles & terms: CONT spouse: Eliza Mcpherson CONT spouse's titles & terms: CONT spouse's age: 22 CONT spouse's estimated birth year: 1867 CONT spouse's father: Alexandra Mcpherson CONT spouse's father's titles & terms: CONT spouse's mother: Jessie Mcdonald CONT spouse's mother's titles & terms: CONT
23. ↑ Source: #S551 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Anna Ballantyne
24. ↑ Source: #S124
25. ↑ Source: #S539 Data: Text: Marriage date: Jul 1859 CONT Marriage place: Worcestershire Object: @M159@
26. ↑ Source: #S539 Data: Text: Marriage date: Jul 1859 CONT Marriage place: Worcestershire Object: @M162@
27. ↑ Source: #S539 Data: Text: Marriage date: Jul 1859 CONT Marriage place: Worcestershire Object: @M159@
28. ↑ Source: #S539 Data: Text: Marriage date: Jul 1859 CONT Marriage place: Worcestershire Object: @M162@
29. ↑ Source: #S422

• Source: S124 Title: Original certificate on file
• Source: S237 Author: John Murdoch Patrick Title: "The family of David Murdoch (1835-1879) Publication: Name: Name: Published initially as a Web page, emailed to Sharon Murdoch Primbsch. Includes references to other sources, such as the family bible.;; NOTEMEDI: Email DATE: 19 Jan 2011 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S249 Title: Notes by Grace Edith JOHNSON 2 Feb 1945 NOTEMEDI: Letter DATE: 30 Dec 2007 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S280 Author: Barnardo's, Cottage 4, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 IQG - case #157718154 Title: Correspondence from Barnardos about Marchmont rec'd. 21 Jan 2009 Publication: Name: Name: large package of correspondence about Murdoch siblings at Marchmont and their immigration into Canada as "home children" in 1872 and following years. It includes a cover letter, supporting information, and ledger sheets for Colin, Frederick, and Rod; NOTEMEDI: Letter DATE: 27 Jan 2009 _TAG2: _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S290 Title: Census, 1871, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, David Murdoch Publication: Name: Name: Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO); NOTEMEDI: Census/Tax DATE: 5 Apr 2010 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S312 Title: Passenger list, Moravian arr. Quebec 18 Jun 1873 Publication: Name: Name: British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (www.bifhsgo.ca) list of voyages that brought "home children" 1873-1879. "Library and Archives Canada" Passenger Lists 1865-1922, reel #C-4528;; NOTEMEDI: Voyage DATE: 11 Mar 2008 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S338 Title: Christened, 1863, Jessie Murdoch Publication: Name: Name: Ancestry.com. England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Genealogical Society of Utah. British Isles Vital Records Index, 2nd Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Int; NOTEMEDI: Church DATE: 23 Apr 2010 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S372 Title: Birth Certificate, Walter Macintosh Murdoch Publication: Name: Name: There is no name in the "name" field. Only "David", crossed out, and the number 16;; NOTEMEDI: Vital DATE: 21 Mar 2008 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S373 Author: Works Project Administration, Graves Registration Project, Washington, DC, USA Title: Iowa Graves Registration Survey, WPA Polk County Iowa Publication: Name: Name: Ancestry.com's "Iowa Cemetery Records", 2000, Provo, UT;; NOTEMEDI: Book DATE: 10 Mar 2010 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S374 Title: Correspondence from Barnardos about Marchmont rec'd. Jun 2010 NOTEDATE: 22 Aug 2010 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S421 Title: Pedigree by Charlyn Murdoch Johnson Publication: Name: Name: Ancestor chart with Charlyn Murdoch Johnson's Murdoch family paperwork.;; NOTEMEDI: Personal DATE: 19 Nov 2010 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S422 Title: Marriage Certificate, Murdoch/Parkes NOTEDATE: 8 Mar 2008 _ITALIC: Y _PAREN: Y
• Source: S539 Author: FreeBMD Title: England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. Published by permission of the Contro; Repository: #R2
• Repository: R2 Name: Ancestry.co.uk Address: http://www.Ancestry.co.uk E-Mail Address: Phone Number:
• Source: S541 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1871 England Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1871. Data imaged from the National A; Repository: #R2
• Source: S551 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R2 NOTEThis information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.
• Source: S595 Title: 1916 Des Moines & Polk County, Iowa, City Directory
• Source: S596 Title: Iowa County Marriages 1838-1934

Notes

N573UK census: 1871: 6, with parents and 5 sibs in Bromsgrove.

He left the UK aboard the SS Moravian on 5th June 1873 and arrived inQuebec on 18th June, aged 7.” [the 2009 Barnardo’s information adds “along with Colin”]

Data on children and g-children from Colin Murdock's tree

Lucy visited the brothers in 1910, She went to Indianola, Iowa (nr Des Moines), and as none of the other brothers lived there, this is probably Walter's address.

1881, 15, in Ernestown, Ontario, Canada lodging with Wood family

1895 and 6; 1900 etc : references in Des Moines City Directory [not viewed in Fold3]

US Census 1900 (and 1905): 34, in Indianola City, Warren, Iowa, US with wife Lizzie [32]. and shildren Charles [9], Don [7], Thomas [4]

US Census 1910: same family :44, in Indianola City, Warren, Iowa, US with wife Lizzie [42]. and shildren Charles [19], Don [17], Thomas [14], Jessie [7]

US census: 1910: Warren, Iowa, USA Sharon thinks he may have had a previous wife, especially as he didn't follow the Scottish custom and name a son after himself (i.e. there may be a son Walter by a previous marriage) Perry Snow's 13 Oct 2008 email to me (Sharon Primbsch) about Walter says that he was with the McPherson organization, and that the distribution home was "Galt" [town of Galt, Ontario is now named Cambridge] .See "The British Home Children Registry" at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~britishhomechildren/surnames.htm. I provided data to Perry Snow' registry by emailing my file BritishHomeChildren.xls to him. This file contains data for all five of "our" Murdoch Home Children. John Sayers' email to me (Sharon Primbsch) says the 1881 Canadian census puts "Wolter Murdock" in Ernestown, Lennox, Ontario (east end of Lake Ontario), and puts Colin "Merdock" in Haldimand, Northumberland West, Ontario (west end of Lake Ontario). Sayers' suggests that they went through the Belleville Home, Marchmont. Sayers also says they came via Annie MacPhersons homes which was one of the better sending agencies. Annie was Scottish and brought the second group of children to Canada in 1869, soon after Maria Rye. She opened a second home in Galt, Ontario (later moved to Stratford, Ontario), and in 1877 the groupof three sisters opened a home in Knowlton, Quebec (where Louisa BirtMacPherson sent her children from Liverpool). Sayers says that it wasn't easy to determine to which home the children had been sent. They tended to divide the children up, particularly between Belleville and Galt. The MacPherson homes were taken over by Barnardos in 1924. At that time, the MacPherson records were purged somewhat before they were sent to Barnardos. Since the Murdoch boys came very early, Barnardos may not have a record of them. Sayers recommends two books: 1) "Marchmont Distributing Home, Belleville, Ontario, 1870-1925", by James S. Gilchrist; and 2) "The Children's Home Finder", by Lillian M. Birt,published 1913 (may be hard to find).

ancestry.com's Patrick Family Tree says that Walter died in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It's unclear whether Walter died 13 Oct 1916 or was buried on that date.

"Canada Census, 1881" from Family Search https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVXV-97V

name: Wolter Murdock

title:

gender: Male

age: 15y

calculated birth year: 1866

birthplace: England

marital status:

occupation: Laborer

ethnic origin: English

religion: Meth

head of household: Neal P. Wood

born during last year:

census place: Ernestown, Lennox, Ontario, Canada. Near Belleville

district number: 117

sub district: D

division: 1

page number: 69

house number: 582849

family number: 350

digital folder number: 4465771

image number: 00049

film number: 1375872

library and archives canada film number: C-13236

Household Gender Age Birthplace

Neal P. Wood M 42y Ontario

Catharine E. Wood F 41y Ontario

Wolter Murdock M 15y England

"United States Census, 1900"

name: Walter Murdock

titles & terms:

event: Census

event date: 1900

event place: ED 146 Washington Township Indianola city, Warren, Iowa, United States

birth date: Sep 1865

birthplace: Scotland

relationship to head of household: Head

father's birthplace: Scotland

mother's birthplace: Scotland

race or color (standardized): White

gender: Male

marital status: Married

years married: 10

estimated marriage year: 1890

mother how many children:

number living children:

immigration year: 1873

page: 22

sheet letter: B

family number: 497

reference number: 74

film number: 1240463

digital folder number: 004120126

image number: 00811

Household Gender Age Birthplace

head Walter Murdock M 35 Scotland

wife Lizzie Murdock F 33 Scotland

son Charles Murdock M 10 Iowa

son Don Murdock M 7 Iowa

son Thomas Murdock M 4 Iowa

Citing this Record

"United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M9LT-ZRR : accessed 14 Feb 2013), Walter Murdock, ED 146 Washington Township Indianola city, Warren, Iowa, United States; citing sheet 22B, family 497, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1240463.

name: Walter M Murdock

birthplace: Scotland

relationship to head of household: Self

residence: Indianola Ward 1, Warren, Iowa

marital status: Married

race : White

gender: Male

immigration year: 1873

father's birthplace: Scotland

mother's birthplace: Scotland

family number: 473

page number: 24

Household Gender Age Birthplace

self Walter M Murdock M 44y Scotland

wife Eliza Murdock F 42y Scotland

son Charles R Murdock M 19y Iowa

son Donald A Murdock M 16y Iowa

son Tom N Murdock M 13y Iowa

dau Jessie H Murdock F 7y Iowa

Citing this Record

"United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MG92-C1S : accessed 14 Feb 2013), Walter M Murdock, Indianola Ward 1, Warren, Iowa; citing sheet 24A, family 473, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374439

Acknowledgments

Thank you to John Patrick for creating WikiTree profile Murdoch-274 through the import of JMP-Ancestry_2013-03-04.ged on Mar 4, 2013.