Location: [unknown]
The Wish
Who are the parents of Robert Murray (Murray-16857)? I can't pin him down at all in Scotland. His wife and infant daughter, Jean Grace Murray, are in the 1841 census living with her family, but he wasn't with them at the time. I do know that he and wife Jean Robertson married in Kilwinning, Ayr County, on 22 Nov 1839, and they emigrated in 1842 (so are not the other Robertson/Murray family listed in the 1841 and 1851 census' in the same general area).
Details from his profile:
"Robert's birth info is unclear. Some Ancestry trees list his parents as James Murray and Barbara Millar, with a birth date of September 26, 1812 and an October 22, 1812 baptism. His age on the passenger list of the Alabama in May, 1842 shows him as 27, putting his birth year at 1814. If that is the correct age, there is a Robert Balfour Murray born to a James Murray and Elizabeth Lunem on September 17, 1814, and baptized in Stenton on September 25."
"Alternatively, we know Robert was not listed on the 1841 census with his wife and daughter. A few miles away in Mauchline, there is a Robert Murray, age 30 (putting his birth in 1811), living with a family by the name of Cameron and two others of different surnames. Occupation is listed as 'Cotton HLW', not as 'mason' as listed on Jean Grace's baptism certificate."
Any help confirming which Robert is mine g-g-g-grandfather would be a tremendous help going forward in my research.
Thank you!
Elf Notes
I checked on death records at ScotlandsPeople, and Robert Murray, b. 1814, mother's maiden name Lunan, died in Stenton in 1880. So that can be eliminated as a possibility. Unfortunately, I couldn't pin down the parents and birth. If the 1841 census record suggested for Robert is correct, his birthplace was Ayrshire. That would argue against the birth in Blairgowrie, Perthshire. I was not able to find a more fitting census record for Robert.
There was a possible clue in the 1841 census for Jean. A 23-yr old Janet Murray, born in Ayrshire, lived with Jean during the 1841 census. Although the name could be a coincidence, this could be Robert's sister. I was unable to find Ayrshire births for a Robert (~1811) and Janet (~1818) to the same parents. No relationship with 13-yr Ann Chalmers could be determined. There's no records of a Chalmers/Murray or Chalmers/Robertson marriage or baptism record with those parents.
Unfortunately, it does not appear that all births were recorded in Kilwinning during this time period. I checked on the Robertson family, found the 1841 census record, and looked for their children's birth/baptism record. Son Robert was the only one of the 3 children of James and Jean Robertson for which a baptism records could be found.
Sources
- Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a142007f4040b9d6e097ae6 : accessed 2 Jan 2024) [data about James ROBERTSON in household of James ROBERTSON]; citing Piece: 599 Place: Kilwinning Enumeration District: 3 Civil Parish: Kilwinning Ecclesiastical Parish: Kilwinning Folio: 3 Page: 9 Schedule: Address: Dalgarvan Mill.
- ROBERTSON James M 55 Cotton Hand Loom Weaver Ayrshire
- ROBERTSON Jean F 50 Ayrshire
- ROBERTSON Robert M 15 Ayrshire
- ROBERTSON Mary F 14 Ayrshire
- ROBERTSON James M 10 Ayrshire
- Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a141de8f4040b9d6e06f60d : accessed 2 Jan 2024) [data about Jean MURRAY in household of Jean MURRAY]; citing Piece: 587 Place: Dalry Enumeration District: 12 Civil Parish: Dalry Ecclesiastical Parish: Dalry Folio: 12 Page: 3 Schedule: Address: Vennel St.
- MURRAY Jean F 23 Muslin Sewer Ayrshire
- MURRAY Jean F 11m Ayrshire
- CHALMERS Ann F 13 Silk Sewer Ayrshire
- MURRAY Janet F 23 Straw Hat Maker Ayrshire
- Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a142104f4040b9d6e0aa8d4 : accessed 2 Jan 2024) [data about Robert MURRAY in household of Adam CAMERON]; citing Piece: 604 Place: Mauchline Enumeration District: 11 Civil Parish: Mauchline Ecclesiastical Parish: Mauchline Folio: 11 Page: 1 Schedule: Address: Loudoun Street.
- CAMERON Adam M 45 Cotton Hand Loom Weaver Ayrshire
- CAMERON Margaret F 45 Out of County
- CAMERON Elizabeth F 20 Box Polisher Ayrshire
- HARVEY Mary F 26 Sewer Ayrshire
- MURRAY Robert M 30 Cotton Hand Loom Weaver Ayrshire
- BELL James M 15 Ayrshire
- New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 27 May 1842 New York, New York, USA. The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: M237, 1820-1897
- James Robertson Male 45 1797, Liverpool, England
- Jane Robertson Female 43 1799
- Robert Robertson Male 20 1822
- Margaret Robertson Female15 1827
- James Robertson Male 12 1830
- Robert Murray Male 27 1815
- Jane Murray Female 22 1820
- Jane Murray Female 1 1841
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