Murdo John Murray (1864 - 1936)

Born 20 Sep 1864 in Whitton, Compton, Quebec, Canada

Ancestors

Son of John Roderick Murray and Margaret MacIver (Macdonald) Murray

Husband of Minnie Lucina (Kittredge) Murray — married 8 Feb 1911 in Ryegate, Caledonia, Vermont, USA

Descendants

Died 30 Jan 1936 at age 71 in Graniteville, Barre, Washington, Vermont, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Clyde Perkins [send private message]

Biography

Murdo Murray was a Vermonter.

Murdo John Murray was was born on 20 Sep 1864 in Hampden, Quebec, Canada, the son of John Roderick Murray and Margaret Macdonald, the twin brother of Donald J. Murray. ^[1][2]

During the Scottish Highland Clearances from 1750 to 1860, the family of his grandfather, Roderick Gobha Murray, along with many relatives, had become crofters near Stornoway on the the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Hebrides. In the 1850s at the peak of the Highland Potato Famine, one third of the entire Scottish population had emigrated. His grandfather’s family arrived in Quebec, Canada, in 1856.

On 10 May 1889, he had emigrated from Hampden, Quebec, Canada to join his many Scot cousins and relatives at work in the granite quarries of Barre, Vermont. ^[3]

On 8 Feb 1911, he married Minnie (Kittredge) Bowen at Ryegate, Vermont. ^[4]

On 9 Nov 1911, he was naturalized as a Citizen of the United States. ^[3]

Able to Lick their Weight in Wildcats

During youth, Murdo and his twin brother, Dan (Donald), were said to be able, “to lick their weight in wildcats,” and we find a possible reason,

On 8 Nov 1903, “There was a fierce fight at Graniteville last night participated in by a number of inebriated individuals, in which several were more or less injured. It terminated in the residence of Angus Campbell, where it is alleged that Campbell struck Murdo Murray over the head with a fire shovel, splitting his head open for several inches. Campbell was arrested and taken to East Barre, where he will have a trial…”^[5]

Also, possibly related, a lasting feud between the Murray’s and Campbells, the Scottish Highland Massacre of Monzievaird took place on 21 Oct 1490, at the church of Monzievaird. Nineteen members of the Murray clan were burned alive inside the church by members of the Campbell…clans.

Violent Death of Brother in a Vermont Granite Quarry

Work in the granite quarries was extremely and immediately dangerous; this was obvious. His brother, Alexander, was killed in a violent powder explosion on 22 Jan 1925.

The more insidious, longer term, disabling effects of breathing silica dust were not recognized in the 1920s.

Silicosis in a Vermont Granite Quarry

• Many of the Barre, Vermont quarry workers developed silicosis of the lungs. ^[6]

• Exposure to silica dust causes silicosis, and “Because the disease affects the immune system, silicosis patients are vulnerable to developing tuberculosis, lung cancer, COPD and kidney disease.”^[7]

After many years of work in the granite quarries, he, also developed silicosis of the lungs and ultimately succumbed to chronic bronchitis. ^[2][8]

He died on 30 Jan 1936 in Graniteville, Barre, Washington, Vermont, USA ^[9]

Children of Murdo John Murray and Minnie Lucina Kittredge

1. Edith Elizabeth Murray, b. 6 Apr 1911, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 16 Apr 1986, Barre, Washington, Vermont
2. John Murdo Murray, b. 8 Mar 1913, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 10 Jun 1913, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont
3. Margaret Helen Murray, d. 29 Mar 1914, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 8 Feb 1998, Zephyrhills, Pasco, Florida
4. Alexander Douglas Murray, b. 18 Mar 1916, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 30 Mar 1919, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont
5. Marion Murdena Murray, b. 26 Mar 1918, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 24 Feb 1993, Montpelier, Washington, Vermont,
6. Delena Ester "Katherine" Murray, b. 18 Oct 1918, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 12 Mar 1991, Windsor, Windsor, Vermont
7. Donald John Murray, b. 13 Apr 1922, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 26 Mar 1979, Columbus, Franklin, Ohio
8. Christina Loise Murray, b. 22 Sep 1924, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 4 Feb 1998 • Windsor, Windsor, Vermont
9. Esther Elizabeth Murray, b. 22 Sep 1924, Graniteville, Washington, Vermont; d. 11 Apr 2016, Windsor, Windsor, Vermont

Sources

1. ↑ "1891 Census of Canada"
   Quebec > Compton > Hampden > image 20 of 23
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 30 April 2022)
   Donald Marray
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Vermont, U.S., Death Records, 1909-2008"
   Not Stated > 1936 > image 22825 of 27752
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 30 April 2022)
   Murdo John Murrey
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Vermont, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1790-1954"
   District Court, Vermont > Petitions and Records of Naturalization, 5/1842-1982 > image 9474 of 69663
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 30 April 2022)
   Murdo Murray
4. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954"
   Catalog: State records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1909-1942 Munger, I.-Musella, G.
   Image path: Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954 > 005270035 > image 2793 of 3194
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-G1V4-38G (accessed 30 April 2022)
5. ↑ “3 Nov 1903, 4 - Montpelier Evening Argus at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=97698960&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjQwMzk0MDQ4MSwiaWF0IjoxNjQ4NTcxMTE1LCJleHAiOjE2NDg2NTc1MTV9.APZeDOAlew3P1H9ruJIjQasXN_F6jn12qGg5yJVlkmM.
6. ↑ “Barre, Vermont Granite Workers and the Struggle against Silicosis (1890-1960).” Accessed March 10, 2022. https://library.fes.de/libalt/journals/swetsfulltext/11116563.pdf.
7. ↑ “Silicosis Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors.” American Lung Association. Accessed March 11, 2022. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/silicosis/symptoms-diagnosis.
8. ↑ “Barre, Vermont Granite Workers and the Struggle against Silicosis (1890-1960).” Accessed March 10, 2022. https://library.fes.de/libalt/journals/swetsfulltext/11116563.pdf.
9. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-2008"
   Citing Vital Records Office, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington and New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston.
   FamilySearch Record: KNS7-GWX (accessed 30 April 2022)
   Murdo John Murrey death 30 Jan 1936 in Vermont, United States.

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #70526682
• MURRAY CLAN DNA RESEARCH PROJECT, https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/murray/about
• Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between Clyde Perkins and his second cousin, once removed, Christy Elizabeth Day. Their most-recent common ancestors are their great grandparents, John Roderick Murray, and Margaret Macdonald. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2nd cousin 1x removed, based on sharing 312 cM across 14 segments; Unweighted shared DNA: 312 cM, Longest segment: 54 cM.
• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Clyde Perkins and Elizabeth (Murray) Wold, his 2nd cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Roderick Murray and Margaret Stewart, the great great grandparents of Clyde Perkins and great grandparents of Elizabeth (Murray) Wold. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 2C1X, based on sharing 27 cM across 2 segments. DNA test taker Clyde Perkins is the grandson of Murdo Murray, the son of John Murray, the son of the common ancestors Roderick Murray & Margaret Stewart.