Patrick John Murdoch (1850 - 1940)

Born 10 Jun 1850 in Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Annie (Brown) Murdoch — married 5 Jun 1882 in Cruden, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 1 Jul 1940 at age 90 in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

This profile is part of the Murdoch Name Study.

Patrick Murdoch was born in Scotland.

Patrick John Murdoch (1850-1940), Presbyterian minister, was born on 10 June 1850 at Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, son of Rev. James Murdoch, Free Church of Scotland minister, and his wife Helen, née Garden. Patrick was raised in the highly erudite atmosphere of a Free Church manse at Rosehearty, the herring-fishing port of Pitsligo on Moray Firth. He graduated M.A. after four years at the University of Aberdeen and completed his training for the Free Church ministry as Cunningham scholar at New College, Edinburgh, and assistant minister at Regent Square Presbyterian Church, London, and South Free Church, Aberdeen.

Murdoch and a large family party including his parents and his 10-year-old brother (Sir) Walter, arrived in Melbourne on 2 October 1884 only to find that the Victorian Church had its own crisis regarding Charles Strong.

After three years at West Melbourne Murdoch was called to Trinity Church, Camberwell, in August 1887 and remained there until his retirement in 1928. He held prominent positions in the Presbyterian Church, being convener of the Victorian General Assembly's business committee in 1892-1918, joint convener of the 20th Century Fund, clerk of the presbytery of Melbourne South in 1896-1920, moderator of the Victorian General Assembly in 1898-99 and moderator-general of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in 1905-06.

Research Notes

Birth

Patrick John Murdoch. 5 June 1850.

Marriage

Married in Cruden 5 June 1882 Annie Brown (1856-1945).

Death

1 July 1940.

Death Reg #6005/1940

MURDOCH.-On July 1, at his home, 33 Ryeburne avenue, Upper Hawthorn, Patrick John, husband of Annie Murdoch, in his 91st year.

Obituary

Rev. Patrick John Murdoch, minister emeritus of the Presbyterian Church and former Moderator-General, died yesterday at his home in Ryeburne - avenue, Auburn. He was 90 years of age, and had retired from active ministry about thirteen years ago. Son of a Free Church minister, the late Mr. Murdoch was born at Pitsligo, Scotland, in 1850, and was educated at Aberdeen University and New College, Edinburgh. At the age of 18 he was ordained by the Free Church of Scotland, and after holding the pastorate of Cruden, Scotland, for some years, he came to Australia in 1884, to receive a call to West Melbourne pastorate. Three years later he was appointed to Trinity Presbyterian Church, Camberwell, where he remained for 40 years. He was Moderator of the Victorian General Assembly in 1898-99, and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in 1905-6. Among other offices held by him were those of convenor of the Victorian General Assembly business committee (from 1892 to 1918) and clerk of the Presbytery of Melbourne South (1896-1920). He published a treatise on the shorter catechism, a treatise on the Christian doctrines, and a volume of war sermons.

He married Miss Annie Browne, an Aberdeen clergyman's daughter, and had six sons and one daughter.

The surviving members of his family, besides his widow, are Sir Keith Murdoch (Director-General of Information), Mr. Ivan Murdoch (of Shepparton), Mr. Alan Murdoch (Sydney) manager of the Australian Mercantile, Land and Finance Co. Ltd.) and Miss Helen Murdoch (of Melbourne). Professor Walter Murdoch is a brother. After a service at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Camberwell, at 2.30 p.m. to-day, the funeral will leave for Spring Vale crematorium.

Immigration

OCTOBER 2.

Potosi, R.M.S. Orient line, 4219, J. B. Park, from London 20th August, via Plymouth 2nd, Naples 29th, Suez Canal and Adelaide 80th ult. Passengers saloon: For Melbourne: Rev. J. P. Murdoch, Mrs. Murdoch, family.

Scotland Census, 1851

Patrick John Murdoch

Age: 0

Birthplace: Aberdeenshire

Registration District: Buchan

County: Aberdeenshire

Birth Year (Estimated): 1851

Scotland Census, 1861

Patrick John Murdoch

Age: 10

Birthplace: Aberdeenshire

Registration District: Pitsligo

County: Aberdeenshire

Birth Year (Estimated): 1851

Sources

• Death notice - The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Tue 2 Jul 1940 Page 1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204401545

• Funeral notice - The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Tue 2 Jul 1940 Page 1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204401528
• Funeral article - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/246481865

• Obituary - The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954) Tue 2 Jul 1940 Page 8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204401701

• Niel Gunson, 'Murdoch, Patrick John (1850–1940)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/murdoch-patrick-john-7695/text13471, published first in hardcopy 1986, accessed online 11 January 2019.

• Immigration - Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918) Sat 4 Oct 1884 Page 30 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197969819

• "Scotland Census, 1851," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VYT8-B1N : 10 December 2017), Patrick John Murdoch, Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; from "1851 England, Scotland & Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing p. 22, PRO HO 107, The National Archives UK, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 1,042,121.

• "Scotland Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB7K-SL9 : 11 December 2017), Patrick John Murdoch, Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; from "1861 England, Scotland & Wales census," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012.); citing p. 1, PRO RG 9, The National Archives UK, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 103,784.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to William Arbuthnot for starting this profile.