William Murray & Margaret Ann Mackenzie

William was born on 1st January 1876 at his maternal grandmother's home, Torbreck, Rogart, first child of Alexander Murray and Jane Mackenzie (BC). 
Margaret Ann was born in Inverness on 8th July 1970, daughter of John Mackenzie, a farm servant and his wife Mary Mackenzie (BC). 

As a young boy William Murray lived with his widowed maternal grandmother Elizabeth Mackay (Mrs William Mackenzie) at Torbreck, Rogart, where she farmed seven acres. Young William was there with his grandmother and Aunt Christina in 1881. The 1891 census shows him still there with his younger sister Bessie, aged 11 years. Granny Mackenzie was now 78 years old. Life was hard on the crofts – crofters struggled to support the large families and many children were boarded out to grandparents. 

He was with his parents at Rhemusaig in the 1901 census. William left Sutherland in the next few years heading south to Edinburgh where many of his sisters were already settled.  He found work as a jobbing gardener in the Morningside area of Edinburgh. 

In 1910 on 10 June William and Margaret married at the United Free Church, Polworth Terrace, Edinburgh (MC). 

After their wedding they moved into Morningside Road, an address which would be home to Murray's for one hundred years. The last person with the name Murray sold the house in 2010.

This old picture of Morningside Road was taken in the late 1890s. Apart from the clothes the people are wearing this looks just like my own memories of the street when I was young.  
Note the tramcar lines and the evidence of horses!

In 1911 William, a jobbing gardener, Margaret and baby Elizabeth were living at 160 Morningside Road. William continued to do gardening and odd jobs while Margaret [Meg] cleaned at the big houses in the area. 

The 1914/18 war required all men under forty to be enlisted – William was called up. He served with the Black Watch attaining the rank of Sergeant. In the trenches of Northern France he suffered very severely from gas poisoning.  

Photograph of Granny (Margaret Ann Mackenzie) with her eldest son William (my father) standing (and below in cadet uniform aged 11 years), her first born child daughter Elizabeth (Bessie) and baby Robert on her lap.  This photograph was taken in 1914-1915 (baby Robert was born in September 1914).

In 1923 William died on 14th May when his death certificate showed he died from illness associated with gassing in the trenches of war.  His young widow continued her life as before bringing up her children.  

They had the following children:
ELIZABETH MURRAY [Bessy], born 27 February 1911 Morningside, Edinburgh (BC) – 1911 census at home – in 1931 married John Mackay in Edinburgh – had family - in 1976 Bessy died on 30th September in Edinburgh. Her daughters Morag and Frances still live in Scotland 

Photograph shows John Mackay, eldest daughter Morag, wife Bessy, youngest daughter Frances with baby and Granny Murray

WILLIAM MURRAY, born 18 October 1912 Morningside, Edinburgh (BC) - in 1940 on 20th July married Robina Gordon Wilson in Edinburgh – in 1969 died 29 April in England, aged 56 years - William and Ruby had three children, Christine (me), Richard and Isobel. Christine turned into the family historian, lives in England and has three daughters, Angela, Annette and NIcola; Richard Gordon Mackenzie Murray, born 1945, served nearly 30 years in Royal Air Force, married Angela Haley and had two children, Darren William Murray  and Lesley-Ann Murray. Richard died in 2004 from Motor Neurone Disease.  His widow and family all live in England today. Isobel Finlayson Murray born 1946 Edinburgh, married and lives in England. One child Gordon William Dickson who lives in Glasgow.

William Murray & Robina Gordon Wilson, my parents

Their eldest child

Christine Finlayson Murray (me)

The Three of us

left to right

Isobel, Richard, Christine

ROBERT MURRAY, born 21 September 1914 Morningside, Edinburgh (BC) – in 1943 married Isabella Christina Chisholm in Edinburgh – in 1968 died 8th April in Edinburgh – had family; Lesley-Ann, born 1945, died 1999, married with two children; Robin, born 1950; George born 1953, married with two daughters; Ian Mackenzie born 1956 married with two daughters; Isabella Mary, twin to Ian; Andrew Chisholm born 1963, married with two children - many of this family still live in Scotland 

Their eldest child Lesley-Ann 

her brother Ian Mackenzie Murray with his family

MARGARET ANN MURRAY [Peggy] born 5 May 1921 Morningside, Edinburgh (BC) – in 1944 married James Thomson – in 1977 died 14 May in Stirlingshire – had three children, JOHN THOMSON married with two children 

JOHN MACKENZIE MURRAY, born 3 February 1923 Morningside, Edinburgh (BC) – in 1965 John married Dorothy Elizabeth MacNeil Milne in Edinburgh – in 1975. John died 11 July Edinburgh (DC)  – in 2009 his widow Dorothy died in Edinburgh – she had continued to live in the family home at 160 Morningside Road after the death of her husband – the last Murray to live there – no family

John Murray

At the age of 75 years Margaret Ann Mackenzie, widow of William Murray, married a gentleman she met through her church – William Miller. She died in Edinburgh on the 9th July 1970. 

updated 23/03/2016