Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer

Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer - MURRAY, John of Peel Tp

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Pioneer - MURRAY, John of Peel Tp.

Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County

Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906

MURRAY, John (d,) was b. in Inverness, Scot., Nov. 14th, 1837, d. April 6, 1905, age 58 years. He came to Canada with his parents in the year 1854, and set. in the township of Mornington, where he experienced all the hardships of pioneer life in the bush. He started in life without means, but was an energetic, saving young man. On Feb. 20 , 1863, he m. Catharine Clark, and in the March following, they purchased a 100 acre farm in the township of North Easthorpe, near Stratford, and soon made for themselves a comfortable home. In 1880 he sold it and purchased a farm in Wallace Tp., west of Listowel, in 1881. After three years' residence there, he moved to Peel Tp., where he had purchased a 200 acre farm, lot 1, con. 6. This farm he still improved, but death cut short his efforts before he was able to enjoy the results of his hard labor. In religion, he and his wife were life long Presbyterians. In politics he strongly upheld the Reform Government.

Catharine Clark, wife of John Murray, was also a native of the Highlands of Scotland, being b. in Perthshire, on Nov. 24 1840. She was one of the 80 rescued out of the 480 on the burning steamer "John MacKenzie," near Quebec in 1856. Out of a family of ten who left Scot., she and her father and mother and four sisters and three brothers, only she and her mother were survivors of the wreck, being saved by a passing vessel, the crew of which sank ropes into the water; her mother, being down in the water struggling, caught hold of a rope in one hand, and her daughter's hair in the other, and they were drawn up out of the water. The bodies of the rest of the family were found and buried at Quebec, on the mountain behind the city. The rescued were brought back to Quebec and the St. Andrew's Society cared and provided for them, until they reached their destination. To them were b. a family of eleven, seven sons and four daughters; three sons d. in childhood, and three sons d. in manhood; one daughter d. while attending high school. At present, four are living, three daughters: Mrs. William Brown, of Manitoba; Margaret, Elizabeth Stewart, and one son Alexander Bickell.

The latter three inherited the property when A. B. attained his majority in 1903.

From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto:Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906