Alexander Murray (4) of Blackhouse

Generation 6:i

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Alexander Murray (4) of Blackhouse b.3 April 1784 at Slap, Turriff, Aberdeenshire d.2 March 1864 at Peterhead. More information

Son of Andrew Murray (1) of Slaps b.20 October 1748 at Slap, Turriff d.16 July 1831 buried at King Edward cemetery and Jean Strachan b.1754 at Gamrie, Banffshire d.12 July 1832

Married 11 April 1807 at Peterhead Catherine Johnston b.27 October 1785 at Crimond, Aberdeenshire d.16 January 1818 at Peterhead and buried there, daughter of James Johnston of Sallowhill and Anne Allerdas, and sister of his brother William's wife, Anne.

They had the following children:

M i Andrew (2) of Aberdeen b.May 1808 at Peterhead d.19 July 1889 at Aberdeen.
Married 2 January 1838 at Saint Nicholas' Church, Aberdeen Mary Ford Anderson b.1810 d.1891, daughter of Dr John Ford Anderson (1) of Peterhead (VII 23) and Mary Sutter.
M ii John (4) b.November 1809 at Peterhead d.27 July 1898 at Sherrington, Norfolk. Trained as a Doctor, became Inspector of Hospitals, India.
Married Marianne Loveday. They had the following children:
 Caroline;
 Maria,
 (married (1) Captain Bruce, having 2 children
 married (2) M Sanders having 3 children).
M iii James b.February 1812 at Peterhead.
M iv Alexander (5) of Nethermill b.1811 or 1813 (christened 19 June 1813) d.10 September 1901 (death certificate).
Married 10 August 1852 Janet Innes Anderson b.May 1829 d. d.12 May 1910 (death certificate) buried 14 May 1910 at Allenvale cemetery, Aberdeen
F v Anne Murray b.June 1816 at Peterhead (christened 14 June 1816) d.4 February 1909 at Aberdeen.
Married 25 August 1840 at Blackhouse, Peterhead Reverend James White. They had 5 sons and 8 daughters:
 Helen;
 Annie;
 Sarah;
 Mary Yeats;
 James R (married Lizzie Fergusson);
 Unknown;
 Sarah died young;
 Alexander;
 John;
 Eleanor;
 Catherine Anne (married Colonel S. Parr);
 Jessie J.;
 George Gordon (married A.Bond).

29 January, 2010

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'Slap' was the name of the farm owned by Alexander's father and grandfather.

Alexander Murray of Slap and Alexander Morison of Meikle Colp were witnesses at his christening.

Alexander was educated at King Edward and Banff, becoming proficient in French and Italian. He was apprenticed 1797 - 1801 to Chalmers & Co, merchants in Banff, dealers in salt, swedish iron, nails, english leather and hides, grain, wine, beer, soap and candles.

After this he went to London and joined Messrs Garden & Angus, ship and insurance brokers in Mincing Lane. He stayed with them until his health broke down and he was ordered back to Scotland. He decided he wanted to be a farmer and purchased the small estate of Blackhouse in 1803 which had been in the possession of James Reid. His neighbour there was George Murray, possibly a relation, who farmed 45 acres at Waterside.

Extracts from his diary in the Buchan Observer show him as quite an entrepreneur. He tried growing different types of grain, one sent by his brother Dr John Murray from the Cape of Good Hope, and he initiated herring fishing at Buchan.

He mentions in the extracts in the Buchan Observer "as I have already written a book, more especially on the filth of Peterhead, as well as the excessive drought of our good town's inhabitants, I shall say no more on the subject", though it is not known what book it was.

A good scot, he noticed peat was being stolen from his land. He filled some peats with charges of gunpowder. After nearby crofters suffered explosions in the fireplace, the thefts ceased.

His wife died in 1818 at the age of 32, so he lived 46 years a widower.

In the 1851 census he is shown as employing 2 live-in and 4 live-out labourers, 3 farmworkers and 1 house servant. At the same time he had Ann E Murray, aged 25 years, staying at the house, possibly a relation. In 1861 the census shows he has a 44 year old servant living with him.

His gravestone is in the retaining wall around the newer Peterhead cemetery.

Source: Iain Forrest / record of baptism at Turriff / photo of his monument at Peterhead cemetery / articles in the Buchan Observer 1 March - 19 April 1910

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Notes on sources

Anderson family tree

Information is largely taken from the book 'The Andersons of Peterhead'. This was based on the records made by John Anderson 1825/1903 [VIII 32], known as 'China John'. This was brought up to date in 1936 by Cecil Ford Anderson [X 17] and Agnes Donald Ferguson [CS 45 X b]. Many photographs were taken and compiled in an album by Olive Edis (daughter of Mary Murray, daughter of Andrew Murray (2) of Aberdeen). Corrections to both Janet Innes Anderson's and Alexander Murray's death dates from Robert Murray Watt and Iain Forrest.

Forrest family tree

Iain Forrest kindly supplied material to update the Forrest family (progeny of William Forrest) details.

Hibbert family tree

The information is largely taken from a tree compiled by F.B. (she knows who she is!) with extra material found by the author.

Murray family tree

The 'Genealogical Table showing various branches of the Murray family', from which this information was taken, was prepared by Alexander Murray of Blackhouse, extended by Andrew Murray - advocate - Aberdeen circa 1880 and further extended by Arthur Murray Watt 1972. The generational notation is the author's.

Pike family tree

Information from family sources as well as 'Burke's Landed Gentry' 1875

Stevenson family tree and many Stevenson and Anderson photos

Deepest thanks for some fantastic pictures and for writing the wonderful book 'Jobs for the Boys' to Hew Stevenson, which you can see on www.dovebooks.co.uk.

And the rest

Thanks also to all who have written in with information, advice, help and, most importantly, corrections.

© John Hibbert 2001-2013

28 February, 2021