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Kirkcudbrightshire / Re: Murdochs in Colvend and Dalbeattie
« on: Saturday 29 June 19 12:45 BST (UK) »
How exciting to find someone else looking for Alexander the baker! I believe I turned over every stone in my search for all bakers named Alexander Murdoch and it seemed that I was alone in my search, though I did come across one lady, Wendy (any close relative of yours?) who was researching the line which included William McMaster Murdoch of Titanic fame. We corresponded for a while and she kindly sent me a disc portraying members of her family. However, she had no information of Samuel Lowden Murdoch's son Alexander (1795/6-1830). I researched Ebenezer's family fairly thoroughly, despite being unsure of a connection, in the hope that there may be any clue at all to prove or disprove a connection to 'my' husband's family Murdoch.
Like you, I searched for deaths of Alexander's mother or of himself in Scotland records as well as English (hence my coming upon the drowned Alexander). I also searched census records after 1861 for a baker Alexander who may have left his family and been living elsewhere, even searching ship's passenger lists for those transported to Australia and New Zealand. I have considered so many scenarios such as his not having actually married Charlotte (Branette, Barnet, Burnet etc.) whom I have traced (as well as her family) to present day. Nor can I find a registered birth for Charlotte who claimed to have been born in Edinburgh.
I spent several years looking at births and marriages for Alexander Murdoch (baker) in Scotland and researched those who might have fitted at a pinch, all to no avail. The strongest connection seems to be at Colvend and, whilst I know I must assume nothing, I know there must be a clue somewhere. This is why I considered the possibility that Samuel Lowden may have 'adopted' his brother's children when he died in 1830, leaving a widow with two young children, Charles Donaldson Murdoch and Alexander (the baker), though as you say Alexander, was with his mother in both the 1841 and '51 census. I considered the possibility that Charles may have gone to sea thus explaining his absence and that this Charles could have been the one who went missing at sea (1829-1860). His memorial stone is in Dalbeattie where 'my' possible Alexander was, or had been living with his mother. I had already witnessed the registration of births of Alexander and Anne's sons in parish registers, so with this in mind, I returned to Dumfries to search for the births of Charles Donaldson Murdoch and Alexander Murdoch as sons of Samuel and Jean in the parish register. The names were not there. I also checked for the possible death of Charles Donaldson Murdoch between his birth and 1841, to no avail. I also thought of the coincidence of Charles Donaldson having married in the same parish in London as 'my' baker Alexander was living with his son. I sent for a copy of the marriage certificate in the hope that I would find that Alexander may have been a witness but no such luck!
I did not know the name of the wife of Samuel's Alexander who drowned at Hull to be Isabella Dempster so that is another addition to my records. Thank you very much. Unfortunately it only adds to my speculation that the two Alexanders and Charles Donaldsons are one and the same which would explain many absences from records and another reason for Isabella to take her family to Guernsey if he had been living with another woman in London. However this is all purely vague possibilities which I can not disprove but you may have evidence which can rule it out.
Finally John, I do hope we can solve the mystery. You haven't by any chance gone along the route of DNA testing? I haven't myself as I couldn't see any value. However, I now see how it could be of help in proving (or otherwise) in my case, my husband's link to the Colvend Murdochs. It is some time since I looked at all my records but my son has recently encouraged me to look again 'before it is too late'. I am not getting any younger!
Kind regards
Margaret Murdoch
Like you, I searched for deaths of Alexander's mother or of himself in Scotland records as well as English (hence my coming upon the drowned Alexander). I also searched census records after 1861 for a baker Alexander who may have left his family and been living elsewhere, even searching ship's passenger lists for those transported to Australia and New Zealand. I have considered so many scenarios such as his not having actually married Charlotte (Branette, Barnet, Burnet etc.) whom I have traced (as well as her family) to present day. Nor can I find a registered birth for Charlotte who claimed to have been born in Edinburgh.
I spent several years looking at births and marriages for Alexander Murdoch (baker) in Scotland and researched those who might have fitted at a pinch, all to no avail. The strongest connection seems to be at Colvend and, whilst I know I must assume nothing, I know there must be a clue somewhere. This is why I considered the possibility that Samuel Lowden may have 'adopted' his brother's children when he died in 1830, leaving a widow with two young children, Charles Donaldson Murdoch and Alexander (the baker), though as you say Alexander, was with his mother in both the 1841 and '51 census. I considered the possibility that Charles may have gone to sea thus explaining his absence and that this Charles could have been the one who went missing at sea (1829-1860). His memorial stone is in Dalbeattie where 'my' possible Alexander was, or had been living with his mother. I had already witnessed the registration of births of Alexander and Anne's sons in parish registers, so with this in mind, I returned to Dumfries to search for the births of Charles Donaldson Murdoch and Alexander Murdoch as sons of Samuel and Jean in the parish register. The names were not there. I also checked for the possible death of Charles Donaldson Murdoch between his birth and 1841, to no avail. I also thought of the coincidence of Charles Donaldson having married in the same parish in London as 'my' baker Alexander was living with his son. I sent for a copy of the marriage certificate in the hope that I would find that Alexander may have been a witness but no such luck!
I did not know the name of the wife of Samuel's Alexander who drowned at Hull to be Isabella Dempster so that is another addition to my records. Thank you very much. Unfortunately it only adds to my speculation that the two Alexanders and Charles Donaldsons are one and the same which would explain many absences from records and another reason for Isabella to take her family to Guernsey if he had been living with another woman in London. However this is all purely vague possibilities which I can not disprove but you may have evidence which can rule it out.
Finally John, I do hope we can solve the mystery. You haven't by any chance gone along the route of DNA testing? I haven't myself as I couldn't see any value. However, I now see how it could be of help in proving (or otherwise) in my case, my husband's link to the Colvend Murdochs. It is some time since I looked at all my records but my son has recently encouraged me to look again 'before it is too late'. I am not getting any younger!
Kind regards
Margaret Murdoch