Hello Judy - many many thanks for your help - I have downloaded the testament - and will proceed to interpret this weekend.I have had reasonable succes in interpreting James Murrays testament from 1682 - so I feel that I should be ok on this one...
The Murray link that I am loking for is:
100 Here lies James Murray who died January, 1681. Likewise Helene Ellot his spouse who died February, 1691. Also Margrat Baitie spouse to Adam Murray in mains she died 27th August, 1731 aged 63 years. Also the said Adam Murray who d. 25 Dec, 1738 aged 80 years. Also Jean Little spouse to James Murray who died 29th September, 1743 aged 43. And John Murray son to James Murray who died 12 September, 1749 aged 14. And Adam Murray their son who died at Newcastleton 8th March, 1816 aged 88. Also Margaret Hutton his spouse who died at Dloupknow 13th February, 1775 aged 54. Also Janet Little spouse to John Murray who died at Sorby 23rd February, 1806 aged 31. Adam Murray, their son who died 26th march, 1806 aged 6. Michel their son who died 21st July 1806 aged 2.
Source:
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bp2000/cemetery/berwickshire.htm I have an image of the headstone - from when I visited the graveyard 2 1/2 years ago. The headstone is in the Castleton Church yard.
This is significant to this family history as the headstone is very old, and is the oldest existing Murray headstone in the cemetery. The question is to be raised – where did this Murray come from (I believe that there is a convention of the oldest son being buried in the family plot – along with early departed family members and unmarried sisters.
So – the question is – where did this James Murray come from – and who was Helene Ellot??. In subsequent generations the name Adam features – so would this be from the father of Helen Eliot?
In 1802 one line of the Murray family is at Sorby (which I have determined to be the Sorbie next to Meikledale). It is from this relationship that the Borthwick name feature Mr Borthwick being the lease of Sorbie...
With the information from the Elliot Clan book and drawing the family tree I might be able to determine where there were common places of residences in the 18the century.
One of the links which I am trying to strengthen is the realtionship with Thorliehope - if there is one... the Murrays lived at Deadwater for a while (I presume - there children were born there eg Adam 1728).
Other supporting information is in Rulewater and it’s people P58 and 67.
Alexander Borthwick Murrays "arms" have the logo Noctes diesquo praestro" which is a common theme of the Lochmaben Annandale Murray line.
From "An Ordinary of Arms: Contained in the Public Register of All Arms ..." By James Balfour Paul - the description is: Parted per chevron aig and az three mullets in chief and a cresent in base, counter changed P85 (2009).
It is this Alexander Borthwick Murray who had come to South Australia and developed - along with his brother, a famous sheep stud near where I live.
In some books there is stated that the Murray Famity and the Malcolm’s from Burnfoot were distantly related. It is not immediately obvious where this link is – could it be through the Elliot’s of Midlem Mill, or the Little’s or some other tenuous relationship?? These are lines of investigation that I will go down when the mental space is suffiecient.
As an interest – there is an Armstrong relationship – and some relationship with Falstone – this may be too difficult to embed just now.
Regards.
Ingrid
