"Below is a copy of Murray Family Record taken from the family Bible brought by William Murray and his wife Jean Black Murray from the parish of Eskdalemeuir, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, to Bovina, Delaware County, New York about the year 1818. -
Robert Murray - Moffat, Scotland. [This may be the name of the first owner of the Bible]
John Murray born Sep. 28, 1754
Margaret Murray " Mch. 28, 1755
William Murray " Sep. 28, 1757
Jean Murray " Feb. 27, 1760
Robert Murray " Nov. 2, 1762
Alexander Murray " Dec. 5 1765
We do not know which was the father of William Murray born in 1790 at Moffat, Scotland who married Jean Black.
Children of William Murray and Jean Black Murray
Robert Murray Born 1814 [crossed out] Died ___
John Murray " ___ " ___
Jean Murray " ____ " Mch. 1, 1893
Rebecca Murray " Feb. 3, 1827 " Oct. 5, 1903
William Murray " Nov. 21, 1828 " June 7, 1887
David Murray " Oct. 15, 1830 " Mch. 6, 1905
Christia Murray " Mch. 17, 1832 " May 14, 1868
Johanna Murray 1835 1879
Rebecca Murray married John Winter Dec. 31, 1846. John Winter died July 7, 1869 at Bovina N.Y." There are more descendents listed.
I came across the following by a Mary Stockler in Murray Family Genealogical Forum July 18, 2007.
"According to what I have found so far William Murray (b. 1790 or so in Eskdalmuir, Dumfriesshire, Scotland) and Jean Black (b. 1789 or so somewhere in Scotland) married, immigrated to the Delaware County, New York area in 1818, and had somewhere around 8 children, including William Murray Jr, a New York State Supreme Court Justice (my great-great-great-great grandfather)."
William Murray Jr. is mentioned in my document as "Justice of the Supreme Court of New York state from 1868 to 1884 retiring one year before his death on account of his illness." A book titled Courts and Lawyers of New York: A History, 1609-1925, Volume 1 by Alden Chester, Edwin Melvin Williams which records him as being a district attorney in the 6th district in 1850, a Judge in Delaware Conty in 1863, and a Justice of the Supreme Court in the 6th District in 1867.
The document also says that "David Murray was the first Minister of Education to Japan in 1872 also Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers College." David Murray was quite a significant figure and has a wikipedia page here.
My document also says that "Christia Murray was a student of Mrs. Emma Wiilliard at Troy Female Seminary." Emma Willard has an entry in Wikipedia: "Emma Hart Willard (February 23, 1787 – April 15, 1870) was an American women's rights activist who dedicated her life to education. She worked in several schools and founded the first school for women’s higher education, the Troy Female Seminary in Troy, New York. With the success of her school, Willard was able to travel across the country and abroad, to promote education for women. The Troy Female Seminary was named again the Emma Willard School in 1895 in her honor. "
Christia Murray is given an few paragraphs entry in a free ebook Emma Willard and Her Pupils: Or, Fifty Years of Troy Female Seminary, 1822-1872 pg. 554.
In response to the Stockler post appears the following by Wayne Howell, GenSearch, July 19, 2007: "This was work I did for a client back in 1998/99. The client has since died. However, I checked my records for that person and found this regarding the father of William Murray: W. Robert Murray, of Thorpland, Moffat, Dumfries, Scotland (no further information. Source: From Parish Moffat, County Dumfries, Scotland "Old Parochial Records", FHC, Salt Lake City. This information, at that time, was a dead end...and I did no more work for the client." So it looks like the William Murray who was born in 1790 was son of W. Robert Murray of Moffat.
