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About Murray Mckenzie Family
Murray Family History - 
 Hello and welcome to the Murray - McKenzie family tree. This is a work in 
progress and I hope you enjoy it so far. I would never have started this research if 
it were not for my fathers desire to learn more about his fathers two sisters and 
their families who migrated to Canada from Scotland . He often told us he had 
relatives living in Canada, yet he knew nothing more than they had lived in Fernie 
and one had then moved to Whitefish Montana. His own father had also gone as a young 
man with the family, but had returned for whatever reason to Scotland. He remembers 
letters coming but the contents were never discussed. He did meet one of his cousins 
briefly and also his Aunt Lizzie who returned to Scotland for a brief visit, which incredibily 
ended up coinciding with the death of her Brother, my Grandfather James, so she was able to attend 
his funeral. 
The old saying, *good things come to those who wait* must have some truth in 
it. It has taken a lot of years to finally get to this stage of my project, and I 
have finally achieved what I set out to do, although of course, it is a never ending 
project. My goal was to find out about my Grandfather James's two sisters Catherine 
(Kate) and Elizabeth (Lizzie) and their decendants, and finally with the a lot of 
research and some fantastic help from some very generous people this has been 
achieved. Along the way I have been able to find our ancestors records also, and 
learnt a lot about where *we came from* The biggist thrill has been to actually visit where they 
lived in British Columbia and Montana, and meet decendants of their family or correspond with 
them.  The main focus of my reasearch at this stage is to be able to determine a listing of 
a fourth sibling, Christina into the family.I have now managed to find a marriage certificate for 
Christina whom I had assumed died as a child, as none of the descendants had any knowledge of her, 
I have traced her husband who died in a nursing home in Vancouver and also her son, who it seems 
never married and also died in Vancouver, I am yet to find out where Christina ended up.) Please read the stories at the bottom of this page regarding the Murray's it gives a bit of an 
insight to their lives. Workman Family History -
 My fathers mother was Elizabeth Workman, she passed away when my father was young, 
and although he had contact with most of her siblings over the years, due to his 
moving around with the British Army and migration to Australia most of these ties 
have been lost, luckily I have been able to reunite this side of the family also, so 
many of the missing gaps will be able to be filled in finally.  McKenzie Family History - 
 My search for my Grandfather McKenzie birth mothers family is quite a challenge, he 
was born to what we believed to be an Irish mother and adopted by Scots parents. It turns out that 
his birth mother actually lived in Greenock, Scotland where he spent most of his life. Julia Grant 
was a young girl who it seems was working at a home for retired mariners, where she could have 
meet Angus McKenzie. Julia went to Belfast, Ireland to have her child (my Grandfather) she 
returned with him and at the age of 7 months he was adopted by Angus McKenzie and his wife Sarah 
(Killen), after the death of Angus it seems Sarah remarried a Gabriel Wilson who sqandered her 
money and she fell on hard times. Sarah ended up in the poor house where she died. At some stage 
the young Angus was returned to the Grant family, it is not know what age he was, but he ended up 
in what was locally known as the Bank Street Boys home. The Grants lived around the Port Glasgow 
area, and locally people would refer to my Grandfather as Joseph Grant, I can only assume Joseph 
was the name he was baptisted? I do have a copy of his original adoption agreement and have been 
able to find information on his adoptive parents and their ancestors. As a lot of the Irish 
official records were destroyed it is very difficult to find information, and most of this is 
gleaned from various small websites.  My New Family:
I want to welcome all of my new *family* and say how special it is that we can 
share wonderful stories about our lives. We have all taken different roads and 
had different upbringings, but it seems at the end of the day, we all have 
great respect for our parents and our forebears. Thank you all so much for your 
contributions, and please feel that this site is as much yours as it is mine. If 
there is anything you wish me to add to the format please feel free to forward to me 
and I will do it with pleasure. Meanwhile, enjoy your time here and please leave me messages in the guest 
book, its always nice to know who is looking.  At the bottom of this page are some stories which help to understand more about family groups 
and/or individuals Marion 
 A little bit of History of where the Murray Family lived -
 
SALTCOATS ~
Saltcoats is a sea-port, partly in the parish of Stevenston and partly in that 
of Ardrossan; 74 miles wsw from Edinburgh, 30 sw from Glasgow, 19 n from Ayr, 
14 w by n from Kilmarnock, and one from Ardrossan: eligibly situate on the 
Firth of Clyde, near to its northern extremity. The general appearance of this 
town is far from prepossessing, but its situation and proximity to Ardrossan, 
the arrival and departure of the trading vessels, and the passing and 
repassing of the different steam-packets and railway carriages, all contribute to 
give life to this ancient place; a spirit of improvement is becoming manifest with 
the inhabitants; and the town, it is expected, will be lighted with gas before 
this work is published.  About 170 years ago, Salt-cots (then so called) consisted only of a small 
number of cots or cottages, the inhabitants of which obtained a livelihood by 
making salt in kettles. But at the beginning of the last century, a harbour 
being constructed for the convenience of shipments of coal, the produce of the 
mines in this neighbourhood, the little hamlet began to assume the semblance 
of a village; it is but in recent years, however, that it has risen to any note. 
During the late war [The French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars 
ending in 1815] this place possessed an extensive trade, and ship-building was 
carried on with great spirit; but since the peace its commerce has been much 
reduced, and it is now nearly confined to the importation of timber, and the 
exportation of coals to Ireland, in which trade there are sometimes about 
forty vessels employed.  The manufacture of salt here is considerable, and a great number of looms are 
employed in the weaving of muslins, &. for the Glasgow and Paisley markets. A 
branch of the Irvine custom-house transacts the revenue business, and the 
proprietors of the Ayrshire bank have a branch here; the house in which the 
business of the latter is transacted, and which is also the residence of the 
manager Mr. W.B.Orr, is a very handsome building, and an ornament to Raise 
Street in which it stands. Both at the east and west of the town are extensive 
chymical works, belonging to Messrs Burns and Son, who manufacture magnesia 
and epsom salts.  The principal Inns are the "Saracen's Head", in Harbour street, and 
the "King's Arms", in Bradshaw street, the former a good posting- house. The Town-
house, the foundation of which was laid in 1825, consists of a spacious hall, with 
two smaller apartments adjoining, and a lock-up for prisoners: the edifice, which 
is surmounted by a steeple, is a prominent and effective object when 
approaching the town. A justice court, for the recovery of small debts, sits 
in this town once a month. The places of worship are a church of the establishment, two others for the 
seccessional body, one for the relief synod, a Gaelic church, and a Baptist 
meeting-house. The children of the town have the advantage of free, parochial 
and Sabbath schools, and a library of religious and moral works. There are 
several benefit societies, which alleviate the suffering and relieve the 
necessities of the poor; and one of those establishments that must ever aid 
the impulse of industry and prudence - a savings bank. 
An annual fair is held on the last Thursday in May. Stevenston ~
 Stevenston is a village in the parish of its name and district of Cunningham - 
situate one mile north-east of Saltcoats, and two south-west from Kilwinning. 
It consists chiefly of one street, half a mile in length; and derives its name 
from Stephen, or "Steven", the son of Richard, who obtained a grant of lands 
from Richard Morville, Constable of Scotland; the latter, then a very 
celebrated man, died in 1189. Under this grant Steven settled here, and gave 
his patronymic designation to the place. The parish abounds with coal and 
freestone, of which large quantities are annually shipped.  The dairy and agricultural produce, comprising cheese, butter, wheat, oats, 
and potatoes, is likewise of considerable value. A great portion of the 
inhabitants of the village are employed in weaving, and through the agents here the 
works of their looms are conveyed to the Glasgow houses. The present church is a 
neat and handsome building, of modern erection. The old church belonged formerly to 
the monks of Kilwinning. 
Yearly fairs are held on the second Friday in August and the 31st of October.  Ardrossan ~
 
A BATHING place advancing into celebrity, is in the parish of its name, pleasantly 
situate on the western shore of Ayrshire, on an accessible point of the coast, and 
only a mile west of Saltcoats, which occupies another promontory; it is 74 miles sw 
of Edinburgh, 30 miles sw of Glasgow, 25 miles ssw of Paisley, and 8 w by n of 
Irvine. This place, though but yet in a state of infancy, bids fair to rivalsome of 
the longer established watering places, and has already become a favourable resort, 
in the bathing season, for the genteel families of Ayrshire and other places - who 
can be accommodated with neat and commodious houses or lodgings.  It is chiefly indebted for its existance to the noble family of Eglintoun, who had 
formerly a castle of great strength and extent in the vicinity, but which is now in 
ruins. A large and elegant hotel, with a suite of warm and cold baths, was erected by 
the late Lord Eglintoun, at an expense of £10 000. The public rooms, the bed rooms, 
offices and stabling are most commodious. This establishment is conducted by Mr 
Robert Young, in a manner highly creditable to himself, and satisfactory to its 
numerous visitors.  The harbour was commenced nearly thirty years ago, under the auspices of the before-
named munificent patron, who expended nearly £90000, upon it, and became the sole 
proprietor both of it and the town, as well as the extensive barony of Ardrossan. The 
tide harbour will contain from fifty to sixty vessels. The dock occupies an extent of 
seven Scots acres, and will admit fifty vessels of from three to six hundred tons 
burden. It was originally intended to form a communication between this harbour and 
Glasgow, by means of a canal, the completion of which, owing to some legal points, 
has been for some time suspended. An act of Parliament was obtained, in 1827, for 
making a railway between Ardrossan and Johnstone, but as yet it has only been 
finished to Kilwinning, a distance of six miles; a branch of four miles has also been 
made to the Elgintoun coal fields. The principal traffic is in coal and stone, which 
are shipped here , chiefly to Ireland.  A considerable trade is also carried on in the conveyance of passengers along the 
railway; during the year ending September 31st, 1835, upwards of 21,000 persons were 
so conveyed, and there was a great increase in the ensuing year. It is anticipated 
that a railway communication will soon be established with Glasgow, Paisley and the 
immediate towns, by means of a junction with the Glasgow and Ayrshire railway, which, 
it is expected, will be shortly commenced. In the neighbourhood is a chalybeate (?) 
spring, whose medicinal properties are beneficial in cases of debility, scrofula (?) 
&c. The picturesque ruins of Ardrossan castle stand on an eminence, overlooking the 
town. An agricultural society has been formed here, and a coursing club established. 
Post Office, Elizabeth Reid, Post Mistress - Letters from Saltcoats, Irvine, 
Kilmarnock, &c arrive every morning at half past nine, and are despatched every 
afternoon at three.  Books about Ardrossan:
 Old Ardrossan  by R. & M. McSherry. Pictorial booklet old photographs  (50)  1996 Down The Bath Rock. by Patrick O'Connor (1971) Publishers Gill & Macmillan Ltd.
Dublin. Patrick's recollections of Ardrossan and the Irish immigrant families living 
there during the early 1900s   In a Marmalade Saloon. by Patrick O'Connor. Patrick's second book about growing up
in Ardrossan. Ardrossan Memories. by Tom Wallace. Photocopy at Ardrossan Library. Ardrossan Shipyards. Struggle for Survival 1825-1983 by Catriona Levy & Ardrossan
Local History Workshop. Author John Steele who lives locally has published three books relating to the town's 
maritime tragedies. 
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Getting Around
There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.

In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool.

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