During the first half of the nineteenth century Angus MURRAY, his wife, Elizabeth McDONALD and their nine children left Brora, Sutherland, Scotland and immigrated to Mount Thom, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Angus had been a blacksmith in Brora.

During the last part of the eighteenth century there had been drastic changes in Northern Scotland . Previous to this time there had been large landowners who had leased the land in small plots to the tenants who farmed the land. However, the landlords found that they could improve their financial situations by getting rid of the small land-holders and raising sheep. Many, many families were forced from the land and moved to the coast. As well, there was large scale emigration. It is assumed that these circumstances affected the MURRAY family and first brought them to Brora and then to Nova Scotia.

From his tombstone we find that Angus was a native of Golspie, Sutherland. He was possibly the son of Alexander MURRAY whose christening was recorded in the Parish Records of Goispie as:

May 7, 1784 Alex, MURRAY mason of Ballon
child named Angus MURRAY

According to his tombstone he should have been born about 1780.

The first records we find of Angus are the christening records for his children who were christened in the Parish Of Clyne, where Brora is located. There are no marriage records available for Brora for the years proceeding the birth of the MURRAY children, but Angus and Elizabeth were probably married about 1810. Were they married at Brora, or were they married before they arrived in Brora? The only record we have of where Elizabeth was born is the tombstone inscription which suggests she is a native of Sutherlandshire. She is listed on her children's christening records sometimes as Elizabeth and occasionally as Betty.

The Murrays were in Brora on March 17th 1830, at the christening of their youngest daughter, Jane, but bought land at Mount Thom by deed signed Nov. 5, 1831

The family settled at Mount Thom, Pictou, Nova Scotia in the woods and cut the trees out for a farm. In the Nova Scotia Land Records there is a deed which was registered in Book 20 Page 325 as:

Deed
Samuel Archibald & wife
To Angus Murray,
Registered 11 Feby. 1838
at o'clock P. M.
on the oath of Alexander McPherson.

This deed sells to Angus MURRAY late from Sutherlandshire, Scotland and now of the West River of Pictou, Blacksmith for the sum of sixty one pounds currency 150 acres of land on Mount Thom. The Deed was originally signed 5 Nov. 1831 and there is a receipt for 61 pounds dated 7 May 1835. ( transcript of the deed .)

Elizabeth MacDONALD, wife of Angus MURRAY, died on the 25th November 1840 at age 54 years. She was buried at Baillie Cemetery.

The next record we have of Angus is another Deed from Book 28 Page 701 registered 20th April 1844 selling 75 acres to John MURRAY for 30 pounds.

Later that year, on 16th December 1844 Angus died and was also buried in Baillie Cemetery.

This brief life sketch brings up many more questions. It would certainly be interesting to learn more of the details of the lives of the Murrays. If anyone could supply more detail or stories please share with the rest of the family.

DIED At Mount Thom, on the 25th November, after a painful and lingering illness, which she bore with Christian fortitude, Elizabeth McDONALD, wife of Angus MURRAY, in the 52nd year of her age, leaving a husband and nine children to lament their loss. She was a native of Sutherlandshire, Scotland.

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