Isobel Murray was the third daughter and fourth child of Angus Murray and Elizabeth McDonald. The Clyne parish register records her christening as follows:

Isobel, daughter to Angus Murray BlackSmith Brora and Betty Macdonald was born 18th & baptized 21 Septr (1817)

When the Murrays came to Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Isobel would have been fourteen years old.

Sometime in the early 1840's Isobel was married to James Fraser, a widower who was about twenty-four years her senior. He was a neighbour of the Murray family.

James Fraser was born about 1793. The 1871 census gives his birthplace as Scotland, but it also gives his children's birthplaces as Scotland, so it may or may not be correct. According to A. H. Murray (Angusl, John2) Jimmy Fraser came from Springfield, but was it Springfield, Scotland, Springfield, Massachusetts, or some other Springfield? His first wife was Isobel Forbes who died 1839 age 39. No information is presently available on his first marriage or on the children from it.

The 1900 Census of the United States had the following question: Mother of how many children? Isobel Murray Fraser indicated that she had nine children, five of them still living in 1900.

Two of the children died very young. Their names are on one side of the tombstone of James and Isabol Fraser in Caledonia Cemetery. There is no birthdate for the children on the tombstone. The tombstone inscription is as follows:

There is one child that is unaccounted for. This child does not appear on any census with the family and is not on the tombstone in Caledonia Cemetery. The only way it is known that there was another child is from the nine children mentioned on the 1900 Census.

Of the remaining six children, five are girls: Mary Ann, Catherine Margaret, Osenia Harriot, Georgiana Murray, and Isabella Jane. The youngest known child is Alexander McKay.

The Frasers lived on a farm where the road to South Mt. Thom branches off from the main highway. The Fraser land is shown on the original land grant map and on an 1879 map.

Although the name James Fraser still appeared on part of the land in 1879, the Frasers had moved to Fall River, Massachusetts about 1872.

The Frasers lived in Fall River for approximately two years when James Fraser died on the 17 May 1874. He was buried in Caledonia Cemetery in Pictou County.

On 14 July 1901 Isobel died in Fall River. She also was buried in Caledonia Cemetery.

On the 1900 census of Fall River, Isobel stated that five of her children were still living. These five included Mary Ann, Georgiana, Isabella Jane and Alexander. Who was the fifth? It couldn't have been Jamima or Hugh W. as they lived to be less than three years old and their father had died in 1874. They both would have passed away before 1880. Was it Catherine or Osenia or was it the mysterious ninth child?

Mary Ann Fraser did not marry. The only clue as to her occupation is on the 1910 census of Fall River. She is listed as a "Drawer in Cotton Mill". She lived with her sister, Isabella Jane and later with Georgiana until her death the 11 March 1938.

Two other things are known about Mary Ann Fraser. She purchased one-half of burial lot numbered 3536 on Balsam Path in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River in 1899. A Simon Frazer is listed on the card file for Oak Grove cemetery as being buried in that lot on the 12th of February 1899 (age 48). This seemed like it could be "child 9", but his father' s name was William according to his death record. Perhaps he was a cousin. On the original land grant map there is a William Fraser next to James Fraser.

Mary Ann received a bequest of one hundred dollars through the will of her aunt's husband, Roderick McKenzie, on his death in 1907.

Georgiana married Rev. J. H. Turnbull.  They lived for some time in Stellarton, Pictou County where he was the minister of Sharon Church. The book "Pictonians At Home And Abroad" by Rev. J. P. MacPhie, 1914, p.77 states the Rev. J. H. Turnbull was pastor for the 10 years, 1885 - 1895. The directories of ministers and their charges, by D. H. Walkington at the United Church Archives mentions that he was ordained in 1881 and was in Stellarton 1886 - 1896.

Following is the listing of the Turnbulls on the 1891 Census for Pictou Co. Sub Dist.z, Stellarton, p. 95, fam. 426, 2 story wooden house with 11 rooms:  

Turnbul, John H. age 48, born Scotland, Clergyman

Georgina 38 born Nova Scotia wife

John Willson 13 born U.S. son 

James Fraser 3  born  Nova Scotia, son

With the 10 year difference between John W. and James F., it is probable that the marriage to Georgiana was a second marriage.  It is possible that he had been married to Mary J. Wilson in Iowa just before he came to Fall River.  In 1880 he and Mary J. are listed on the census in Fall River along with a servant.  At the same time John W. Turnbull, age 2 is listed with his grandparents John and Jean Wilson and an aunt Flora Wilson back in Perry township, Traer county, Iowa.  

A member of the U.C.W. who has been compiling information on the ministers at Sharon St. John found the following information:

Mr. J. H. Tumbull preached for the first time in the new Sharon Church (which was opened in 1890) on Aug. 17, 1890. His text was from Joshua 3.9.

Georgiana and Rev. Turnbull had two more children born in Canada. William Hall Turnbull was born 18 July 1892 and baptized by his father on the 13 Oct. 1892 as is listed in the records of Sharon Church. The 1900 census lists Isabel F. with the birthdate of September 1893.  The 1910 census also lists Isabel F. Turnbull, age 16, born in Canada.  

The 1910 census also states that William H. and Isabel F. entered the United States in 1896. This is in agreement with Rev. Turnbull's service ending in Stellarton in 1896.

In 1900 the Turnbulls were in Delaware, New York, United States.  The information on the 1900 census is as follows:  

Turnbull, Jas. H., head, md., born July 1842, age 57, md 14 yrs., born Scotland, parents born Scotland, Preacher
   "          Georgiana, wife, female, born Dec. 1851, age 48, md. 14 yrs, mother of 4 children (3 living), born Canada,
                             parents born Scotland
   "          James F., son, male, born Oct. 1887, age 12, single, born New York, father born Scotland, mother born Canada
   "         Wm. H., Son, male, born July 1892, age 7, single, born New York, father born Scotland, mother born Canada
   "          Isabell, daughter, female, born Sept 1893, age 6, single, born New York, father born Scotland, mother born Canada

 It is presumed that James Turnbull died sometime between 1901 and 1908 because in 1908 Georgiana was in Fall River, living with her sisters.

In the Polk's Fall River city directory for 1908, Georgiana is listed as widow of James H. Although Rev. Turnbull's first name was John on the 1891 census, it was listed as James in the city directory every issue up to the death of Georgiana and her obituary also gave his name as James H.

Georgiana Fraser died the 25 Oct. 1939 in Fall River, and was buried in Oak Grove cemetery.

Georgiana's son, James F. Turnbull, died 22 July 1956 and was buried in the same lot in Oakgrove cemetery as his mother was. He was listed as single on his death record.

William H. Turnbull was living in Rochester, New York in 1931.  He was married to Ruth Folsom-Hunter and had two daughters.  He died at Pompano Beach, Florida on November 16, 1969.

Isabel F. Turnbull married between 1941 and 1956 when she was listed as informant on her borther, James F. Turnbull's death registration as Mrs. Robert M. Wiley, 1724 Crandall Rd. Tiv., sister.

Isabella Jane Fraser was a school teacher. By 1905 she was principal of Coughlin school, a position that she held until her retirement probably when she was sixty-five years old. She died on the 12 Feb. 1936.

Alexander McKay Fraser came to Fall River as a nine year old. He was an avid baseball player and came to be known as "Jim" Fraser during his baseball career.

Alex. and a partner, J. Thomas Fyans, founded the firm of Fyans, Fraser and Blackway and were dealers in mill machinery. According to his obituary in the "Fall River Herald News" he travelled extensively throughout New England and other states for years, for his firm, visiting every mill center of importance, and he was widely know in textile circles.

About 1897 Alex. was married to Ann A. Spencer. He had no children. He died the 6th November 1931.

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