Mary Mair

Biography of Mary Murdoch Mair This text is taken from the book, How Beautiful Upon the Mountains ©1963 and a history written by Joseph A. Murdoch (grandson of Mary Murray Murdoch – Wee Granny).

Mary Murdoch Mair born and raised in an area of Scotland where most of the people were farmers and raised stock. In those days in Scotland the women usually milked the cows and fed them, made the butter and cheese and also had to help rake in the harvest fields in those days; all the hay was cut with sickles and bound by hand. It was very hard work and a very slow process. The fields were surrounded by hills that were covered with the bonnie bloomin’ heather, which is really beautiful along in July and August when it is in full bloom. It is also the chief supply of food for the sheep and cattle, which graze on the hills most of the year.

Mary’s father died when he was overcome by dump gas while trying to rescue a fellow worker from a well. This made it necessary for Mary to seek employment as soon as she was old enough. She worked mostly at farm homes, where she learned to milk cows, make butter and cheese, also to tend the cows, and at harvest time worked in the fields. She also helped knit the family stockings. Mary had very little chance to attend school in her childhood, but went long enough to learn to read, write, spell, and count. She and her sister Veronica attended the same schoolroom. Thus she grew to be a strong, healthy, young woman, quite efficient in all kinds of women’s work. These attributes plus a cheerful disposition won her many friends in the village.

When Mary was about twenty-one years of age she was married to a very steady young man, Allan Mair. They had been childhood friends, both being raised in the same little village. It was a strictly religious community, and practically everyone attended the Kirk and all very strictly observed the Sabbath Day.

Allan was a very steady, industrious young man and a willing worker. Mary was of a frugal, saving disposition and they were soon comfortably settled down in a little cottage with plain, simple furnishings and they were happy and contented with their lot in life. This was in about 1840. In the years to come they were blessed with nine children, six of whom reached adulthood.

By 1850 the Mormon Elders came to Scotland preaching a new and strange doctrine. After hearing it, Mary and her mother were baptized by Mary’s brother, John M. Murdoch, who had previously joined the Church and now had the authority to officiate in that capacity. Mary tried hard to convince her husband of the truth of Mormonism, but he could not see the need of making any change in his religion. Allan gave his consent for Mary to be baptized, but refused his consent for the children to be baptized or practice the new religion. This position soon caused some friction in the home where all had been peace and harmony before. The Savior had said while here on the earth that His gospel would have just such effect as it did on this family.

After Mary’s brother, John M. Murdoch, his family, and her mother (Wee Granny) had gone to Utah, Mary felt quite alone. But, she had an abiding testimony of the gospel, which gave her much comfort. She had tried to convert her husband, but all to no avail and she lived on in this manner for fifteen years. Her two older sons, James and John, had gone to America and made homes for themselves in the state of Maryland, where they worked in coal mines. Another son, Foulds, was soon to be married. Not being able to teach the gospel to any of her children brought Mary much sorrow. It was the most earnest desire of her heart that her three youngest children would be members of the Church and she could see no other way for this to be accomplished but to leave her husband and home and go to Utah, which to them was Zion.

Mary confided this to her daughter Mary, who was fourteen years old at the time. She told her of her plans and the daughter, Mary, readily took hold of the proposition. Together mother and daughter began to make preparation for the journey. Although Mary’s brother John’s two children had died on the way to Utah, and her dear mother departed this life on the dreary plains, crossing the United States while pulling a handcart, she still desired to go. As soon as plans were made, Mary began preparing small bundles and young Mary took them to the station and forwarded them to the home of a friend, John Aird, to be ready when the time came for them to leave.

John Aird, a member of the LDS Church, acted as agent for them, making all necessary arrangements and forwarded their baggage that had been sent to him in small parcels. Mother and daughter had also sent him money to secure their passage over the sea, and he notified them of when the ship, Saint Mark, would sail from Liverpool so they could leave home just at her right time. Mary had given her husband to understand that they were going on a short visit, and in this way she and the three children left him and started for Utah.

Mary and her three children, Mary (14), Andrew (10), and Alexander (7), reached Liverpool in safety, where they boarded the Saint Mark in company with other LDS emigrants bound for New York in America. They had a fairly good voyage crossing the great Atlantic, which took four weeks.

A few days after their departure Allan learned of their real whereabouts and sent a cablegram to his sons in Maryland, asking them to meet the ship and see if they could persuade their mother to return to Scotland, and if not, to at least prevent the children from going to Utah. The boys went to New York, only to find the emigrants had started their westward journey a few days previous.

This family crossed the plains with Andrew Scott’s ox train and passed through all the trying experiences of pioneers making that dreary, tiresome journey of 1,000 miles. They reached their destination, Heber, in October of 1866. They went to the home of Mary’s brother, John, whom she had not seen for fourteen years. Here they were royally welcomed. Both John and Mary had passed through many sorrowful as well as pleasant experiences and had tales to tell. Not long after the family’s arrival in Heber, Thomas Todd, who had known Mary Murdoch Mair in Scotland, came to visit her and after a few visits he asked her to become his plural wife, and she accepted his offer. They traveled to the Endowment House in Salt Lake City and were married. He took Mary and her youngest son Alex to his home. The marriage did not prove entirely satisfactory and in less than four years they separated.

In about 1872 Daniel McMillan, the village blacksmith, and a widower with a grown family, asked her to marry him. Mary accepted the offer. Daniel had very little property when Mary married him, but through her thrift, economy and their hard work she managed to save enough of his means to build them a very nice, red sandstone home, where they lived comfortably many years. One day a woman with three children stopped at Mary and Daniels home asked if they could stay in the old house for a few weeks and of course she was given that privilege. After being there a few days, the woman asked if Mary would care for the two little girls, ages four and six, as she had to make a short visit to Park City. This request was also granted. The woman never returned and Mary cared for the two little girls as though they were her own until they married. Elva married Joseph Howarth and Nettie married James Reid Lindsay.

Mary brought additional income into the home by going out as a mid-wife and did a great deal of needlework for others. However, in about 1886 she had a stroke, and was paralyzed from the waist down, and was bedfast for fourteen years. Even through this she was cheerful and most always kept her hands busy doing beautiful netting. In the spring of 1869 her son John, who worked on the Union Pacific Railroad as a bridge builder from Omaha to Utah, paid his mother a visit. He was quite pleased with what he found and said he was sure they were better off in Utah than if they had stayed in Scotland. John had a home, wife and two children in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1898 her son James, who lived in Maryland, came and visited with her for a few weeks, and he too admitted the Mormons were better than he had been led to believe.

Mary Murdoch Mair McMillan died on December 5, 1900, at the age of 81 years. She was loved and respected by all who knew her. She never lost her faith in God or in the gospel for which she had suffered so much.

Mary Murdoch Mair born and raised in an area of Scotland where most of the people were farmers and raised stock. In those days in Scotland the women usually milked the cows and fed them, made the butter and cheese and also had to help rake in the harvest fields in those days; all the hay was cut with sickles and bound by hand. It was very hard work and a very slow process. The fields were surrounded by hills that were covered with the bonnie bloomin’ heather, which is really beautiful along in July and August when it is in full bloom. It is also the chief supply of food for the sheep and cattle, which graze on the hills most of the year.

Mary’s father died when he was overcome by dump gas while trying to rescue a fellow worker from a well. This made it necessary for Mary to seek employment as soon as she was old enough. She worked mostly at farm homes, where she learned to milk cows, make butter and cheese, also to tend the cows, and at harvest time worked in the fields. She also helped knit the family stockings. Mary had very little chance to attend school in her childhood, but went long enough to learn to read, write, spell, and count. She and her sister Veronica attended the same schoolroom. Thus she grew to be a strong, healthy, young woman, quite efficient in all kinds of women’s work. These attributes plus a cheerful disposition won her many friends in the village.

When Mary was about twenty-one years of age she was married to a very steady young man, Allan Mair. They had been childhood friends, both being raised in the same little village. It was a strictly religious community, and practically everyone attended the Kirk and all very strictly observed the Sabbath Day.

Allan was a very steady, industrious young man and a willing worker. Mary was of a frugal, saving disposition and they were soon comfortably settled down in a little cottage with plain, simple furnishings and they were happy and contented with their lot in life. This was in about 1840. In the years to come they were blessed with nine children, six of whom reached adulthood.

By 1850 the Mormon Elders came to Scotland preaching a new and strange doctrine. After hearing it, Mary and her mother were baptized by Mary’s brother, John M. Murdoch, who had previously joined the Church and now had the authority to officiate in that capacity. Mary tried hard to convince her husband of the truth of Mormonism, but he could not see the need of making any change in his religion. Allan gave his consent for Mary to be baptized, but refused his consent for the children to be baptized or practice the new religion. This position soon caused some friction in the home where all had been peace and harmony before. The Savior had said while here on the earth that His gospel would have just such effect as it did on this family.

After Mary’s brother, John M. Murdoch, his family, and her mother (Wee Granny) had gone to Utah, Mary felt quite alone. But, she had an abiding testimony of the gospel, which gave her much comfort. She had tried to convert her husband, but all to no avail and she lived on in this manner for fifteen years. Her two older sons, James and John, had gone to America and made homes for themselves in the state of Maryland, where they worked in coal mines. Another son, Foulds, was soon to be married. Not being able to teach the gospel to any of her children brought Mary much sorrow. It was the most earnest desire of her heart that her three youngest children would be members of the Church and she could see no other way for this to be accomplished but to leave her husband and home and go to Utah, which to them was Zion.

Mary confided this to her daughter Mary, who was fourteen years old at the time. She told her of her plans and the daughter, Mary, readily took hold of the proposition. Together mother and daughter began to make preparation for the journey. Although Mary’s brother John’s two children had died on the way to Utah, and her dear mother departed this life on the dreary plains, crossing the United States while pulling a handcart, she still desired to go. As soon as plans were made, Mary began preparing small bundles and young Mary took them to the station and forwarded them to the home of a friend, John Aird, to be ready when the time came for them to leave.

John Aird, a member of the LDS Church, acted as agent for them, making all necessary arrangements and forwarded their baggage that had been sent to him in small parcels. Mother and daughter had also sent him money to secure their passage over the sea, and he notified them of when the ship, Saint Mark, would sail from Liverpool so they could leave home just at her right time. Mary had given her husband to understand that they were going on a short visit, and in this way she and the three children left him and started for Utah.

Mary and her three children, Mary (14), Andrew (10), and Alexander (7), reached Liverpool in safety, where they boarded the Saint Mark in company with other LDS emigrants bound for New York in America. They had a fairly good voyage crossing the great Atlantic, which took four weeks.

A few days after their departure Allan learned of their real whereabouts and sent a cablegram to his sons in Maryland, asking them to meet the ship and see if they could persuade their mother to return to Scotland, and if not, to at least prevent the children from going to Utah. The boys went to New York, only to find the emigrants had started their westward journey a few days previous.

This family crossed the plains with Andrew Scott’s ox train and passed through all the trying experiences of pioneers making that dreary, tiresome journey of 1,000 miles. They reached their destination, Heber, in October of 1866. They went to the home of Mary’s brother, John, whom she had not seen for fourteen years. Here they were royally welcomed. Both John and Mary had passed through many sorrowful as well as pleasant experiences and had tales to tell. Not long after the family’s arrival in Heber, Thomas Todd, who had known Mary Murdoch Mair in Scotland, came to visit her and after a few visits he asked her to become his plural wife, and she accepted his offer. They traveled to the Endowment House in Salt Lake City and were married. He took Mary and her youngest son Alex to his home. The marriage did not prove entirely satisfactory and in less than four years they separated.

In about 1872 Daniel McMillan, the village blacksmith, and a widower with a grown family, asked her to marry him. Mary accepted the offer. Daniel had very little property when Mary married him, but through her thrift, economy and their hard work she managed to save enough of his means to build them a very nice, red sandstone home, where they lived comfortably many years. One day a woman with three children stopped at Mary and Daniels home asked if they could stay in the old house for a few weeks and of course she was given that privilege. After being there a few days, the woman asked if Mary would care for the two little girls, ages four and six, as she had to make a short visit to Park City. This request was also granted. The woman never returned and Mary cared for the two little girls as though they were her own until they married. Elva married Joseph Howarth and Nettie married James Reid Lindsay.

Mary brought additional income into the home by going out as a mid-wife and did a great deal of needlework for others. However, in about 1886 she had a stroke, and was paralyzed from the waist down, and was bedfast for fourteen years. Even through this she was cheerful and most always kept her hands busy doing beautiful netting. In the spring of 1869 her son John, who worked on the Union Pacific Railroad as a bridge builder from Omaha to Utah, paid his mother a visit. He was quite pleased with what he found and said he was sure they were better off in Utah than if they had stayed in Scotland. John had a home, wife and two children in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1898 her son James, who lived in Maryland, came and visited with her for a few weeks, and he too admitted the Mormons were better than he had been led to believe.

Mary Murdoch Mair McMillan died on December 5, 1900, at the age of 81 years. She was loved and respected by all who knew her. She never lost her faith in God or in the gospel for which she had suffered so much.