Reverend William Murray

Civil death : https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5DT-K1K?i=161&cc=...

DN : https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQ8-4SYB-P?i=1042...

Ugie, Eastern Cape/South Africa

Founded as a mission station and named by the Rev. William Murray (1837–1906), a missionary from the Free Church of Scotland .

. English. The first white man to settle in the present Maclear district was the medical doctor and missionary Rev. William Murray. He was born on 15 July 1837 at Newdeer near Tillinamoult, New Pitsligo in the county Aberdeenshire in Scotland. He was the son of John and Isabella Murray., John was a shoemaker and farmer who rented a small plot on the banks of the Ugie River.

William started school in New Pitsligo and eventually became a medical doctor. He gave his heart to God when he was still very young and always dreamt to do missionary work in Dark Africa. He was a member of the Congregational Church of Scotland but after being qualified as doctor, studied for minister of the Church of Scotland. With the assistance of the London Missionary Society he was sent to the Cape Colony to do mission work under the Griquas.

William married Ann Elliott on 20 April 1861 and their first child Ann Isabella was born on 1 February 1862. On 27 July 1862 Dr. Murray, his wife and child left by steamer of the Union Line from Southhampton for the Cape. On 24 August they arrived at Port Elizabeth. Via Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort they traveled by ox wagon to Hackney in the Queenstown district. On the way in the Katberg they were caught in a snowstorm. Due to all the hardship they went through the Murray's' daughter Ann died the same night of their arrival at Hackney on 9 September and Mrs. Murray the following day. The death of his family was a heavy blow to this young man.

Griquas from Inxu Drift came by ox wagon to fetch Rev. Murray at Hackney. They arrived back at Inxu Drift on 8 March 1863. While standing on the banks of the Inxu River Murray became homesick and as the river, the mountains and vegetation reminded him of his birthplace he changed the name of his missionary to Ugie. He was the first white man to settle permanently in the area called ____

William Murray was born on 15th July, 1837 and grew up in the New Deer province in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. His father was a shoemaker and small farmer on the banks of the Ugie River near New Pitslego. The Ugie River originates in the mountains near New Byth, flows through the Bucnan Hills and then into the North Sea at Peterhead near the city of Fraserburgh. The railwayline between Aberdeen and Fraserburgh crosses the Ugie River between Maud and Strichen stations.

Murray, his wife, Ann [n%C3%A9e Elliott], and baby daughter, Ann Isabella, left Southhampton on a steamer on 27th July, 1862. They landed in Port Elizabeth three weeks later on the 24th August. From there by post coach to Grahamstown. From there by ox wagon through Fort Beaufort up to Hackney in the Queenstown district. In Katberg they were caught in a snowstorm.

Shortly after they reached Hackney on the 9th of September 1862 their baby daughter died. The following day his wife also died. Both of them were buried there on the same day. Due to all the grief and hardships William Murray decided to stay at Hackney for a while.

https://www.ugie.co.za/History.html

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.00...