Biography:

Dr. John Murray was born in Southwold Twp (Elgin County), Ontario near the community of Fingal around 1844.  Dr. Murray was the 4th of 9 children born to Archibald Murray and the former Flora McAlpine.  His parents were farmers and his siblings were; Catherine, Daniel, Malcolm, Mary, Archibald, Neil and twins Alexander and Betsy (the twins were born and died in May of 1861.  They were buried at the Hunter Cemetery, Elgin County).

Dr. Murray married Mary Ann Conn on the 18th of September, 1867 in Elgin County.  Mrs. Murray was born in Southwold Township in 1849.  She was the eldest of 6 children born to John Conn and the former Hannah Morden.  Her parents were farmers and her siblings were; James (who died in 1854 at the age of 5.  He was buried at St Peters Church Cemetery in Wallacetown (Elgin County), William, Albert, Elizabeth and George.

According to the 1872 Ontario Medical Register, Dr. Murray was certified by the Homeopathic Medical Board in 1869.  He joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons on the 26th of July, 1869.  Dr. Murray was practicing medicine in Fingal (Elgin County) in 1870 when  his mother and his sister Mary died of tuberculosis.  Dr. Murray signed their death records.

Dr. and Mrs. Murray had a son named Egerton Murray born to them in Fingal on the 24th of January, 1867.   They had a daughter named Catherine Elizabeth Murray born to them on the 4th of August, 1872 in Fingal.  Sadly their daughter died on the 3rd of March, 1873 at the age of 7 months from tuberculosis.

Dr. Murray was listed in the 1875 Kent County Directory as practicing medicine in Highgate.  Dr. John Murray’s name appears on birth and death records in Orford Twp as early as July 28th, 1873 and as late as 1876.  It appears Dr. Murray died in 1877 or 1878.

Mrs. Murray married Joseph McCain on the 16th of December, 1878 in Ridgetown.  He was the son of Hugh and Alice McCain.  At the time of their marriage he was 45 years of age.  It indicates on their marriage record that they were both widows and they were married in Ridgetown.

Mrs. Murray died in Morpeth on the 31st of July, 1906.  She was buried at the Morpeth Cemetery.  Listed on the same tombstone, is her mother, “Hannah, Wife of John Conn died March 26 1909”.

*The photo depicted is the tombstone of Mrs. Murray, “Mary Anne Murray, Wife of Joseph McCain”.  There is no mention of Dr. John Murray on the tombstone, but the name of Murray is the image at the bottom of the tombstone.  Tombstone Photo Credit: Anne F.