7th Generation

Born - 10 November 1861 - Bathgate, West Lotion, Scotland

Died - 27 June 1932 - Westport, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

Agnes was baptised In the The immaculate Conception, RC Church, Bathgate in 1861. Records show that in 1843 Scotland recorded only 3 Catholic families in the parish of Bathgate, but this was soon to be changed with the influx of Irish immigrants who had been forced to leave their native land because of poor economic conditions they were now seeking work here. Both of Agnes’s parents were born in Ireland. The main source of work for these families was to be coal mining. The locals were very suspicious of the Irish immigrants therefore, an Irish contractor chose to remain anonymous when he purchased, in 1855, the old church in Livery Street. The church had previously been used by a sect of the Presbyterian Church entitled the Auld Lichts.

Agnes was the second child of Thomas Brown and Mary Ann Devlin. Rosa was born in 1857, Agnes in 1861, Mary Ann in 1863 and Peter in 1867. By 1867 the family had moved to Shotts and by 1871 they were living in the miners row at Muldron as their father was an Iron Stone Miner.

In 1877, when Agnes was only 16 she married a miner, William Murray. We know by her marriage record she was living in Harthill at the time but by the time of the next census, in 1881, they were living with parents in Shotts.

In the 10 years that followed a lot changed. Agnes and William had 6 children. Mary Ann (My great great grandmother) was the first born in 1878. Rosa was born and died in 1881 of a convulsion fit (seizure) and Agnes was born and died 1882, also of a convulsion fit. Convulsion Fit could mean anything from Epilepsy, wooping cough or Fever in the 1800’s.

Catherine was born in 1883. They then moved to Bo’ness where Helen has born. William then went to Prison for Murder in 1886 and Agnes returned to Shotts with her children. Then on his release, they moved to England and Agnes fell pregnant again. It was then that Agnes left William and returned to Scotland to have Thomas. She had him registered as Illegitimate. We don’t know if this is correct, maybe she didn’t want William to know he had another son.

By 1891 Agnes was a single parent living in Angus as a Jute Mill Worker. Her children Catherine and Helen were living with her parents and she registered Thomas as being born in England. We know by the poor relief applications that she did, once again, go back to her husband – was this because she wanted to try for her son. By the time William died in 1900 they had been married 23 year. Their marriage was definitely a turbulent one (Agnes even took up with someone else when he was in jail).

By 1901 she found herself in Scoonie, widowed, with still 3 children at home, and looking after her elderly mother.

However it’s wasn’t until 5 years later Agnes embarked on a happier life. She was 44 years old and in 1905 Agnes married Peter McKinlay (under sherriff’s warrant). A marriage by ‘Warrant of Sheriff’ is a non-religious marriage unique to Scotland. The couple would testify before witnesses (2 required) and often in front of a solicitor. This was replaced by registrar wedding in 1940’s. Therefore Agnes and Peter weren’t married in the eyes of God even though they were both Roman Catholics.

Westport, where the started their new life, is a town in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1861, it is the oldest European settlement on the West Coast. Originally named Buller. While gold brought initial interest to the area, the area soon became much more famous for coal mining.

Agnes’s son Thomas Murray, was the first to emigrate to New Zealand in 1911. Her daughter’s Catherine and Helen also emigrated with there husbands and families and made a new lives for themselves. Mary Ann Murray (My 2x great grandmother) was the only one who didn’t emigrate.

I found picture’s of Agnes daughter on Ancestry – the picture on the left is Helen Murray (Cook) and the picture on the right is her husband Thomas Cook

Her husband Peter died in 1919 (This is who my great grandfather was named after) he only lived in New Zealand for 6 years. Agnes lived until she was 70 years old, dying on 29th June 1932.

Agnes was born in Scotland to poor Irish Immigrants, she then married an even poorer man at 16 years old. By 21 she had lost 2 children in infancy, she moved around a lot, she was separated from her children at times, lived in poverty, her husband committed murder so she had violence in her life too – her life was hard! To then turn it all around in her 40s, and by all accounts lead a happy life, she should be admired. She was also the first person of my direct ancestors not to die in Scotland.

Aerial view of Buller, Westport, New Zealand

Father – Thomas Brown

Mother – Mary Ann Devlin

Husband – William Murray

Daughter – Mary Ann Murray