Ebenezer Murray: 1819-1885
Ebenezer was the brother of my great great grandfather Abijah Murray Senior. He was born on 29 April 1819
, at 319 Cowgate, Lady Yester's Parish, Edinburgh and married Ellen Patterson on 20 January 1847 when he was 27 years old. Ellen's death certificate reveals that Ellen was the daughter of Robert Patterson, farmer, and Nancy Patterson (née McFarlane). Ellen was born in Kilmadock in Perthshire ca 1819.The 1851 Census shows that Ebenezer Murray, aged 31, was working as an upholsterer and furniture dealer. He was living at 38 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh with his wife, Ellen Murray, aged 32, and his widowed mother, Margaret Murray, aged 70.
On 23 December 1852 the couple had a baby daughter, Agnes Macfarlane Murray. At that point Ebenezer's profession was described as "salesman", and the couple were living at 9 West Claremont Street, Edinburgh. They can't have been living there long, as their address at the time of the 1851 census, some 20 months earlier, was Brunswick Street. Sadly Agnes died just after her third birthday, at 1.00am on 31 December 1855 at home. She is buried at Warriston Cemetery. There is no evidence that Ebenezer and Ellen had any more children. In a couple of later census returns they had a niece or nephew lodging with them.
The 1861 Census shows the family still living at 9 West Claremont Street, Edinburgh. Ebenezer, aged 41, was working as an auctioneer and furniture dealer. Other inhabitants of the house were his wife, Ellen aged 42; Margaret McQueen, niece (related on his wife's side), aged 13, scholar; and Margaret Aitken, aged 32, domestic servant.
For many years Ebenezer worked in the furniture business - not only as a furniture dealer but also as an upholsterer and an auctioneer. At some stage he was associated with the firm of Dalgleish and Forrest, 4 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. They were furniture warehousemen. He was also joined in this by his nephew, Alexander Murray, eldest son of Abijah Murray Senior. Alexander became a partner in the firm. The family archive includes a soft-leather wallet inscribed with the lettering "Ebenr Murray, Dalgleish & Forrests, 4 St Andrew Square". It contains an envelope, with the handwritten address "E Murray Esq" - in which there is a copy of an engraved portrait of the Revd George Payne MA Edinburgh. There is also a pencil and an unused notebook with a fuschia-pink silk cover.
Later on, probably when he was in his late 40s/early 50s, Ebenezer became Superintendent of the Edinburgh Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. This was a paid appointment and the salary per quarter in 1885 appears to have been £62-10s. Following Ebenezer's death the Treasurer of the Association, Mr T R Marshall wrote to his widow as follows: "As I have been connected with the Association since its commencement I had an opportunity of judging of the great worth of your late husband, how intimately he had the interests of the Society at heart, how much he did to develop its operations and how wisely he acted often under difficult and trying circumstances. His loss has been a great one but he has left the mark of an honoured name behind and the esteem of all with whom he came in contact."
The 1871 Census shows the family living at 9 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh. By now Ebenezer is 51, and working as Superintendent of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. His wife Ellen is 52. Also living with them are William Murray, nephew, aged 21, Clerk; and Marion Glass, servant, unmarried, aged 31.
On 9 December 1872, aged 53, Ebenezer, still living at 9 Salisbury Road, was admitted as an Ordinary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts. The RSSA was founded in 1821 as "The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland" and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1841. It was concerned with the fields that we would now describe as science, technology, engineering and manufacture but which were then known as the useful arts as opposed to the fine arts.
He was also a member of the Albany Street Chapel. In expressing the condolences of the Chapel on his death the Secretary, John South wrote as follows: "At the Church meeting held on 2 April, the following resolution was unanimously agreed to, viz "That it be recorded in the Minute Book the great loss we, as a Church, have sustained by the death of Ebenezer Murray who, during a long lifetime, rendered valuable service to the cause of Christ in this place, and whether as an individual, a Church member or as an office bearer, manifested by his consistent work and conversation, the deep interest he felt in the Master's work". " The Deacons of the Chapel also wrote: "While the brethren regret the loss of Mr Murray, they have great pleasure in testifying their appreciation of his consistent life as a Christian; of the ability which he brought to bear on the work of the Church; and of the hearty and lifelong interest which he took in her welfare."
Ebenezer died at 9 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh at 10.45 pm on 16 March 1885, aged 65. The cause of death, as recorded on the death certificate, was congestion of lung and failure of the heart; and he'd been ill for only two days. His funeral took place on Friday 20 March and he was buried in Warriston cemetery, Edinburgh. Following his death his widow received a number of letters of condolence.
The 1891 Census shows that Ebenezer's 72-year old widow, Ellen, was living on private means at 9 Salisbury Road. Also at the same address was Jane Paul, boarder, aged 49, unmarried and living on private means; and Agnes Pillow.
Ellen Patterson Murray, died at home at 11.50am on 26 March 1901, aged 82 years. Her funeral took place on Friday 29 March 1901 and she too was buried in Warriston cemetery, Edinburgh. Her death certificate records the cause of death as "Asthenia; Old Age; and possible Carcinoma of the Stomach". There was no post mortem examination. The informant was George McFarlane, her nephew in law, who resided at 29 Eglantine Road, Wandsworth, London South West. He registered the death on 28 March 1901.