The Murdochs - Carpenters, Stonemasons and Bridge Builders in the Carolinas

 by Roberta McGee

In order to explain the connections between the carpenter/stonemason/bridge builder Murdochs who emigrated to the Carolinas in the 1800s we have to go back to Andrew Murdoch and Elizabeth Baird of Ochiltree Mill who married on 5th June 1784. They had at least seven children:

John Murdoch who was born in 1785 and who married Jacobina McCulloch

Andrew Murdoch who was born in 1788 - not verified

Alexander Murdoch who was born in 1789 and married Helen Peden

William who was born in 1792

Hugh who was born in 1793 and married Isabella Fernie

Margaret who was born in 1795 and married James Paterson

Sarah who was born in 1797 and married Arthur Miller

Andrew and Elizabeth's son Hugh emigrated to the USA in 1835 with his wife Isabella Fernie and their six children who were all born in Old Cumnock. Hugh was a cabinet maker and became an American citizen in 1848. According to the US Federal Census Hugh and Isabella settled in Fairfield, Connecticut where they both died - Hugh in 1864 and Isabella in 1867.

THE FAMILY OF ALEXANDER MURDOCH AND HELEN PEDEN

Alexander Murdoch, the third son of Andrew Murdoch and Elizabeth Baird, married Helen Peden in 1810 in Ochiltree. 

Their first son was WILLIAM MURDOCH, who was born in the Knowe, Auchinleck in 1811. He emigrated to New York in the early 1830s, then moved to Raleigh to work on the North Carolina State Capitol. In 1831 a fire had destroyed the North Carolina State House and William Murdoch was one of a group of Scots-born stonemasons and stonecutters who were recruited to work on the new State Capitol reconstruction. He married Sarah (Sally) Colburn, the sister of a fellow stonemason, while working there in January 1838. The couple then moved to Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, where William worked on the construction of the massive United States Arsenal which, incidentally, was destroyed in 1865 by General Sherman's troops during the American Civil War.

North Carolina State Capitol, Raleigh, NC
Image - The Built Heritage of NC: NC University Libraries

Grant’s Creek Viaduct - Contractor Wm. Murdoch 1856/57
Image NC Architects & Builders

At the time there was a rapid expansion in railroad construction and William moved into planning and constructing stone bridges for numerous railroad companies. By the 1850s William and his family were settled in Salisbury where the railroad brought new prosperity and opportunities. He successfully continued with bridge building and other businesses. Between 1858 and 1860 he was involved in building the Gothic Revival brick Thyatira Presbyterian Church.

Thyatira Presbyterian Church - Image SHPO, Raleigh, NC

Everything changed on 12th April 1861 when Fort Sumter in South Carolina was bombarded by the Confederates signalling the beginning of the American Civil War. Over the next four years much of the infrastructure was destroyed and by the end of the war on 26th May 1865 the Carolinas lay in ruins. New railroads and bridges had to be built and this was where William's skills came into demand. 

The Ayr Advertiser of 24/2/1888 reports: 'Mr Murdoch has been a worker in stone for the last sixty years, and we do not think we say too much when we state that Mr Murdoch has constructed more stone-work than any man in the United States.' 

Read more details about William Murdoch's long and successful working life in the USA here.

William and Sarah had four children - Miriam, born 1838 in Fayetteville, who married Samuel H. Wiley, Helen Peden born 1841 in Raleigh and who sadly died aged two years old, William Alexander born 1844 in Charleston who became a medical student in Glasgow and eventually became a doctor in Waynesville, North Carolina and Lemuel who was born in 1846 in Graniteville, South Carolina and died aged sixteen years old in Chatham County, North Carolina.

In 1868 William and his wife Sally sold their house and lot to their daughter Miriam and her husband Samuel H. Wiley, a successful businessman, and the foursome replaced the old frame house with a large brick residence with Italianate features and a rooftop cupola. This became the home of both families and was known as the Murdoch-Wiley House.

The Murdoch-Wiley House
Image - NC Architects & Builders

William liked to travel and he visited Scotland a few times. The Glasgow Herald of 9/5/1874 reported his attendance at a meeting in Glasgow for the Glasgow Institution for the Deaf & Dumb and the Ayr Advertiser on reporting his Golden Wedding of 16/1/1888 wrote;

 

'Through frequent correspondence and occasional visits to his old home, he still maintains a warm friendship with many there.'

Ayr Advertiser 24/2/1888

William Murdoch died on 30th December 1893, his son-in-law Samuel Wiley died on 2nd July 1894 and William's wife Sally died on 14th January 1895.  Samuel and Miriam's daughter Annie Shannon Wiley married the Rev. John Fairman Preston in 1903 and they served as Presbyterian missionaries in Korea from 1903 to 1940. They were appointed by the Presbyterian Church in the US to serve in Mokpo, Kwangju and finally Soonchun from 1913 to 1940. Miriam decided to join her daughter in Korea and spent three years there arriving back in the USA in May 1907. Miriam died at her house in Salisbury, Rowan County in May 1912. 

Miriam's son William Murdoch Wiley was born in 1863 in North Carolina. In 1887 he married Marion Easton Paterson, by Declaration, in Glasgow. On his marriage certificate he described himself as a journalist living in Inns of Court, London. In 1900 he was a gold miner in Rowan and in 1910 he was a mining engineer in Manhattan, New York. Marion's father was Andrew Paterson from Ochiltree and her mother was Marion Merry from Catrine. So Marion E. Paterson was the grand-daughter of Margaret Murdoch from Ochiltree Mill whose parents were Andrew Murdoch and Elizabeth Baird! William and Marion went on to have a son Samuel Hamilton Wiley who became the American Consul in Oporto, Portugal and later in Cherbourg, France.

Another of Alexander Murdoch and Helen Peden's sons was HUGH MURDOCH, who was born in 1819. He was a joiner to trade and married Margaret McLaughlan (various spellings) in 1847 in Ochiltree. In November 1851 Hugh, Margaret and their two young sons, Alexander and John, set sail on the 'Harmonia' from Glasgow to New York. Accompanying them were Hugh's brothers Alexander and Andrew. Hugh obtained work with the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company and the family moved to New Bern where he supervised the building of a bridge over the Trent River. The family then moved to Morehead City, Carteret where he continued his work as a bridge builder and bridge inspector. Hugh fought in the American Civil War (1861-1865) on the Confederate side and after the War he bought a farm at Wildwood, Carteret County, Connecticut where he died in 1898 just over a year after celebrating his Golden Wedding.

ANDREW MURDOCH, who was born in 1828, was the fourth son of Alexander Murdoch and Helen Peden. He emigrated along with his brothers Hugh and Alexander in 1851. In 1860 he was living in Dutch Fork, Lexington, South Carolina. He had married Tirzah Theresa Epting and was working as a carpenter. Much of the town of Lexington was destroyed by Union Forces in 1864 during the American Civil War and on the 1870 census they were living in Fairfield, South Carolina where he was working as a house carpenter. By 1880 they were still in Fairfield and Andrew had moved into bridge building. Andrew died in Lexington, South Carolina in 1890.

ALEXANDER MURDOCH, who was the youngest son of Alexander Murdoch and Helen Peden, was born in 1830. He emigrated with his brothers in 1851. In 1859 he married Minnie Peterson and 1860 finds the couple living in an hotel in Salisbury. Alexander's occupation is given as bookkeeper. On 27th May 1861 Alexander enlisted in the Confederate Army firstly in Company 'H' of the 2nd North Carolina Infantry as a sergeant and from 1863 he was 2nd lieutenant with the 38th North Carolina Infantry Regiment.

A description of a  letter from Alexander to his brother (doesn't say which one) on 10th August 1863 is as follows:

'Description: Ordinance Sgt. Alexander "Sandie" Murdoch, Co. H, 2nd North Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Camp near Orange C.H., August 19 1863, to his brother. Murdoch mentions that he has been on the sick list since the 26th July but not off duty. He has been making inquiries about John D. Scott and a man named Steel who were missing with varied reports of dead and buried together, only wounded etc. Murdoch then begins a narrative of the actions of the Iverson and Ramsay Brigades of Rodes'....

Musselman Library's Special Collections and College Archives Catalogue

Alexander Murdoch died from typhoid fever at the General Hospital in Staunton, Virginia, on 1st July 1864.

Moving on to Andrew and Elizabeth Baird's oldest son John Murdoch who was born in Ochiltree and who married Jacobina McCulloch in Ochiltree in 1809. Their eldest son was Andrew Murdoch of Gallowlea Cottage and later quarrymaster of Coalburn, New Cumnock. He married Agnes Wallace.

JOHN ANDREW MURDOCH was born in 1840 at Gallowlea Cottage in Ochiltree. He was the oldest son of Andrew Murdoch,  stonemason, and Agnes Wallace.  He married Margaret Kennedy Baird in 1868 at Ochiltree. Margaret was the daughter of farmer Thomas Baird who was born in Old Cumnock. He farmed at Nether Heiler and then South Logan Farm, Sorn. In 1871 he was a grocer in Main Street, Ochiltree and retired to Windyside Cottage, Glaisnock Street, Cumnock where he died in 1882. Margaret's mother was Margaret Kennedy, a farmer's daughter, born in Farden Farm, New Cumnock. 

John and Maggie had nine children. The 1871 census finds the family living in Back Street, Cumnock with their first two children, Margaret aged 1 year and Agnes who is only 6 days old. Daughter Isabella was born at Ayr Road, Cumnock in 1874 followed by Jacobina in 1875, Lizzie in 1877 and son John Wallace Murdoch in 1879. John's skills as a stonemason had him working on many important local building contracts including St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Cumnock with stone supplied by his father Andrew from his quarry at Coalburn. 

The family then moved to England and in April 1881 they were in Islington where John was working as a credit draper. Another son, Ebenezer, was born there that same year. Margaret's brothers James Kennedy Baird and Ebenezer Baird were also drapers in Islington. In October 1881 John, Maggie and their seven children emigrated to North Carolina, USA where their son William Wallace Murdoch was born in 1883. Daughter Mary Baird Murdoch was born in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina in January 1891. According to the Irvine Times of 27/3/1891 John then spent three months in Scotland. He was, at that time, an overseer at Biltmore Estate and when he returned to Asheville he resumed his duties there. 

Biltmore Estate, which nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, was constructed between 1889 and 1895. The lavish 250 room mansion was commissioned by George Washington Vanderbilt II. a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family which amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads and various other business enterprises. The project was immense and John, being such a skilled stonemason. was employed there for many years. John was also a champion draughts player.

Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald 18/1/1895

By 1887 John was in partnership with another ex-Cumnockian, James Colvin. He was the son-in-law of John Kay, Tanyard, Cumnock. Messrs Murdoch & Colvin secured some large contracts for the stonework on some of the bridges of the three C's road in Lancaster County, South Carolina.

Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald 28/10/1887

According to a newspaper report in the 1880s half a dozen young masons were selected by Andrew Murdoch of Coalburn to accompany him from Scotland to fulfil a contract in South Carolina. James Colvin and William Thomson arrived there in June 1880. George Davidson, Hugh Crawford (young mason from Roadside) and William Findlay arrived there in 1887.

Asheville had quite a colony of Cumnockians according to the Irvine Times of 27/3/1891:

Alex Colvin, James Colvin, Douglas McKinnon, William Findlay, George H. Davidson, Hugh Crawford, John Miller (son of Robert Miller, Tanyard) and Robert Mair. 

In 1891 John was employed as a street inspector. In 1900 John and Maggie were living in Asheville, Buncombe in a farm named Wallace. John was working as a stonemason. Maggie died of pneumonia in January 1901 in Asheville. She was 54 years old and left John her 25 acre farm in Hazel Township and two other properties in the city. Around 1894 John had transferred his property to his wife. When his brother David died in 1891 John was made executor of his Will. He was charged with mis-appropriating David's estate for his own use and a restraining order was made against him to prevent him from selling the land.  To safeguard his assets he transferred his properties to his wife declaring himself insolvent. A complaint was made against him and he was removed as executor of David's Will because he unlawfully disposed of the assets of his estate. 

North Carolina Estate Files 1863-1979 - March term 1895 - Complaint 

John A. Murdoch is charged with mis-appropriating estate to his own use and refused to account to HB Stevens, administrator, for about $10,000 or more. John had sold off 20 lots and was taken to court. He conveyed all his property to his wife and refused to give David's widow any money. Statements were taken from several acquaintances, eg George Davidson, Douglas McKinnon and James Colvin, saying that John had a drink problem both in Scotland and the USA and was so drunk at times that he was unfit for business. When his brother David died John took possession of all the rights etc of the estate. John borrowed $600 from his brother Andrew but never repaid him. He was unfriendly towards his brother's widow and her child and often cursed and abused her and told her she was not entitled to the legacies in her husband's Will. Lillie, David's widow, said there was enough money to pay the legacies to David's children in Scotland and to repay the $600 debt to brother Andrew.

On 29th September 1909 John's grand-daughter Catherine was shot by her father. She was only five years old and her father, hotel keeper Arthur Allen, was found guilty of second degree murder and received five years imprisonment.  John returned to Scotland in August 1911 residing firstly in Old Cumnock, then New Cumnock and finally moving to Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh, where he died in 1919. His brother Andrew from Coalburn, New Cumnock was the informant on his death certificate.

DAVID MURDOCH, the younger brother of John, was born at Gallowlea in 1842. He was also a stonemason. In 1864 he married Mary Meikle at Rigghead Farm, New Cumnock. Mary's parents were Hugh Meikle, farmer and Marion Boyd. Their first child, Eliza, was born and died in 1864. Their second child was Eliza Meikle Murdoch who was born in 1865 in Ochiltree and their third child was Andrew Murdoch who was born in Rigghead in 1868. Three months later Mary died of puerperal mania, a condition linked to childbirth. 

After his wife's death David emigrated to North Carolina. He left the children with their grandparents and made a new life there. The name of his farm was 'Annandale' although in his Will he referred to it as 'the Jarrett Place'. In December 1886 David married Lillie Ann Brooks, who was 22 years younger than him. Their son David Scott Murdoch was born a year later. 

David died of consumption on 11th February 1891 and his funeral service was at Wallace Farm the residence of his brother John. In his Will David left his daughter Eliza and son Andrew, who still lived in Scotland, $3000 each. In 1894 the Asheville Baseball Club announced it had leased Allandale Field from the heirs of David Murdoch. The local newspaper, the Asheville Citizen, reported:

'The name has long attached to the grounds as the domain of the Murdochs'

In 1897 the Superior Court of Buncombe County requested that Eliza and Andrew appear in person at the Superior Court, Buncombe, to finalise the administration of David's estate.

Ashfield Citizen 1887

ANDREW MURDOCH, third son of Andrew Murdoch and Agnes Wallace, was born in 1845 at Gallowlea in Ochiltree. In 1861 he was living in Ochiltree with his parents and siblings. He doesn't appear on the 1871 census but in 1881 he is found visiting his late sister's family in Ochiltree. He had, most likely, been in Asheville, Buncombe Co., South Carolina. He had secured a large contract in the Carolinas and had selected half a dozen young masons from Cumnock to accompany him there. It was reported in the Irvine Times of 27/3/1891 that he had returned to Asheville after a year or more spent in Scotland and was intending to remain there. However, in 1901 he was back in Scotland living in Old Coalburn, New Cumnock with his father who was 84 years old. His father died in 1906. In 1911 Andrew was still living in Coalburn. In 1919 his brother John died in Edinburgh and Andrew was the informant on his death certificate, giving his address as Coalburn, New Cumnock. Andrew died in Dalricket Mill, New Cumnock in 1927 with his usual residence being Coalburn. His brother Alexander, who lived in Paisley, was the informant. 

Irvine Times 27/3/1891