James McMurray is my second great grandfather. N John Currin → Neil Royston Currin your father → Emilie Cecelia Currin his mother → Alice Eden her mother → James McMurray her father

 

Mr. J. McMurray.

MCMURRAY, JAMES, Dairy Farmer, Brightwater, Mr. McMurray was born in County Down, North of Ireland, in 1834. In 1855, he came out to Melbourne, and in company with his brother Robert followed up the diggings at Bendigo, Castlemaine and Ballarat, After more or less success, they resolved to try New Zealand, and landed at Dunedin in just in time for the Gabriel's Gully “rush.” They were fairly successful, and went to Nelson in 1863, and were prospecting at Wangapeka and the Dun Mountain. Tnence they went to the West Coast, where they encountered hardships known only to pioneers. The brothers afterwards returned to Nelson, and Mr. James McMurray finally settled down at Brightwater in 1864. He has a farm of 100 acres, well suited to dairying, and used by him for that purpose. Whilst working on the railway line about twenty years ago, Mr. McMurray had the misfortune to lose one of his legs; and this has handicapped him in the latter years of his life. Mr. McMurray is married, and has twelve children, five of whom are married. He has always taken an active interest in matters conducive to the walfare of his district, and is chairman of the Spring Grove Road Board, and a member of the Brightwater school committee. He was formerly a member of the Waimeas Road Board.