Remembering my paternal great-grandmother, Mrs. B. J. Murray (nee Annie Cavanaugh) with pride and respect. She was born 1872 and became the head of Murray Glen Farm, after the death of my great grandfather in 1917. She died on September 4, 1944 of cancer, and is buried at St Andrews United Church Cemetery in Martintown, Ontario. My grandmother, Bessie Murray (nee Laura Elizabeth Burwash) looked after her mother-in-law, when she became sick with cancer. The attached photos were taken by either Annie (my great grandmother) or Bessie (my grandmother) circa 1940.
(Excerpt from THE CANADIAN GLEN FALLOCH MURRAYS, by MARLAND MURRAY, published 1987)
Mrs. B.J. Murray was the wife of the late B.J. Murray. She has four sons. The Murray family is Scotch-Canadian, Presbyterian in religion, and Independent in politics.
Mrs. Murray’s two farms, comprising 185 acres. Are located south part, Lots 11 and 12, Seventh Concession, and Lot 12. Sixth Concession, Indian Lands, Charlottenburg Township. These properties are operated by her sons M.J., G.I., R.E.., and D. C. Murray. They are stocked with 33 cattle, 5 horses, 17 swine, and 40 fowl, and produce annually about 850 bushels grain, 115 tons hay, 140 tons corn, 150 bushels potatoes, with fruit and vegetables for own use. There are also over 300 trees suitable for tapping on the properties.
The Murray family have spent all their life farming and have been members of the Cheese Board since its organization. Four hundred and fifty pounds of milk is daily sent daily to the Glen Factory from the splendid herd of registered Ayrshire cattle. The Murray family have been exhibitors and prize winners on cattle at Cornwall and Williamstown Fairs.
Mr. B.J. Murray died March 4th. 1917. The two younger boys are still attending school.
Ben was a prosperous farmer who was highly thought of by his business associates. He operated a mixed farming enterprise consisting of purebred Ayrshires. Periodically he would hold sales and sell off a proportion of his cattle but always leaving enough animals to start back and business. In 1915 he sold fifty head for $5000.00, averaging $100.00 each. This was a big price in those days. He also sold and bought horses; sometimes as many as ten or twelve in a year. There was always a ready market for horses in the fall for lumber camps north of the Ottawa River. The city of Montreal also required numerous horses during the horsepower days. Ben would have to be classed as a successful businessman.
He was also a very kindhearted man, for when his brother Donald owed him $300.00, which was a considerable amount in those days and was sick with TB, Ben went down to visit him and burned the note for the money. He gave him a receipt marked “paid in full” so that Donald could die in peace knowing that his wife would not be saddled with the bill. That was the kind of man Ben was.
As I said before, Ben and Annie also raised Mabel, Donald and Adeline’s daughter and looked after both Grandfather and Grandmother Murray in their later years.
I also remember visiting Aunt Annie and recall Dad saying with a fine person she was, very highly respected in the community. It was said that she and Ben practiced the fine old philosophy-if you cannot say anything good about anyone, it is better to say nothing at all. You never heard them say anything bad or harmful about anyone.
