Dear Jack, I was very interested in what you wrote. There's over 20 years missing for my John. Supposed to have arrived c.1852, he didn't surface until 1873 when an illegitimate son James was born, and then my great grandfather William. There was no Margaret. The first two daughters were Agnes and Elizabeth, and then later a lot of fancy names - Lillian, Elsie, Hilda. I searched for the possibility of a prior marriage in Victoria, Australia, in those 20 years, as my great grandmother was Catholic, and he never married her, and I always wondered if it was because he was still legally married. No luck. I found a Robert on the shipping lists into Victoria who said he was born in Sunderland, but can't make him fit as a brother for my John. It didn't occur to me that he could have gone to America first. Thanks and best wishes, Judy -----Original Message----- From: Jack and Debbie Murray [mailto:themurrays@dmci.net] Sent: Friday, 13 October 2000 6:08 PM To: BORDER-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: MURRAY, John Hi Judy, I've lost a John MURRAY who was born 8 Jun 1827 in Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland. (His parents were born in Tweedsmuir, Peeblesshire, Scotland) John came with his parents to Hay Township, Huron County, Ontario in 1834. In 1848, he left home and then disappeared without a trace, after visiting London, Ontario. The family has always assumed he went after his fortune in California, but obviously he could have gone anywhere. This John MURRAY's first son was probably named James. His second daughter would probably have been named Margaret. I have much information on his ancestors and the descendants of his siblings. Anybody out there hit a brick wall with their John MURRAY who was born in 1827 in Scotland? Thanks, Jack Murray from Michigan