Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Murdie, Andrew ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com October 3, 2007, 2:04 am Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County ANDREW MURDIE, a well-known farmer of Wilton Township, was born in Melrose, Roxburyshire, Scotland, in November, 1838, a son of Andrew and Helen (Culbertson) Murdie. He was one of three children, his brother and sister being William, of Alloa, Scotland, and Jeannette, Mrs. Adam Fleming, of Galashiels, Scotland. His father died when in middle age, and afterward the mother was married to William Wright, a tailor, by whom she had three children, Robert, James and Isabella. She is still living in Scotland, and is now more than eighty years of age. When a very small child our subject began to work, in order to assist in supporting himself. At ten years of age he secured work in herding cows and doing chores, for which he was paid one pound for six months. As he grew older and stronger his wages were increased, until he was earning twelve pounds a year. June 5, 1857, he and a cousin embarked on a sailing vessel at Liverpool, and after a rough voyage of forty-two days they landed in New York City, July 18. Thence they went up the Hudson to Albany. It was their intention to join an uncle at Chatham, Canada, but the New York farmers, being greatly in need of help, they were induced to stop with a farmer thirteen miles from Albany. With him they remained for six weeks, and then resumed their journey. Reaching Chatham, our subject worked for a Mr. Smith on a farm for one year. Next he worked for two months at railroad constructing on the Great Western Railroad. On his return to Chatham he resumed work with Mr. Smith. In the spring of 1861 he came to Illinois and secured work with Henry Aiken at Lockport, his special work being the running of a ditching machine. The next year he bought a corn- sheller, and, in company with a partner who owned horses, he began shelling corn for the farmers. His was the first corn-sheller operated in this section, and he had the shelling of all the corn between Spencer and Peotone. In 1865 Mr. Murdie married Elizabeth Scott, who was born in Yorkshire, England, a daughter of Thomas and Harriet (Gluver) Scott. Her father dying when she was a child, she was taken into the home of Robert Holmes, whose family she accompanied to America in 1856, settling with them in Lockport. After his marriage Mr. Murdie settled just east of his present home, he and Mr. Holmes having bought one hundred and twelve acres of land in partnership here. With the exception of ten years spent in Greengarden Township, where he owned eighty acres of land, he has since made his home in Wilton Township, and is counted among the most energetic and capable farmers of this township. From his original farm he moved to the farm of Mr. Holmes, and by subsequent purchase increased it to one hundred and thirty-seven acres. He is the oldest surviving settler at this end of Twelve-Mile Grove. Among the people of this locality he bears the reputation of an efficient farmer and an honorable man, one whose aim has been to live uprightly and carry out in his actions the principles of the golden rule. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Murdie comprises six living children, namely: Robert S., a farmer of Wilton Township; A. Janet, at home; Emma J., wife of Brooks Broadrick, of Forsman, Ind.; Alfred C.; James G. and Walter G., at home. For twenty-five years or more, Mr. Murdie has been a member of the district school board. Among his other offices were those of town clerk, which he held for several years; assessor of Wilton Township, which he held for a year; and supervisor for two years. At this writing he is president of the Horse Protective Association, an organization that has proved very helpful to the farmers here. He is also a director of the Manhattan Co-operative Creamery Company. While he is not connected with any denomination, he attends the Baptist Church and is a contributor to its support. Fraternally he is a member of Wilton Lodge No. 640, I. O. O. F., in which he has filled all of the chairs, and for many years was its treasurer. In political views he is a stanch Republican. Additional Comments: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/murdie1778nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb