Alexander Hepburn Muir 1866-1907
Alexander Hepburn Muir 1866-1907
1866. Alexander Hepburn Muir was born 2/2/1866 at 9 High Street Dumbarton to Thomas McCunn Muir & Henrietta Latta . Father was a Boatbuilder- master. Parents given as married 3/1/1853 Cardross/Rothesay: difficult to distinguish between place of banns -both - and place of wedding, but almost certainly Cardross where Henrietta lived. Where does the Hepburn come from? He also had a brother Robert Home Muir - another mystery as to where the Home comes from??. These names usually come from the maiden name of a grand mother - but that does not seem to be the case here.
Did he have a twin Margaret Muir? A time is shown on his bc. but think yhis is normal for Scotland. And no Margaret Muir given on Familysearch.
1871C Aged 5, living at 70 High Street Dumbarton with his parents and 5 of his then 6 siblings
| Thomas Muir | 44 | town councillor & boat builder [4 men & 5 boys], | b.Greenock |
| Henrietta Muir | 40 | b.Dumbarton | |
| Robert H. Muir | 17 | boatbuilder | b.Dumbarton |
| Thomas Muir | 11 | b.Dumbarton | |
| William L. Muir | 9 | b.Dumbarton | |
| James Muir | 7 | b.Dumbarton | |
| Alexander H. Muir | 5 | b.Dumbarton | |
| John Muir | 2 | b.Dumbarton |
I suspect Ann Latta Muir b~ 1856, died 1861-1871
1881C Still living at 70 High Street, Dumbarton with his parents and 6 of his now 7 siblings
| Thomas Muir | 54 | Master Boat Builder [1 man & 1 boy] | b.Greenock | |
| Henrietta L. Muir | 50 | b. Dumbarton | ||
| Robert H. Muir | 27 | naval architect | b. Dumbarton | baptised 30/10/1853 as Robert Home Muir |
| William L. Muir | 21 | Ships Builder [clerk] | b. Dumbarton | baptised 1859 as William Latta Muir |
| Thomas McC Muir | 19 | Marine Engineer | b. Dumbarton | |
| James Muir | 17 | Apprentice boatbuilder | b. Dumbarton | |
| Alexander H. Muir | 15 | Scholar | b. Dumbarton | baptised 2/2/1866 Alexander Hepburn Muir |
| John L. Muir | 13 | Scholar | b. Dumbarton | |
| Duncan G. Muir | 5 | Scholar | b. Dumbarton |
1891C Alexander Hepburn Muir is not still living with his family at Levengrove Terrace, Cardross Dumbarton . Not obviously in Scotland- from FMP 1891C for Scotland - have examined all the Alexanders born! Maybe he is already working abroad?
1893 May . He maybe returns to London from Bombay, A. Muir 27, Gent. on the Dunera of the British India Steam Navigation Company - Ancestry, but image does not tally with their details!. No other finds on Ancestry Shipping records for him or his wife or young family 1897-1899 particularly, when the family must have travelled back Have also searched Findmypast records for any movement of the family to or fro from Bombay 1890 -1910 - nothing found.
1894. He marries Ellen H. Houston in Colombo Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 05/11/1894 .This date and place from the 1899 b.c. of son William Muir . What was Alexander doing here?. Do marriage certificates survive in Colombo?
In September 1896, Bombay was hit by a bubonic plague epidemic where the death toll was estimated at 1,900 people per week. About 850,000 people fled Bombay and the textile industry was adversely affected.
1896. Ruby May Muir born Tardeo Bombay. 29/4/1896 from 1939 Register. Seemingly no baptism yet-2016- on FMP or on FS/IGI- 10/3/2015. .
1897. Robert Home Muir born Tardeo Bombay. He was born 16/11/1897, baptised 5/1/1898 in the Free Church of Scotland, Bombay, his father an engineer, address Tardeo Bombay- FMP. Seemingly named after an uncle , elder brother 1854 of father Alexander, who was indeed his godfather
1899. William Muir born Glassford Lanark. His mother, Alexander's wife, Helen,was obviously home from Bombay and Glassford was where her parents, Alexander & Agnes Houston, were living 1901-1913 and most likely in 1899 too.
Alexander, Robert Home, Ruby May, William & Helen ~1901
1901C.
All living at 75 Ashborn Road Toxteth Park Liverpool. Possibly temporary accommodation awaiting return to India.
1901-2 probably. The family returned to Bombay where Alexander Muir was thought to have managed a jute mill business. His children returned to UK by 1911 after death of Alexander Muir in 1907
1907. Alexander Hepborn Muir, aged 41, died 30/03/1907 Bombay. Death recorded on FS ,stating burial on 31/3/1907 at Sewrie Cemetery - this is now Sewri cemetery. His son, William Muir, thought he was buried in the British cemetery on Elephant Island off the coast of Bombay. But, Sewri is not on Elephanta Island : it is not far away from Tardeo . His widow, Helen, reportedly told the family that he died of bubonic plague. No grave on Findagrave website . In Bombay City alone, the death toll rose to 183,984 between 1896 and 1914. Bubonic plague broke out in 1896 and over half the population fled the city between 1896 and 1897 when it was at its height .. There were plague docters on railway stations where people could be separated into a male and a female queue for examination and there were examinations on the streets, as well. The public character of these examinations was humiliating.
He left a Will , and was superintendent Engineer of Maneckji Petit Mills- spinning & weaving mills- in 1902 when this was written . He left 18700 rupees- maybe equivalent to ~£1400 then - FMP
1909. His widow Ellen remarried as Ellen Muir-Houston, father Alexander Houston, on 5/6/1909, Bombay, to Harold Elliott,1879, father Edwin Elliot . Helen Elliott nee Houston died 02/02/1960 in Hebburn Nr Newcastle- Durham North East - aged 88. Her husband predeceasd her. Could possibly be a Harold S Elliott dying in 1950, aged 65, but doubt it as he likely married a Noble!.
1911C. FMP. Children are at school in Crouch End. Robert 13 and William 11 at Oatfield School, Haslemere Road, Crouch End, Hornsey. No place of birth given. Sister, Ruby Muir, 14 is at Crouch End High School and College for Ladies, her birthplace given as Bombay India. Have not located the remarried mother - have tried umpteen combinations in England, also SP 1911C !!.. Likely still in Bombay?
Thomas McCunn Muir 1826
