James raised his family in Kippford and when he retired from sea, he had still his unmarried daughters, so he built Brooklyn cottage in1880, in provisions for extending it, which he did quite quickly and it was finished and paid for in June for £195. James extending it in 1895 and the family called the extending part "Wee Brooklyn."

There was dry lavatories at all the houses and the buckets were emptied ever day at high tide, there was no country water to the village until 1931 and no bathroom, the source of water was from a pump at the back door. He named the cottage after Port Brooklyn in the U.S.A., a place he sailed to many times. When James retired from sea, he took a lively interest in all affairs of the district. His mental facilities were unimpaired, and he had a keen sense of humour, and having also a most retentive memory, his conversation's were most racy and interesting.

His children were an affectionate family and when James lost his wife in 1891, his four daughters looked after their dad in Brooklyn.

James died on Tuesday at Kippford aged 85 on the 17th of April 1900, his funeral was held on the Friday and every mark of respect was paid by the local community and flags were flying at half-mast. He is buried in Colvend Churchyard.

James and Agnes had 9 children.

(1) Mary Murdoch was born on the 24th of Jan 1841 at Kippford, she never married and lived and died at Brooklyn Cottage, Kippford aged 88 on the 25th of June 1929 from bronchitis and cardiac syncope, her death certificate says she was a retired housekeeper and her cousin James Cumming was the informant.

(2) Captain Samuel Murdoch, was born on the 4th of April 1843. He served with J.&J. Rae CO. He first went to sea with his father James on the 'Freedom.' Later he served on the 'Sheitan' the 'Genral Roberts' the 'Loch Urr' the 'Eskdale' the 'Northbrook' and the 'Iquique.' He became master of the Captain Hathorn when only 23 years of age. He died aged 73 on the 6th of March 1917 of Cerebral Hemorrhage (bleeding inside the brain) at "Oakland Cottage," Dalbeattie, he named his house after trading to San Francisco for many years. He married Jeannie Muirhead McMaster at St. Michael's Church, Liverpool, UK on 14th December 1864.
Jeannie was born in Palnackie and died aged 75 also of Cerebral Hemorrhage at Oakland Cottage in 1914. Their children are. Mary McMaster Murdoch 1865-1869, she was baptised at the Scotch Presbyterian Church in Oldham Street, Liverpool. James Murdoch was born in Liverpool too in 1867 and died of epilepsy at Oakland Cottage in 1906, he never married and worked as a chemist. Agnes Cumming Murdoch 1868-1916. William McMaster Murdoch 1873-1912. Jane Murdoch 1877-1921. Samuel Murdoch 1880-1950, he married Martha Patience Scott at Dalbeattie in 1915 and Margaret Elizabeth Murdoch 1882-1973 died aged 91.
Samuel's son is William McMaster Murdoch who died on the Titanic.
To read about him click here

(3) Captain William Murdoch was born on the 21st of July 1845. He served on the 'Antilles,' 'Angerona,' 'Irongraig' and the 'Silverhorn.' He married Janet Wilson on the 15th of October 1867,at Colvend, they had no children. He named his lovely cottage "Antilles" - it was next door to Brooklyn Cottage. Captain William Wilson of Palnackie had just purchased the 'Mary.'
Though retired, Murdoch had agreed at the owner's request to assist the schooner's master in bringing the vessel home. The vessel left Port with 51 tons of coal. Regrettably, it appears that the master had got drunk in Whitehaven, and old William had a cup too many himself.

The Mary went aground off Mary Port at Rascarrel Rocks at Auchencairn Bay West Coast of Scotland. Murdoch was struggling to put on his lifejacket and was washed overboard.
He was aged 60 and died on the 4th of April 1906 within site of his home.

(4) Jane Murdoch was born on the 16th of April 1848, she never married and died aged 76 at 11 PM at Brooklyn Cottage on the 28th of May 1924 of chronic bronchitis. Her cousin James Cumming was the informant.

(5) Agnes Murdoch was born on the 8th of Feb 1851. She never married and lived and died at Brooklyn Cottage aged 94 on the 20th of June 1944 at 1.30 PM from cerebral thrombosis, which she had for 5 days, her niece Jessie Oswald's was the informant.

(6) Margaret Murdoch was born on the 16th of Dec 1853,she married Captain John Thorburn, at St Peters Church, Liverpool on the 25th of June 1890. They had two children. John was captain of the 'Dundonald,' a four-masted steelbarque. The Dundonald was commissioned to recover the gold from the shipwreck of the General Grant. John and his 15 year old son James, were aboard when the ship was wrecked on 'Disappointment Island,' New Zealand during a storm on the 7th of March 1907. Aged 56 John and James drowned along with ten others while trying to get ashore. 16 of the crew survived for eight months on Auckland Island, the survivors endured a desperate struggle for existence until they were rescued by a Government relief ship. For an account of the most remarkable shipwreck stories on record see 'The Wreck of the Dundonald' by Albert Roberts. Or 'The Castaways of Disappointment Island' written by
Reverend-Inman-Escott.
The Marine authorities stepped in and placed a ban on any further attempts on the 'General Grant', on the grounds that such expeditions were too perilous and hopeless to be
practicable. The gold has already cost 91 lives and now looks like lying
undisturbed in its sea-washed cave for all time.

Margaret had to wait two years until she received the telegram to say she had lost her husband and your son, she never got over their tragic death, but led a full life as she had her daughter Agnes to consider. On Agnes birth certificate it says she was born on the 20th of Jan 1893 at 6 pm at Brooklyn Cottage, she became a school teacher and married Douglas Scott MacDonald, she died 12/05/1981. Margaret never married again and died at Brooklyn Cottage aged 92 at 7.20 PM on the 13th of December 1945, from Senile decay. Her niece Jessie was the informant. The sister's were known by the Murdoch family as the great aunts.

(7) Captain John Murdoch was born on the 5th of October 1856, he died at sea as the Captain of the "Alcides" of Anglo American oil co. on the 10th of April 1907 aged 50. John called his cottage in Kippford "Auckland." He married Catherine Halliday and she was born in 1858 and died aged 91 at West Kirby in 1949. They had four children. Private William Murdoch was killed in the battle of the Somme in 1916. Captain James Murdoch 1884-1922. Captain John Halliday Murdoch 1891-1970,he married Margaret Stewart in 1910 and his second wife was Helen Thompson 1895-1974 and Janet Murdoch who died in 1947, Janet married her third cousin Thomas Joseph Rae 1885-1915 and they had a daughter Ailsa and Janet's second husband is Captain George Affleck and they had a daughter Catherine.

(8) Elizabeth Cumming Murdoch was born 5th of April 1860, she worked as a maid in Moffat to the Johnson Wilson family and remained with them for many long years. She never married at died at Brooklyn Cottage aged 85 at 8AM on the 7th of December 1945 from Senile decay.

(9) Andrena Murdoch was born on the 3rd of May 1862, she died aged 39 on the 24th of April 1902, a couple of weeks after her son William was born. She married William Muir on the 19th of June 1888 at Colvend, her sister Elizabeth was a witness. Will was 5 foot 9 and enjoyed smoking a pipe. He was born in 1862 and was a ship's carpenter who had worked with the brothers of his wife and eventually became head shipwright of Ailsa ship building co. of Troon, Will
died in 1940.

These are Andrena and William's children.

Agnes Cumming Muir born 1890. Marian Muir was born in 1892 and died from TB aged 9 in 1901 at Troon. James Muir 1894-1965. Robert Muir 1897-1961, he married Mary Robson. Elizabeth Murdoch Muir 1899-1995. William Muir 1902-1975, he married Mary Ann Judge and Jessie Wilson Muir 1895-1983, she married John Oswald 1883-1966.

The following information is from Jessie Oswald's daughter Jean who was born in 1929 and worked as an art teacher, she married Alan Cameron.

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