Margaret Murdison/Morrison was married 9 June 1802 to James Fairgrieve. Her marriage records lists her as being the daughter of Andrew Murdison, tenant farmer in Newbie in the parish of Peebles, Peebleshire, Scotland. Her name is shown as Margaret Murderson in the parish records of her marriage in James' parish of Lasswade. The name is shown as Morrison on her children's death certificates.
 
 

No christening record has been found for Margaret, but other records show the Andrew Murdison family in Peebles. Murdisons are found in Peebleshire throughout the 1700s, but it is not a very common name.
 

Andrew Murdison and Janet Lawder had children in Peebles in the right time period. Janet was christened 21 April 1745 in Newlands, Peebleshire, the daughter of David Lauder and Mary Smith. Andrew was buried 15 August 1803 in Drumelzier. It is likely that Andrew and Janet had the following children:
 

1. Margaret, born in about 1780; married James Fairgrieve 9 June 1802 in Peebles.

2. Janet, born in December 1783; buried 7 May 1784 in Drumelzier, Peebles: "Janet Murdison, a child about 6 months, daughter to Andrew Murdison, tennent  of Boald, Traquair parish, was buried here".

3. William, christened 1 October 1790 in Traquair, Peebles.

4. Christian Stevenson, (female) christened 3 August 1792 in Peebles, Peeblesshire.

5. John, christened 29 April 1795 in Peebles, Peebleshire.
 

Sources: IGI; Peebles parish register; Midlothian, Edinburgh - Register of Marriages, 1751-1800 on ancestry.com; Drumelzier parish register.
 

Andrew, James and Thomas Murdison are all shown as living in Newby. James and Thomas are the sons of Andrew Murdison of Drumelzier, so it is very likely that Andrew is too, making this family group:
 
 

Andrew Murdison was christened 27 May 1677 in Drumelzier, Peebleshire, the son of William Murdison and Barbara Simsone. He married Margaret Stevenson of Kilbutho parish 31 December 1719 in Drumelzier. Margaret was the daughter of Alexander Stevenson, and she was christened 2 April 1699 in Stobo, Peebleshire. (This family connection to the Stevensons would explain Christian Stevenson Murdison's middle name.)

Andrew died and was buried 23 May 1747 in Drumelzier. The parish register states: "Andrew Murdison, tennent in Drummelzier and one of the elders of the parish aged about 60 years was buried".  Margaret died in Traquair, and was buried 12 November 1781 in Drumelzier: "Margaret Stevenson relic of the deceased Andrew Murdison late tenant in Drummelzier died at Boald in her eldest sones house and was buried here this day aged 86 years." Andrew and Margaret had the following children:

1. Janet, christened 19 February 1721 in Drumelzier.

2. John, christened 22 September 1723 in Drumelzier; buried 10 March 1802 in Drumelzier.

3. Andrew, christened 29 July 1725 in Drumelzier.

4. Alexander, christened 19 April 1727 in Drumelzier. This is believed to be the Alexander Murdison of Newby who was tried and hanged with his shepherd John Millar in 1777 in Edinburgh for using a specially trained sheep dog to steal his neighbors' sheep and rebrand them as his own. The story is told in Stories of the Border Marches by John Lang.

5. James, christened 8 July 1729 in Drumelzier; of Newby, Peebleshire; married Janet Donald 16 December 1758 in Drumelzier; buried 19 August 1799 in Drumelzier: "James Murdison in Newbie was buried here".

6. Robert, christened 7 May 1731 in Drumelzier; buried 7 May 1731 in Drumelzier.

7. Janet, christened 25 May 1733 in Drumelzier; buried 22 November 1760 in Drumelzier: "Janet Murdison, daughter to the deceased Andrew Murdison, late tenent in Drumelzier aged between 27 and 28 years was buried."

8. William, christened 28 May 1735 in Drumelzier.

9. Margaret, christened 31 March 1738 in Drumelzier.

10. Thomas, christened 20 February 1740 in Drumelzier; married Jean Wilson; occupation sheep hand or servant in Newby.

11. Andrew, born in about 1745; married Janet Lawder; buried 15 August 1803 in Drumelzier.
 

SOURCES: Drumelzier parish register.
 

Drumelzier is a small parish in Peebleshire. In 1831, the population was 223. Drumelzier is the traditional location of Merlin the magician's grave: "The site of his death and burial is indicated by tradition on the banks of Tweed where it is joined by the Powsail burn, and is marked by a very old thorn tree."  www.tweedie.org
 

An interesting post on the internet gives this information: "I have been trying to piece together the jigsaw that is the Murdison family tree for nearly 30 years. The name originally appears to be from the lands of Murdochstoune in the Scottish borders, land traditionally owned by the Scott family (Sir Walter Scott has a fictional character Meg Murdieson in his novel Old Mortality). In olden times the name was variously spelt Murdosoune, Murderson, Murdiston, Mordison, etc before settling down to be Murdison. Interestingly, one of the earliest places where you find Murdisons is in Drumelzer, the place traditionally where Merlin met his death. The original spelling of Merlin is Myrddin or Murdin, so maybe we are all Murdin sons!?" www.genealogy.com, r.murdison@cwcom.net
 

William Murdison married first Margaret Henderson 14 December 1662 in Drumelzier, then second, Barbara Simsone 26 November 1676 in Drumelzier.

William and Margaret had the following children:

1. Jennet, christened 11 December 1664 in Drumelzier.

2. Johne, christened 7 April 1667 in Drumelzier.

3. Thomas, christened 18 September 1670 in Drumelzier.

4. Helen, christned 16 November 1673 in Drumelzier.
 

William and Barbara had the following children:

1. Andrew, christened 27 May 1677 in Drumelzier; married Margaret Stevenson 31 December 1719 in Drumelzier; buried 23 May 1747 in Drumelzier.

2. Thomas, christened 11 November 1677 in Drumelzier; buried 19 February 1747 in Drumelzier.

3. Jennet, christened 1 January 1682 in Drumelzier.
 
 

Sources: IGI; Drumelzier parish register, FHL #1067905.
 
 

If you have any additional information about this family, please contact me at alice@boydhouse.com.