Mr. John J. Stewart,

Dear Cousin;

I duly received your letter of inquiry and wrote on the next day to the only Murchison of whom I was aware of being of the race and of Skye parentage. My letter to him was written on the back of yours to me. He lives, 8 miles north of Portree but had the clannishness to come today purposely to see me. He is in his 84th year and dull of hearing, and, like myself, fails in his memory. His name is Colin. He was late of marrying but his wife bore him 17 children of whom 11 sons and 3 daughters survive. I never met him but once before. One of his sons was lost in the great war. His wife is much his junior. One of his daughters lives with her parents and his youngest son. He was an athlete in his youth and won several first prizes for racing, throwing the hammer and stone. He once beat Donald Dinnie in a race at Aberdeen 40 years ago. His sons are also athletes. Four of them are in America and 3 in Australia. Several of them are married and one of his daughters. Most of his time was spent on the sea, first as fisherman, and then as a deep sea mariner and lately for 25 years as skipper of his landlord’s boat at Skeabost, but for the last 7 years he has been an invalid confined to bed with pain in his legs. A brother named Neil was also a seaman and visited PEI on one of his voyages and met many clansmen there. On a voyage to South America, when he was quarter master, Colin served as a hand with him. And owing to some damage to the ship it had to remain in port, and as he was one of the officers he remained with it, but Colin was sent home in another of the vessels of the owners. But the vessel to which Neil belonged perished with all hands. Colin is son of Peter, son of Neil, son of Malcolm. Neil had 2 other sons, - Samuel and Malcolm. Samuel died in Skye. His daughter Jessie who was old before she married a widower, lives at Beirnsdale at the age of 94. Malcolm died at Claeauish in the same neighborhood. He had 2 sons, Donald and Colin. His daughter Catherine married Archibald Beaton of Tote whence they emigrated to PEI. and you are evidently their grandson. Malcolm was twice married. The above sons and daughter were born of his second marriage. Those born of the first lived some time with their mother’s relatives at Achnahanait. There were two sons of the name Donald. After emigrating the younger Donald returned to Edinburgh where he died. He had 2 sons, both dead. It is 28 years since the loss of the ship mentioned above. Grand uncles of Colin at PEI communicated with relatives at Bernisdale before he was of age to heed them, and so she does not know them by name. I intend to answer Mrs. Reids letter shortly.

Your Cousin

Angus Murchison