Monday, January 5, 2009

Update on William Tullibardine Murray

The hunt for information on W T Murray began with the story of the Avondale Supply Depot, continued through some Googling, the account of his death on Mt Egmont/Taranaki, and contact with the historian for Clan Murray, and then on to the story of Highlander Condensed Milk. I left that last part with the question: was the W. T. Murray of the dairy company which developed the Highlander brand the same William Tullibardine Murray I had been chasing?

As a William Tullibardine Murray of Auckland (formerly of Wallacetown in Southland) was among the list of those selling the patent for "Murray's Concentrated Milk" to the new company of W. T. Murray & Co in 1898 -- it looks like the answer is yes.

On 21 March 1898, Murray, along with Henry Norman Bell (manager), Henry Burton (gentleman), Frank Jagger (merchant), William Alexander Mercer (gentleman), James Macfarlane (merchant), Frank Duthie (gentleman) and Charles Vince Houghton (manager) set up the firm W. T. Murray & Co, conveying the patent rights, "together with buildings, plant and machiney" to the new company. In 1892, their previous company had been located at the frezing works wharf in Auckland; by June 1903 they had relocated their registered office to Esk Street in Invercargill, and in 1906 they were in Spey Street in the same city.

William T. Murray was a shareholder of the company at least until 1901 and 1902, both years referred to on the shareholders list as living in Toowoomba, Queensland, as a manufacturer. He ceased to be a director by July 1902, and that is the last year he held shares in the firm which maintained his name until 1918, when it became New Zealand Milk Products Limited. In 1924, Nestlé bought them out.

Source: Closed company file on "The New Zealand Milk Products Ltd (ex W T Murray and Company Ltd, Murray's Ltd), BADZ/5181/67/459/1898/3, Archives New Zealand, Auckland

12 comments:

  1. A question for my favorite historian: Is the title of "gentleman" bestowed on someone who just doesn't have any other attributes? (Like me, for instance?;))

    Happy New Year, Kiddo!

    Bill

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  2. I'd definitely term you a gentleman in today's terms, Bill (you're in the American South. How could you not be?) Usually, though, in the 19th century a "gentleman" was a man of means but not earning wages.

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  3. Is this the same person? I am a school researcher: William T Murray started in 1903 at Rakaunui School near Pongaroawas at Opaki in 1905 and then at Pongaroa until 1915. Then he has a short spell at Manakau School and didn’t work for the Wellington Education Board again
    William Tullibardine was in 1890 in Auckland, 1896 in Southland then In 1919 he was in Hurinui all registered in the electoral rolls as well as his time at Pongaroa

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  4. It would be interesting if it was. As you can see from the blog articles, there's a gap between 1902 and 1915 where documentation seemed to drop away as to both what he was doing and his whereabouts. In 1915, he became involved in the Presbyterian Home Mission. Do you have info as to your William T Murray's qualifications?

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    1. Robin Carlyon Pongaroa was 40 miles East of Pahiatua and over difficult roads At Rakanui School he had no certificates, When he started at Pongaroa he passed D2 Examinations and Passed his D1 examination in 1914
      The Pongaroa Murray had the Middle name Tullibardine 5th March 1914 Horowhenua Chronicle

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    2. It does sound like our bloke is one and the same. He can't have stuck to his new calling for long, though. He does strike me a bit like someone who tries things for a bit, then moves on.

      I'll add in the extra info from Ancestry's online electoral rolls, thanks to your tip, in the main bio article.

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    3. Hey, I already had this in the main article. You may have missed it?
      "From 1886 and into the early years of the 20th century, William T. Murray maintained a license as a teacher, E3 rank, in both Auckland and later Otago."
      https://timespanner.blogspot.com/2008/12/more-on-william-tullibardine-murray.html

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  5. Robin Carlyon The Wellington Education Board took anyone who may teach for their back block schools. Horowhenua Chronicle 5th March 1914 Identified our W T Murray as William Tullibardine Murray He had no NZ qualifications at Rakunui. By 1909 he had a WEB D2 QUALIFICATION AND IN 1914 HAD A D1 qualification That gap you quote ties him in quite nicely

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  6. Robin Carlyon But the WEB didn't have this knowledge as he was listed has having no qualifications when he started with them Teachers shifting Boards usually brought their gradings with them

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  7. But the NZ GAZETTES DOES have that knowledge. Note the sources I cited when I did the article in 2009.

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  8. Robin Carlyon My references are the A to J Report on Education to Parliament that lists all teachers in all state schools at the end of the year in New Zealand FROM 1879 TO 1923, PUBLISHED ANNUALLY and from 1916 BIENNIALLY I'm pretty sure he is the one guy

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    1. Oh, I'm certain he is, not only because I had his E ratings 10 years ago, but your info fits the hole nicely. Thanks, Robin -- this has been a big help. :-)

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