| In the 1920s and 1930s, the NSW Government Gazette has numerous notices that land he owned was being compulsorily sold due to unpaid rates: his actions do not appear to indicate a lack of money, and most pre-dated the Great Depression. The conclusion is that he did not think the land worth keeping.((e.g. Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, 9 December 1921 [Issue No.181] p.7094, 29 August 1930 [Issue No.121] p.3507.))\\ | In the 1920s and 1930s, the NSW Government Gazette has numerous notices that land he owned was being compulsorily sold due to unpaid rates: his actions do not appear to indicate a lack of money, and most pre-dated the Great Depression. The conclusion is that he did not think the land worth keeping.((e.g. Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, 9 December 1921 [Issue No.181] p.7094, 29 August 1930 [Issue No.121] p.3507.))\\ |
| John Murray Prior, by then known as Bertram Murray, financial agent, of Rose Bay, died on April 18, 1933, aged 72 years. He left a will that indicated complicated family arrangements, influential connections and philanthropic intent. It was sworn for probate purposes in NSW at £99,000 net and £100,000 gross. The list of beneficiaries included his widow who was known both as Annie Murray and Annie Murray Prior and Bertram Murray Prior, of Sydney. Bertram A. M. Prior was John and Annie's son, born a year before the alleged abduction of Jessie McDonald.((BDM, registration 9179/1888.)) There were bequests to four solicitors, servants and to numerous others with well-known names (e.g. £500 to A. J. Vindin, Turramurra and £125 to Miss Windeyer, Double Bay). Two of the bequests may have been children he had with Jessie: they were to Jean McDonald, Edgecliff and Ronnie Macdonald of New Zealand. Charitable bequests included £400 to the Salvation Army, Sydney, and £350 each to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Women's Hospital [Crown Street). Mrs Jessie Murray who shared his address at Rose Bay received a generous inheritance, more than his widow. Bequests which suggest a connection to the Murray-Priors were to his nephew John Brownrigg de Montmorency Prior [but note there was no Murray in his name] of [[wp>Southern_Rhodesia|South Rhodesia]] and to three nieces (Nina, Teresian and Eileen, daughters of Harvey Murray Prior - note this is H**a**rvey, not H**e**rvey M-P, TLM-P's son.). His grandchildren, Swire and Adel Murray Prior, also received generous legacies.((//The Sun//, 19 October 1933, p.17.))\\ | John Murray Prior, by then known as Bertram Murray, financial agent, of Rose Bay, died on April 18, 1933, aged 72 years. He left a will that indicated complicated family arrangements, influential connections and philanthropic intent. It was sworn for probate purposes in NSW at £99,000 net and £100,000 gross. The list of beneficiaries included his widow, known both as Annie Murray and Annie Murray Prior, and Bertram Murray Prior, of Sydney. Bertram A. M. Prior was John and Annie's son, born a year before the alleged abduction of Jessie McDonald.((BDM, registration 9179/1888.)) There were bequests to four solicitors, servants and to numerous others with well-known names (e.g. £500 to A. J. Vindin, Turramurra and £125 to Miss Windeyer, Double Bay). Two of the bequests may have been children he had with Jessie: they were to Jean McDonald of Edgecliff and Ronnie Macdonald of New Zealand. Charitable bequests included £400 to the Salvation Army, Sydney, and £350 each to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Women's Hospital (Crown Street). Mrs Jessie Murray who shared his address at Rose Bay received a generous inheritance, more than his widow. Bequests which suggest a connection to the Murray-Priors were to his nephew John Brownrigg de Montmorency Prior [but note there was no Murray in his name] of [[wp>Southern_Rhodesia|South Rhodesia]] and to three nieces (Nina, Teresian and Eileen, daughters of Harvey Murray Prior - note this is H**a**rvey, not H**e**rvey M-P, TLM-P's son.). His grandchildren, Swire and Adel Murray Prior, also received generous legacies.((//The Sun//, 19 October 1933, p.17.))\\ |
| So, who was John Murray Prior/Bertram Murray? His family here and in South Africa had various surnames and 'Murray Prior' could easily be a second given name and surname as much as a single, later hyphenated surname. The addition of 'de Montmorency' may only indicate a desire to align with that powerful French family, as we have seen when discussing [[edward_i_butler_morres_and_lodge_families|'Air castles': Royalty and the Butler, Morres and Lodge families]]. Whatever the case, some of John's descendants have the surname Murray-Prior and are now part of the (very) extended family. | So, who was John Murray Prior/Bertram Murray? His family here and in South Africa had various surnames and 'Murray Prior' could easily be a second given name and surname as much as a single, later hyphenated surname. The addition of 'de Montmorency' may only indicate a desire to align with that powerful French family, as we have seen when discussing [[edward_i_butler_morres_and_lodge_families|'Air castles': Royalty and the Butler, Morres and Lodge families]]. Whatever the case, some of John's descendants have the surname Murray-Prior and are now part of the (very) extended family. |