“Mudie is one of the oldest of Lowland Scots names. In the thirteenth century, and probably earlier, it was spelt Modi and has been spelt in a great many ways since. Now there are, practically speaking, only two spellings, Mudie and Moodie. With only one exception that we have been able to find, all families of Angus origin use the former spelling and, again with only one exception, all those whose origin is outside Angus use the latter. Mudie is the older spelling; originating about the beginning of the sixteenth century. Moodie started to become common in the eighteenth and its adoption would appear to be the result of the increased contact with England, which followed the Union of 1707.
Nothing definite is known of the origin of the Mudies. Traditionally they are of Norse descent and this receives some confirmation from the fact that in early times they are found, almost exclusively, in those parts of Scotland raided by the Norsemen: in Angus along the coast from Dundee to Montrose: in Fife on the Forth near Dunfermilne: on the Firth of Clyde below Glasgow and on the shores of the Pentland Firth.
In Angus the Mudies early spread from the Sidlaw Hills, which seems to have been their original home, to the towns of Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, in which many of them attained considerable prominence in public life in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This movement to the towns was accelerated by industrialisation in the second half of the eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries. The main attraction was the Dundee linen trade, in which Mudies had for long taken a leading part. The result is that Dundee and its surroundings is now the Mudie area in Angus.
At first children were given only one name, and it was almost always a family one. James and John were the commonest Mudie names for boys and occur almost equally often. A considerable distance behind comes a group of David, William, Robert and Thomas in that order. For girls the commonest names were Margaret and Elizabeth, a good way ahead of Ann and Jean. About the year 1800, or a little after, two "Christian"- names became fashionable, but they were still, generally, family names. "Fancy" names came in early in the twentieth century, particularly for girls.”
Our line of Mudie can be traced back to the town of Inverkeilor in Angus, Scotland.
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Beatrice Mary MUDIE was born on 17-9-1892 in Duff Street, South Broken Hill.
She attended North School. She was probably living in Crystal Street at the time.
Later she worked in ‘Mrs Lynn’s’ laundry in Beryl Street (off Silver Street) and also at ‘Teagues’ boarding house in Blende Street near Jubilee oval as a maid/waitress where she met Charles Nils NILSEN who was boarding there. They were married on 14-5-1913 in Broken Hill. They had nine children.
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James Ramsay MUDIE was born at 4:30 p.m. on the 8-5-1855 at Bridge Street, Arbroath, Scotland. He was the fifth child of James MUDIE, a canvas/linen power loom weaver from originally from Inverkeillor in Scotland, and Mary Carrie Ramsay from Arbroath in Scotland. James & Mary were married on 3-10-1845 in Arbroath. They had two boys, one girl and one deceased girl when James was born.
James Ramsay MUDIE left home at 14 and worked on ships as a sailor, and later a cook. James probably worked on many ships as a short-term crewmember.
By 1880 he was a crewmember of the ‘Alfred Hawley’. The ‘Alfred Hawley’ was a 420-ton sailing ship built in Sunderland in 1860 by Pile Jnr. (length = 135.5 feet, breadth = 28.9 feet, width = 17.1 feet). It was owned by Mr S. C. Love and registered in London.
The ‘Alfred Hawley’ arrived in Port Adelaide on 12th February 1880 from Cape Town. It then travelled to Vasse in Western Australia before stopping at Port Augusta on 25th September 1880. We know that James deserted his ship in Port Augusta. The master of the ‘Alfred Hawley’, Robert Evans, reported James missing on the 21st October 1880, four days before it departed on the 25th. Shipping records show that the ‘Alfred Hawley’ arrived in Port Augusta with a crew of 12 and departed one month later with a crew of 11.
James probably spent the next 5 months living in Port Augusta before being apprehended by Foot Constable Paust on the 29th March 1881, aged 24. Also apprehended on the same day was Louis Thompson, aged 29. You could assume they were together. G. Donaldson, Magistrate, sentenced both to six weeks imprisonment, probably in the Port Augusta Gaol but gaol records don’t exist for this period. He is however recorded on the 29th March 1881as being a Police prisoner.
What James does for the next five years is a bit of a mystery. He probably continued to work as a sailor around the Australian coasts. Apparently at one time he also tried to desert his ship in Portland, Victoria, but when this was is not clear. We find him in Sydney in 1886.
We know from his marine discharge papers that he worked on the coastal steamer ‘Leslie Killy’ from 11th March 1886 to 25th May 1886 as an ‘able-bodied seaman’. This ship worked out of Sydney. He then left Sydney on 11th June 1886 aboard the ‘Star of the South’ and was discharged in Lyttelton, Christchurch, New Zealand on 24th July 1886. He may have spent a few years in New Zealand as his next discharge paper has him departing Greymouth, New Zealand aboard the ‘Eliza Firth’ on 20th February 1888 and landing in Melbourne on 4th April 1888. By this time he was also working as the ship’s cook.
We know that James eventually moved to the Murray River where he became sailor on the riverboats. It is likely that he moved to the Murray River after being discharged from his duties with the ‘Eliza Firth’ in Melbourne on the 4th April 1888. The timing of this would be consistent with his marriage later in 1891.
James would have travelled up and down the Murray and the Darling Rivers possibly working for different captains. You would assume he was still working as the cook. It is known he went as far east as Echuca before ending up in Wilcannia where he lost his job due to a big strike in the late 1880’s.
James then travelled inland to ‘Gnalta’ station near White Cliffs. He may have asked the station owner for work and was told of the Black Mountain Mine that was on the property. It is likely he found work with the mining company, possibly as a cook.
It was there that he met Margaret Nicholas COUCH who was also working as a cook/domestic. They were married on 9-2-1892 possibly there at the mine. Margaret was probably pregnant at the time.
James & Margaret had nine children:
1)Beatrice Mary MUDIE. *Born 17-9-1892 in Duff Street, South Broken Hill.
*Died 7-6-1967 in Adelaide. Buried in Broken Hill.
*Married 14-5-1913 to Charles Nils NILSEN in Broken Hill.
2)Ruby Pearl MUDIE. *Born March 1894 in Moonta.
*Died 17-2-1969 in Sydney.
*Married 1916 to Thomas Curyer in Broken Hill.
Issue:
a)Dorothy Hazel. MUDIE. b.1914-Broken Hill. Out of Wedlock. Father unknown.
d.4-12-1914-Broken Hill. Aged 4 months.
Issue:
a)Doreen D. Curyer. b.1916-Broken Hill.
d.1916-Broken Hill.
b)Thomas R. Curyer. b.1917-Broken Hill.
3)Alma Couch MUDIE. *Born 1896 in Broken Hill.
*Died 1924 in Broken Hill. Buried 2-9-1924.
4)Charlie Adamson MUDIE. *Born Oct. 1899 in Broken Hill.
*Died 20-2-1974 in Cootamundra.
*Married 1941 to Mavis Noye in Ryde. No issue.
5)Elizabeth (Bet) Martin MUDIE. *Born 1901 in Broken Hill.
*Died 1943 in Paddington.
*Married 1930 to John (Jack) P. Considine in Broken Hill with issue.
6)James Ramsay MUDIE. *Born 1904 in Broken Hill.
*Died 20-11-1976 in Broken Hill. Aged 72.
*Married 17-3-1934 to Violet Florence Roberts in Broken Hill.
She died 24-10-1967.
Issue:
a)Don Mudie. b.19-7-1935-Broken Hill.
b)Robert Mudie. b.21-5-1939-Broken Hill.
m.8-7-1967-Sandra Joy Bermingham-Broken Hill.
c)Rosslyn Joy Mudie. b.30-10-1943-Broken Hill.
James was a member of the Communist Party of Australia, Broken Hill Branch.
He lived at 282 Patton street, Broken Hill.
7)Agnes Margaret Jane MUDIE. *Born 21-3-1906 in Broken Hill.
*Died 11-10-1988 in Broken Hill.
*Married 30-8-1939 to Mervyn James Jones in Broken Hill.
He died 7-4-1988-BH.
Issue:
a)Douglas Mervyn Jones.
8)Thomas (Tom) Henry MUDIE. *Born 17-4-1908 in Broken Hill.
*Died 11-7-2001 in Broken Hill.
*Never married.
It is interesting to note that Tom MUDIE was almost married once when he was in his 50’s, but thought he was too old. This turned out to be quite ironic as he lived to the age of 93. Apparently it was his one regret that he never married.
There is an ASIO file on Tom Mudie as he was a member of the Broken Hill Branch of the Communist Party of Australia.
He is described as being 5'4" tall, weighing 10 stone, fair hair almost bald with a high pitched voice. He was working as a driver for the P.M.G. Department at Broken Hill Post Office.
He resided at 387 Chloride Street.
He enlisted during the second world war at Geelong.
9)Edward (Ted) Glover MUDIE. *Born 1-3-1911 in Broken Hill.
*Died 18-12-2001 in Adelaide.
*Married 25-1-1936 to Lorna Clare Hill in Broken Hill. She died 10-11-2003-BH.
Issue:
a)Paul Mudie. m.Valerie.
Issue:
i)Rosemary Mudie. b.1975-Broken Hill.
ii)Belinda Fleur Mudie. b.1977-Broken Hill.
On the 27th October 1898 James visited the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He is recorded as a Presbyterian miner from Broken Hill, born in Scotland and having been in the colony for 18 years. James apparently stated that the food he received in the Port Augusta Gaol was better than the food in the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
James worked on the mines in Broken Hill before getting a job with the Broken Hill Council as manager of Imperial Dam Pumping Station pumping water to Sturt Park and the baths. He worked as manager from 1900 to 1915. He then went to work on the British mine as a surface worker until his retirement in 1927.
Margaret Nicholas MUDIE died on the 31-3-1929 in Adelaide. She is buried alone in the West Terrace cemetery.
James Ramsay MUDIE remarried in 1933. He married Lillian (Lily) Rettalick in Broken Hill.
James died on the 21-5-1935 in Broken Hill. Aged 80.
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James MUDIE was born 12-6-1821 in Inverkeillor, Scotland and christened four days later.
He was one of two children born to Alexander & Margaret Mudie (nee Hanton). His sister, Margaret, was born on 20-5-1823 in Inverkeillor.
By 1841 James had moved to Arbroath where he worked as a canvas handloom weaver. He lived at West Mill Wynd, Arbroath with his mother and sister.
James married Mary Carrie Ramsay on 3-10-1845 in Arbroath, Scotland.
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Mary Carrie Ramsay was born on 14-11-1819 in Arbroath, Scotland. She worked as a flax spinner.
Her parents were John Ramsay and Agnes Adamson. They married on the 18th December 1818 in Arbroath.
John was born in 1787 in Arbirlot near Arbroath, Scotland. He was a shoemaker. Agnes was born on 20th July 1789 in Arbroath, Scotland.
They lived in West Grimsby, Arbroath in 1841. The census lists John (50, Shoe Maker), Agnes (50), Mary (20, Flax Spinner), Ann (15, Flax Spinner) & Susan (10).
I found five other children born to John & Agnes Ramsay, all born in Arbroath:
2)Ann Ramsay. * Born 24-11-1821 in Arbroath. Worked as a flax spinner.
*Married James Smith (b.c1821)
3)James Murison Ramsay. *Born 17-8-1823.
4)James Ramsay. *Born 1825.
*Died 31-8-1857.
5)John Ramsay. * Born 1828.
*Died 2-12-1882
6)Susan Clarke Ramsay. *Born 24 Aug 1830. Christened at St. Vigeans.
* Died 24 Oct 1887.
*Married Charles Adamson (b.1831. d.11 Dec 1870)
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James & Mary had seven children all born in Inverkeillor:
1)John MUDIE. *Born 30-3-1846.
2)Margaret MUDIE. *Born 4-12-1848. Worked as a linen handloom weaver.
*Died 14-7-1939 in Inverkeilor.
*Married 1898 to William Vannet in Barry, Angus, Scotland.
Issue:
No birth issue but Margaret adopted David Stewart, born c1888 in Stirling, Stirlingshire. In 1891 they were living at 31 Ann Street, Arbroath.
3)Charles Adamson MUDIE. *Born 8-3-1851.
*Died 1901.
*Married 31-12 1880 to Elizabeth Nichol in Cambusnethan, Lanark.
Elizabeth born 1856 and died 1925.
Issue:
a)James Mudie. b.23-7-1881 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d.1967 in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.
m.1st-20-8-1909-Margaret Bryce Hunter-Shotts, Lanrakshire.
Issue:
i)Isabella Danks Cowan Mudie.b.11-11-1915.
d.1981-East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.
ii)Elizabeth Nichol Mudie.b.28-11-1924.
d.29-5-2004-Nairobi, Kenya.
iii)Charles Adamson Mudie.b.6-8-1927-East Kilbride, Lanarkshire
d.25-4-1993-Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
m.2nd-1938-Marion Walker.
b)Robert Nichol Mudie. b.11-5-1883 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
m.1918-Janet Hill-Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire.
Issue:
i)Charles Adamson Mudie.b1918 & d.1919.
c)Marion Graham Mudie. b.22-2-1886 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d)Mary Ramsay Mudie. b.22-2-1886 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d.1886.
e)Marion Graham Mudie. b.7-1-1888 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d.1967.
m.1913-James McIntyre.
f)Elizabeth Nichol Mudie. b.1889 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d.1963.
m.M. George Jarvie.
g)David Nichol Sturrock Mudie. b.18-10-1891 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d.1902.
h)William Mudie. b.1893 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
i)Charles Adamson Mudie. b.27-3-1894 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
d.1972.
j)John Ramsey Mudie. b.1896 at Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
They lived in Hill Street, Arbroath.
4)Susan Ramsay MUDIE. *Born 4-3-1853.
*Died before 1855.
5)James Ramsay MUDIE. *Born 8-5-1855. See above for more information.
6)Agnes Adamson MUDIE. *Born 1-12-1857.
*Married 6-12-1876 to James Smith in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.
Issue:
a)Mary Smith. b.c1880.
b)James Smith. b.c1887.
c)Jessie Smith. b.c1898.
In 1881 they lived at Underwood Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire.
In 1887 they lived at Broughty Ferry (near Dundee), Angus. James was a Shoemaker. Born c1859.
In 1901 they lived at Wellgate St, Larkhall, Lanarkshire.
7)David Sturrock MUDIE. *Born 2-9-1860.
*Died 1919 in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland
*Married 1st on 12-6-1885 to Marion Graham Nichol in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire.
Issue:
a)David Mudie. b.1886-Kelvin, Glasgow, Lanarkshire.
m.3-9-1914-Agnes Wyllie Campbell.
b)Marianne Mudie. b.c1890-Glasgow, Lanarkshire.
*Married 2nd in 1896 to Mary Bella Strachan in Glasgow.
She was born in Glasgow, c1858.
No Issue.
In 1901 they were living at 129 Kenilworth Avenue Renfrewshire. Living with them was Mary’s mother, Mary Ann Strachan, aged 70.
David was a Warehousekeeper.
Sometime between 1871 & 1881 James left home and went ‘abroad’. Although apparently still alive, he was not a beneficiary in Mary’s will written in 1887. It is likely he had no further contact with his wife and family. When Mary’s will was executed in 1890 he is still recorded as being ‘abroad’, with no further explanation.
James Mudie is found in Northumberland, England in 1881. He is aged 59, married (though alone), and is a canvas weaver. He is boarding with a widow and her children at 8 Hannington St, Byker, Northumberland.
Mary was found in 1881 visiting with her daughter (Agnes) and son-in-law (James Smith) at Underwood Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire. Also in the home was David Mudie, her son.
James died 28-11-1898 in the poor house in Arbroath.
Mary died 19-2-1890 in Arbroath.
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Alexander Mudie who was born on 2-12-1792 in Inverkeillor, Scotland. He was the eldest of three children born to Alexander & Elizabeth Mudie (Souter). Following him was Elizabeth (born 15-8-1794) & Helen (born 25-5-1807). Alexander Mudie married Elizabeth Souter on 20-6-1789 in Inverkeillor.
Alexander was a weaver and lived in Redcastle near Inverkeillor.
He married Margaret Hanton on 29-11-1817 in Inverkeillor, Scotland.
There are only two children born to them in Inverkeillor.
1)James MUDIE. Born 12-6-1821 in Inverkeillor. See above for more details.
2)Margaret MUDIE. Born 20-5-1823 in Inverkeillor.
Alexander was dead by 1841. In fact he may have died shortly after 1823 when Margaret was born. This might explain why they only had two children.
The family moved to Arbroath sometime between 1823 & 1841 as Margaret appears in the 1841 census living with her children, and another Mudie, John. They lived at West Mill Wynd, Arbroath, Margaret (50) Linen Yarn Winder, John (20) Linen Hand Loom Weaver, James (20) Linen Hand Loom Weaver, Margaret (15) Linen Hand Loom Weaver.
Margaret Mudie died sometime between 1841 & 1851.
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Alexander MUDIE who was born on 28-2-1767 in Inverkeillor. He was one of five children born to David & Jean Mudie (nee Mathew). He was a weaver and lived at Raesmill near Inverkeillor.
Alexander married Elizabeth Souter on 20-6-1789 in Inverkeillor, Scotland. Elizabeth Souter was christened 4-5-1766 in Coupar, Angus, Scotland. Parents were Thomas & Jean Souter (nee Alexander).
They had three children, all born in Inverkeillor:
1)Alexander MUDIE. Born 30-11-1792.
2)Elizabeth MUDIE. Born 15-8-1794.
3)Helen MUDIE. Born 25-5-1807.
It is probably not possible to find when Alexander and Elizabeth died. Burial records for Inverkeillor have not survived.
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David Mudie was born you would assume about 1732 in Angus.
It doesn’t appear that he was born in Inverkeilor. Birth records for Inverkeilor go back to 1717 and he doesn’t appear in these records. But he may have moved to Inverkeilor as a youth. The name ‘Mudie’ begins to appear in Inverkeilor records from 1744 as two distinct family groups. The first is a Joseph, John & James who were born c1720. But it is the second group which may be more interesting, as they may be brothers & sisters of our Alexander.
Of this second group there is a Thomas Mudie who was born c1733 who married Jean Mann and had six children in Inverkeilor.
Then there is an Elizabeth Mudie who was born c 1735 who married David Coathill and had seven children in Inverkeilor.
Lastly a Robert Mudie who was born c1742 who married Elizabeth Hanton and had seven children in Inverkeilor.
In these families names like David, Alexander, Robert & Elspet are found as is the case in our David’s children.
Although it is possible that our David Mudie was the one born in Mains in 1736 (and therefore part of what is known as the ‘Second Family’ of Mudies in Angus), it is more likely that he was from Arbroath.
Arbroath baptism records are missing in the years 1734-1748. This covers the range where you would expect our David to fit.
A look at surviving baptism records for Arbroath pre and post this time show Christian names of David and Robert. Names that seem common in later Mudie families of the area.
David Mudie married Jean Mathew, most likely in Inverkeillor about 1757. The marriage records for Inverkeillor for that period have not survived so it is impossible to confirm.
We know however they had five children, all born in ‘Cottown of Anniston’ near Inverkeillor.
Jean Mathew was born in Kinnel, the next parish from Inverkeilor, in 1734. Her father’s name was Francis. She had a brother named Alexander born in 1743 in Inverkeilor.
Anniston is a farm about 1km SE of Inverkeilor. There was also a cotton mill on the farm. If David lived in the ‘cottown’ (a village of cot-houses), then it can be assumed he was a ‘cotter’. A ‘cotter’ was a peasant who occupied a cottage belonging to a farm, usually with a small patch of land. The ‘cotter’ either rented the cottage or most likely occupied the cottage in exchange for his labour on the farm.
Coincidently the Thomas Mudie mentioned above who married Jean Mann lived in the ‘Cottown of Ironhill’. This places him in a similar status to our David Mudie and adds further likelihood they may be brothers.
David & Jean Mudie had five children:
1)John MUDIE. Born 26-6-1758.
Married 7-2-1789 to Isabel Milne in Inverkeilor.
Issue:
a)David MUDIE. b.11-11-1790-Inverkeilor.
2)David MUDIE. Born 22-3-1761.
Married 5-4-1790 to Anne Gardyne in Inverkeilor.
3)Elspet MUDIE. Born 21-9-1762.
Married 4-10-1795 to William Williamson in Inverkeilor.
Issue:
a)Elspet Williamson. b.27-5-1791-Inverkeilor.
b)George Williamson. b.3-10-1795-Inverkeilor.
4)Robert MUDIE. Born 2-8-1764.
Married 13-7-1790 to Elspet Scrimgour in Inverkeilor.
5)Alexander MUDIE. Born 28-2-1767.
Married 20-6-1789 to Elizabeth Souter in Inverkeilor.
Issue:
(See above)