Chapter:

Dr. James Murdoch M.D. of Craigow 1785-1848
Early Pioneer of Medicine in Van Diemens Land

4.

From research in Scotland it appears that the property Craigow, (so closely connected with the Murdoch family) was occupied by Dr. James' father John as a tenant until 1803 when he became the owner, having purchased it from John Robertson. It came into Dr. James' possession in 1815 presumably on the death of John his father. It came under the ownership of William Bethune (Dr. James's son-in-law) and Mary Bethune (nee Murdoch) in 1849.

On 25th July 1821 Lord Bathurst signed letters recommending these persons for grants of land in Van Diemen's Land: Dr. James Murdoch; Lieutenant Steele, RN (who settled at Carlton) and George Owen. Bathurst signed on the same day letters of recommendation as settlers, given to Steel and Owen. The records do not show a similar letter as being given to Dr Murdoch.

Nearly three months passed between the date on which Lord Bathurst signed the recommendation for a land grant and the date on which Dr Murdoch and his family sailed for Van Diemen's Land. The fact that James Murdoch ceased to attend meetings of the College of Surgeons after 2nd March 1820, suggests that he left Edinburgh about that time, more than a year before Bathurst gave the land grant order and about 18 months before Dr Murdoch left Scotland. It is possible that in the interval he tried farming, either at CRAIGOW, or on a property called DOCTRIE (DOCHRIE on this 1856 map, the hill on which both properties sit is 'Dochrie Hill') which he still owned in 1842. There is a tradition amongst the descendants of Dr Murdoch's daughter, Mary (who stayed in Scotland), that he left the country because he failed to secure the chair of Midwifery at Edinburgh University. There is no substance in this for Dr. James Hamilton held that chair from 1800 to 1839 and there was no vacancy at the time. There was something of a rush of Scottish settlers to Van Diemen's Land in the eighteen twenties.

THE VOYAGE

Dr Murdoch reached Hobart Town, with Grace and their two sons, John and James, in the ship CASTLE FORBES on Friday the 1st March, 1822. Their two daughters, Antonia (aged 5) and Mary (aged 3) stayed behind in Scotland. Presumably the two little girls were left with their grandparents but there is no recorded evidence of this. Antonia stayed in Scotland until the 1840's and later died at her sister's home at Glenorchy in 1874 at the age of 58. Mary stayed in Scotland. The inscription on her gravestone reads: