Helen (twin) Murray

   Another name for Helen was Ellen.

  General Notes:

Person of interest ...
Known:
Helen (aka Ellen) Murray sailed to Australia with her younger 17 year old brother James "Seanair" Murray on the "Aurora" which arrived in Port Phillip December 1848. She returned home to Marrel, Scotland, 6 months later.

Uncertain:
Records show the marriage of a Helen Murray to a John Sutherland at Portgower (very near Marrel, Scotland), 7 February 1840, and the birth of a son, John Sutherland, on 19 January 1841 at Helmsdale.
? Was this our person of interest Helen Murray who would have been aged only 14 years when married.
? Was John Sutherland perhaps a brother/ relative of Lilias Sutherland who married Helen's older brother, Robert Murray, on 27 December 1839.
? Why would our Helen Murray have travelled to Australia with her brother James (and no other family members) in 1848, and returned home to Marrel 6 months later leaving James in Australia ... A possible/ likely explanation is that her brother James was only age 17 years at the time of departure, and that young single unaccompanied males were known to frequently get into trouble. So 23 year old Helen accompanied James to help keep him out of trouble. Once James had established himself in Victoria, Helen was then able to return to Scotland - this would have been unassisted at James and her own expense (possible also with assistance from her father, Lewis, who had a well paying position as gamekeeper for the Duke of Sutherland).

Helen married John Sutherland on 7 Feb 1840 in Portgower, Scotland (near Marrel, 2-3 miles south of Helmsdale)).