Missing Murdoch Sisters, Kent or Sussex area

[rutht22000]

I am trying to find out what happened to two Murdoch sisters - Jessie and Helen/Ellen.

They were the daughters of Douglas McPherson Murdoch (a music teacher 1854 - 1913) and Jessie Elizabeth Stevens (1857 - 1902).  They had 2 siblings - Douglas (1884 - 1917) and Harriet (1891 - 1944)

I have all Douglas Jnr and Harriet's information, and also Mum and Dad, but Jessie and Helen/Ellen are stumping me. 

Jessie was born in 1887 and Helen/Ellen in 1889, both in Lewisham, Kent.

The family are together in 1891 and 1901 and then when the mother Jessie dies they seem to disseminate. 

1911 finds Douglas Snr in Brighton, Sussex, Douglas Jnr in Rugby, Warwickshire but the girls are all missing.  Harriet later dies unmarried in Ashford, Kent in 1944 so I know what happened to her, but Jessie and Helen/Ellen just disappear.

Jessie was definitely around as she appears on her brother's probate entry (as a spinster) in 1917.

Any information gratefully received

Thanks
Ruth

[jan57]

 Could  she  have gone  abroad  ?  There  is  this    lady      aged  33

  Miss Jessie Murdoch,   image says  occupation    a spinner ( I think  ,   hard to    decipher )  sailing from   Liverpool   on 9 Nov  1920  to  New  York   on the  Carmania 







 

[suzard]

We are not allowed to post details of the 1911 census
You can search the index free - try looking for (transcribed as) Jessie 1887, Helen 1890,  Harriet 1891 all b Middlesex -all together

Suz

[suzard]

1911 census details removed, occupations do not show up in the free indexes

[Peterm55]

I am interested in your search, although regret cannot help you. Harriet, though unmarried, had a son who was my father.

[rutht22000]

Hi Peter

Good to hear from you.  The Murdoch's married into my Colebourn line.  Would be interested in hearing more and see if we can exchange information.

Once you have posted 3 times you should be able to send me a private message

Ruth

[Peterm55]

Hi Ruth,

Thanks for responding. I’d be interested to know details of the Colebourne link. I know of a number of Liverpool (I see that is your location) area Murdoch descendants of Peter (1844-1907), brother of the Douglas McPherson Murdoch (1854–1913) in your post, but see no Colebournes among them.

Most of my information has been kindly given to me by someone who has done much research on Dr William Murdoch (Rotherhithe 1806-66) and his descendants.

Apart from the mystery of these two sisters, and indeed details of Harriet’s life, the significance of the repeated use of the McPherson name in the Murdoch family is unexplained.

Second post.

Peter