James MURCHIE was born in the year 1813. His father, A. MURCHIE and his mother, Janet CAMPBELL, came from Scotland to the American colonies and were among the Loyalist founders of the settlement at Quoddy, as the St. Stephen district was then styled. The St. Stephen Methodist Church now stands on a part of the lot originally granted to A. Murchie. James Murchie received a common school education and lived on his father's farm until 1836 when he married Miss M.A. GRIMMER d/o John GRIMMER, afterwards collector of customs at St. Stephen and went on a farm of his own where he lived for 18 years, cultivating the farm in the summer and cutting and hauling logs in the winter. At that time a permit to cut timber on crown land could be got for a small sum per square mile and Mr. Murchie soon became the larges single operator in the woods, selling his logs to the mill owners. During that 18 years of steady, prudent and earnest labour on the farm and in the forest, he accummulated some $20,000 and with this captial began in 1853 the manufacture of lumber, opening also a general retail store. He was now the father of ten children. He purchased timber land as an investment. He went into the shipping business and became a vessel owner. The first vessel was purchased in 1859 and his eldest son, John G. MURCHIE, then only 20 years old, but who had mastered the study of navigation and had been two years at sea, became her captain. In 1862 a bark named "Bessie Simpson" was built by Mr. Murchie and his son John was transferred to the charge of her, his brother James S. MURCHIE, the third son going with him. The second son, W.A. MURCHIE was taken into business with his father and later the other two abandoned the sea to become partners also. Mr. Murchie had several vessels built, took stock in railroads to open up the country, took stock in the steamboats. James Murchie has been a Justice of Peace for forty years and was for some years a captain of militia. He was a member of the Legislature from 1874 to 1878. He has been for 20 years a director of St. Stephen's bank; is president of St. Croix Cotton Mill; is president of Frontier Steamboat Co.; of St. Croix Lloyd's Insurance Co., was vice president of the N.B.& Canada Railway. Mr. Murchie's first wife died in 1857 and in 1860 he was united in marriage with Margaret THORPE d/o Jackson THORPE of St. George by whom he had three children. She died in 1872. His sons John G., William A., James S., George A. MURCHIE and Henry S. MURCHIE are associated with him in business. The first named is an ex-Mayor of Calais, Me., a director of the Calais Tug Boat Co. W.A. Murchie is director of the Calais Shoe Factory and the St. Croix Cotton Mill and is vice-consul for the Brazil and Argentine Republic. George A. Murchie is a member of the city government of Calais. Two sons of James Murchie, Charles F. MURCHIE and Horace B. MURCHIE are in business as commission merchants at 81 Wall Street, New York. (see original for photo of James Murchie and his residence)