The Family Murrin

In Newfoundland in Quidi Vidi, St. John’s,

About 1771 a baby was born,

To who, I don’t know,

I can’t quite distinguish,

Although, it’s been proven the baby was English,

His parents or grandparents,

Whoever they were,

Packed up their lives and started over,

They crossed the Atlantic and sailed to St. John’s,

And grew a family with daughters and sons,

Yet the earliest one found recorded was Daniel Murrin,

Who grew up and became a fisherman,

For he was raised in a village that was known for such things,

A trading route that was very important to kings,

At about 25, he went on to marry,

A woman who’s name was Sarah Noseworthy,

who’s parents or grandparents had done just the same,

And left their old country,

And started again,

Daniel and Sarah had at least two children or more,

One of them also named Daniel for sure,

This new little Daniel born in 1798,

Shared much of the same of his father’s fate,

For he grew as well,

A fisherman too,

Who also got married,

And did what most do,

He and his wife had many a kid,

And they named one Robert having done what most did,

Robert they named after Daniel’s wife’s dad,

His wife’s name was Jane, I really should add,

Who’s dad had been a fisherman too, but who also served in the RNR from 1795 to 1802,

Her dad’s last name was ironically Courage,

I imagine it used to cast off discourage,

In family pep talks that I’ll never know,

For they would have been given so long ago,

So Robert Murrin born in 1826,

Grew up and married,

And religion he switched,

For his wife Mary Connors was an Irish Catholic,

They also had children and one they named John,

John Joseph Murrin who grew up and moved on,

He sailed down to Halifax,

To start anew,

For he got a job as part of the crew,

Of a ship that was named the Mackey-Bennett,

And wherever it went John likely went with it,

For he was a sailor and storekeeper too,

And probably had much he was expected to do,

Still he started a family with Bridget Conran, His wife who had just left his very same land,

And somehow their last name was switched to Murrans,

For back in those days,

It was no huge matter,

To switch up a name,

However you flatter,

John and his wife faced quite a heartbreak too many,

Some children they lost,

And of death they seen plenty,

I can not fully imagine the lives that they lived,

And how it might’ve affected the rest of their kids,

The ones that were left grew and moved on to the States,

Although two returned having not found their place,

But one that had left, the one they called Maud,

Settled about 60 miles from Cape Cod,

And she went and married Joseph John Gill,

And had many children,

Although none alive still,

One of the children she had was named Jane,

Who grew up and married,

And from her ten children came,

Wonderful children so precious, smart, and funny,

Worth more than gold,

And sweeter than honey,

Meant to be here,

For some reason or other,

And I know them all,

For Jane was my grandmother.