Capt James Logan Muir

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear GWFs,

I know nothing of the birth, schooling and early life of James Logan Muir, nor of his post-1927 life. Perhaps a member can help me fill in these before and after gaps...?

In 1913 he was commissioned into the G.I.P. Rly volunteers, and was working for the Railway at Manmad.

1915-19 IARO attd 1st Bengal S&M (Aden, Mesopotamia, NW Frontier). From 1919 to ca. 1924, the handsome J. L. Muir held the appointment of  ADC (attd 1st Horse) to the Lt-Gov of U.P., Sir Harcourt Butler; then Gov of Burma (Sir Harcourt's next appointment), at Lucknow and Rangoon, attending the Prince of Wales, Viceroys, etc. 

In 1929 deleted from the AIRO as no longer resident in India, Burma etc. And then...?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[seaJane]

I haven't time to search, I'm afraid, but here is a link to the India Office Records and Archives page: 

http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/indiaofficerecords/indiaofficehub.html

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear seaJane,

Nothing shown there, I am afraid.

However, I do know that his date of birth was 26 July 1891.

He has a very good Medal Index Card. Indeed, Capt J. L. Muir is shown here, back row, third from left, in a Lucknow group photo including the visiting Prince of Wales, the Governor, Sir Harcourt Butler, and others, including Mountbatten...

Can anyone in the knowledgeable Great War Forum fraternity identify the General sitting next to Mrs Gamble?

Kindest regards,

Kim. 

Edited 27 June , 2016 by Kimberley John Lindsay
Addition

[sotonmate]

Kim

 

You might get a file from the British Library in London, they hold IARO files, which are not online as far as I can see.

They come under Collection 397 Records of Officers, ref IOR/L/MIL/7/16215 - 16279.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear sotonmate,

Many thanks for going to the trouble of responding.

Unfortunately, his IARO papers do not survive. However, James Logan Muir is mentioned in one of the three IARO volumes held at the British Library, and I have a copy of that brief entry. 

He is actually well-documented (especially with photographs - usually it is the other way around!) during the 1920s, then, nothing...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Edited 5 July , 2016 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[MaureenE]

The marriage of what appear to be his parents is available as an image and transcription on findmypast

The transcription says:

 

First name(s) Frank Logan

Last name      Muir

Marriage year            1890

Marriage date            14 Jul 1890

Spouse's first name  Flora Isabella

Spouse's last name   Rowbotham

Place   Bombay

Presidency     Bombay

Groom's age   26

Bride's age     24

Groom's father's first name James Logan

Groom's father's last name  Muir

Bride's father's first name   Daniel Booth

Bride's father's last name    Rowbotham

Catalogue description           Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bombay, 1709-1948, :

Archive reference     N-3-64

Folio number 450

Entry number           -

Record set      British India Office marriages

Category         Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records

Subcategory   Marriages & divorces

Collections from        Great Britain

 

In addition the image advises the groom  was Secretary to the Agent, The Indian Midland Ry [Railway], residing at Jhansi

The marriage appears to have been in the Church of Scotland, Bombay

 

Someone who was ADC to the Lt-Gov of UP, would I believe, come from a good social background (upper class/landed gentry) and as such would, I believe, have been educated in Britain. With the Church of Scotland connection, possibly in Scotland.  Perhaps sources such as Burke's Peerage, online http://www.burkespeerage.com/home.php or in libraries, could assist.

 

The following record is from FamilySearch: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY98-332  Possibly the marriage of  James Logan Muir  Senior at Leith, Midlothian, Scotland, near Edinburgh.

 

 

 

Cheers

Maureen

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Maureen,

Many thanks for your much-appreciated response. I had also discovered that marriage (but nothing about Muir post-1927), and agree that Frank and Flora were Capt J. L. Muir's parents. 

I fully agree that such ADCs would have been smooth characters, capable and able to fit in to the rare atmosphere at Court.

His fellow-ADC was Capt Archibald Douglas George Staunton Batty (to be seen in the back row, 7th from right, standing between HRH Prince of Wales and Mrs Gamble), a son of the Manse and later MVO (1922), OBE (1926) - who had an entry in Who Was Who, 1961-1970. The same applied to Capt Gamble (CIE, CBE), the Private Secretary to Sir Harcourt Butler, and the husband of Mytra Gamble - an accomplished singer and pianist, who acted as Sir Harcourt's hostess during Lady Butler's lengthy absenses.

Muir, unfortunately, had no such entry...

Yes, he was quite possibly educated in Scotland: perhaps Dick Flory has the answer? (Sorry, Dick!)

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[MaureenE]

Kim, if you have not already done so, you could check out the 1911 Censuses for both England & Wales, and Scotland, the former on findmypast/Ancestry, the latter to my knowledge only available on ScotlandsPeople . This could indicate if he was at school in the UK.

 

You could also check out Passenger Lists, Outwards from England from findmypast, and Inwards from Ancestry. These however, would only show a record if the voyage for the person  commenced from, or terminated in, a UK port. They do not show an entry for the more expensive option, for those who got on and off the ship at Marseilles, and travelled overland to and from England, as many did. 

 

Cheers

Maureen

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Maureen,

Sincere thanks for your on-going interest and helpful suggestions! I will ask my expensive British Library researcher to look into all that. 

Muir's "Memorandum of Agreement" with the Great Indian Peninsular Railway might be at L/AG/46/12/87-106 (as was the document related to R. S. Moberly, researched ten years ago). This, too, will be followed up by my researcher: I am situated in southern Germany, near Stuttgart...

Certainly if one could identify his School, it would be a huge step forward, research-wise. Both he and Batty (who later became a stage and film-actor, playing military officers, for example "The Drum") may have met on the NW Frontier, in 1917; obviously come sort of connection being needed for an ADC job.

Batty and Muir were dapper and handsome, but the latter aged noticeably during his years as ADC to Sir Harcourt Butler: first when Lt-Gov UP (Lucknow), then Governor of Burma 8Rangoon).

Kindest regards,

Kim. 

[HarryBrook]

The following is, perhaps, somewhat tenuous but may well relate to Capt. James Logan Muir.

In the Mid Sussex Times newspaper in 1926/27 there were several reports which showed a Capt. J. L. Muir being a member of a committee organising gymkhanas in the Brighton area, and also on 21.6.1927 a report of a Capt. J. L. Muir playing cricket for the Sayers Common team. There are no reports of his name after 1927 although there are Mid Sussex Times newspapers available into the 1930's.

In The Times of Wednesday 10.8.1938 there was a report on the Belgian Amateur Golf Championship; a Capt. J. L. Muir (Nice) lost 5 and 3 to a Belgian competitor in the first round.

A death announcement in an unknown newspaper (see attached image) stated that a Capt. James Muir and his wife Widge had been killed in a car crash at La Rochepot, France on 15.11.1953 and had been interred at Beaune, Cote d'Or.

Their deaths were registered by the British Consular Service and Capt. James Muir above was James L. Muir and 'Widge' apparently Doris M. Muir. The register details are:-

British Consular Death Index (1849-1965) Deaths 1951-1954

                                     [Consulate]

MUIR, Doris M. age 38 LYONS volume 47 page 144

MUIR, James L. age 62 LYONS volume 47 page 143

(The age of James L. Muir, 62 years, would equate to a birth year of 1891 for a death at that age in 1953). I suggest this may well be James Logan Muir but only a death cert. would confirm this.   

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear HarryBrook,

Wow! Well done indeed. In one fell swoop you have solved all my research quieries - many thanks!

I will indeed follow-up all the information you have so kindly provided, to confirm the deaths of Jimmie and Widge (aka Capt and the much-younger Mrs Muir).

Interestingly, the contemporarily court-mounted (Ranken of India) medal group of 15 Star Trio and IGS Afgh NWF 1919, is quite badly damaged, perhaps as a result of the car crash. The last-mentioned may well have been reported in the French press...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

 

[HarryBrook]

To expand the family history a little:-

A James L. Muir married a Doris M. Purkis 1949 quarter 2 in the Surrey Northern District volume 5G page 907. At her death in 1953 Doris M. Muir was aged 38 years, suggesting a birth year of 1915. A Doris M. Purkis was born in the Pancras, London District in 1915 quarter 2 volume 1B page 224, mother's maiden name Edgcombe. Her parents appear to be Albert or Arthur Henry Purkis born 1882 and Leah Mary Edgcombe who married in 1910.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear HarryBrook,

Super!

These highly helpful facts and dates will not only be followed up (i.e., obtaining marriage and death certificates), but will be weaved into my on-going manuscript about the life of James Logan Muir (1891-1953).

Kindest regards,

Kim.

 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Maureen, Harry and GWFs,

I have since found out that the erstwhile ADC (1919-24) to Sir Harcourt Butler, Capt James Logan Muir (1891-1953), lived at Monte Carlo, 20 boulevard d'Italie.

He is buried with his much younger wife Doris, also killed in the La Rochepot car crash, in nearby Beaune.

I acquired his curiously-damaged, India court-mounted 15 Trio and IGS Afgh NWF 1919 group several years ago, and was always puzzled as to what struck the 15 Star ribbon, to cause such stress. It now appears that it was the car crash. 

I had been contemplating having the group restored, before Harry kindly put me on the right trail (thanks!), but now of course I will desist.

The Rallye Monte Carlo was won by a British car in February 1953. This may have inspired him to drive a la Rallye, on that 15 November 1953 day...

J. L. Muir saw extensive Great War service with the Bengal S&M (although it is not known if he offered his Services for the Second War - perhaps someone does?), including Aden, Mesopotamia and the North-West Frontier . In fact, he is mentioned several times in "The Indian Sappers and Miners"...

Perhaps a GWF member possesses an officer group photo including Muir?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[aim]

Just seen the lovely group photograph in the post of 27th. June.

 

Was the Prince of Wales accompanied by the Royal Marines band when he visited Lucknow? If so, and you have a photo, I would love to see it as it might show 1239, Bandsman (Trombone) Edward Muir.

 

aim

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear aim,

That Officers Only group photo is unfortunately, a scan from a scan from a....

Somewhere, surely, the original exists, but where?

I have absolutely no doubt that the trombone sounds of Bandsman Muir reached the ears, not only of the Prince of Wales (who was used to that sort of thing) - but also the Bandsman's erstwhile namesake, Capt James Logan Muir, ADC to Sir Harcourt Butler.  

I have looked carefuly through "The Prince of Wales' Eastern Book" (1922), which includes different Lucknow photos, as well as other places of the Royal Visit - but sadly no Royal Marine band. Sorry.

Kindest regards,

Kim.