Transcript of Letter David W Murphy to Walter Birt dated May 6, 1973

            6 Elm Street

            Gorham, New Hampshire 03581

            May 6, 1973

Dear Mr. Birt,

      Quite often I have seen your name in the Lewiston Sun in connection with your activities in the Maine

Legislature and I have often wondered if we are related.

      My mother is Katherine Birt, the daughter of John Birt and Hanna Myers, My grandfather was the son

John Birt and Sallay Mills.  My mother came from Prince Edward Island.  My grandfather, great-grandfather

and great-great-grandfather are all buried in the Peoples' Cemetery in Mt Steward, Prince Edward Island.

      My mother tells me that we do have relatives in the Millinocket, Maine area and that they would be

descendants of my great-grandfather's brother, Johnathan who married Margaret MacLean.

Family that grew up only three are now living, Emma --Mrs. Thomas Thorp-- who lives on Mechanic Street

here in Gorham and James Edwin who lives in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and of course, my mother,

Mrs. William J. Murphy.  My father died in 1954.  My mother had a brother, E.Albion who lived in Berlin

and passed away on in 1958.  He has a daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Keene, who lives in Berlin, and a son

Lawrence why lives in Lynn, Mass.

      Other members of my mother's family include, Benjamin W., who lived in Charlottetown and ran a

plumbing and also built houses and sold the, H. Lodge, who was a farmer and whose wife Eunice , is still living, David R. who died in the 1940's and Adeline--Mrs. Gordon Douglass-- who was the mother of 11 children

one of whom is Howard Douglass of the Douglass and Jones plumbing and heating business in

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

      One of my mother's first cousins Temple Birt, the son of my grandfather's brother William, lived in Berlin. 

He passed on about two years ago.  His daughter, Mrs. Emma Carroll, and his son Leon still live in Berlin.

Temple had one sister, Mrs. Hanna Betz of Toronto, Ont that is still living.

      My mother also had 3 second cousins George Birt, Ed Birt and Mrs Mary Sullivan, who lived in Berlin they

are dead.  Jack, James, and Lewis Birt are George and Ed's brothers and they were living two years ago. 

They descend from David Birt who was my great-grandfather Birt's brother, and I understand lived in the

Millinocket area at one time.

      George and Ed have children still living in this area-- in fact I was talking to George's son Joe, last evening.

      My Grandfather Birt had 32 grandchildren and most of them had families, so you see there are plenty of

relatives around.  My brother and I are not married. (my Brother's name is Frederick)

       Perhaps you might be interested to know how Gorham is represented in the N. H. House of Representatives.  Gorham, Shelburne, Dummer, the unincorporated town of Success and the unincorporated towns to the south of

us are in a district represented by Otto Oleson, Democrat and Victor Kidder Republican.

      I have been to the Millinocket area about four times.  I like to climb mountains and I have climbed

North Brother, the Hamlin Peak of Katahdin and the Baxter Peak of Katahdin.

      I have been interested in public affairs a little.  I served on the town budget committee, which is an

elective office, for 10 years, on the Water and Sewer Commission for 4 and last march (1973) was elected

selectman for a three year term.

      I hope that I'll hear from you.       

                  Sincerely,

                  David W Murphy

P.S. Mother also had a brother Howard.