What Became of Mr. Murdy? (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025 Week 39 theme: "Disappeared")

Mr. Murdy (Murdie or McMurdy) was my 4th great grandfather. No first name has ever been found. He was believed to have been from Scotland and to have married Jane Davidson, though any evidence to support these suppositions has itself disappeared. 

He had a daughter Jane Murdy, my female mitochondrial DNA line ancestor (possibly going back another generation to Jane Davidson). Jane Murdy is said to have been born in 1801 in Hannibal, New York. She married David Bullen there in 1823.

Location of Hannibal, Oswego County, NY - Google Earth image

The only references that have been found relating to Jane's father are from the Source Book for the Bullen Family. One letter there dated 19 October 1935 from Americus Brown (a grandson of David and Jane's) reads: 

"Mother was born in Hannibal, NY.  Her mother was Jane Murdy. Her grandmother and she who was her mother came west from NY and settled in northern Illinois with their people.  Her grandfather came later as he was a breeder of fine horses -  bringing some blooded stock.  When he got where they were he wanted to see farther west so he hitched up a team and started out.  It was the last seen or heard of him.  It was always supposed he was killed by the Indians for his team."

An additional notation was made by Source Book for the Bullen Family co-compiler Mrs. A.H. Nelson: 

"My grandmother's (Jane Murdy) father died and her mother married a Mr. Chambers who was the father of Kate and Mary Chambers." 

I have learned that Kate and Mary's father was John Chambers who married a woman named Jane Davidson. Was this Jane Murdy's mother and the presumed widow of Mr. Murdy? 

All efforts to locate additional information about the Murdys/Murdies/McMurdy's have proven futile. Nothing relating to the Davidson or Chambers surname proved of any relevance in locating information on Mr. Murdy. Nor could anything further be found in the history of Hannibal, NY.

Unanswered questions: Where in northern Illinois did Mr. Murdy disappear from? Was he killed by Native Americans or by someone else keen to rob him of his fine horses? Was he involved in a fatal accident in the wilderness? Or did he voluntarily disappear, change his name and start a new life with a new family farther west? 

He disappeared. End of story.

Some Resources: 

Nelson, M. and Dunlop, R., Compilers,  Source Book for the Bullen Family; Privately printed in the 1930s, p67 (copy in possession of author)