Introduction / Westray Grays / George Gray and Margaret Seatter / George Gray and Jean Reid / Jean Gray and James Miller

Isabella Miller and James Logie

Isabella married James Logie on 28th July 1840. James was born on 25th October 1814 and the son of John Logie and Sophia Miller.

James had joined the Hudson's Bay Company in 1834 at the age of 20, signing a 5-year contract and working at Fort Vancouver: general charges (1835-37) and labourer (1837-39). Little is known of his activities around the Fort at this time but in the next couple years he became a protege of Mrs. Capendale and was baptised by Rev. Herbert Beaver on 1st January 1837. He returned to Orkney in 1839 aboard the Prince Rupert to marry Isabella.

James signed his second 5-year contract with the Hudson's Bay Company on 11th March 1840, four months before their marriage. His intention was to return to Oregon with Isabella, but they missed the boat from England.

He worked as a policeman in England for a year, while they waited to take next available boat. They left Gravesend, aboard the Vancouver (barque), on 4th September 1841 sailing around Cape Horn and making a stop in Hawaii for two weeks trading. They then made their way to Fort Vancouver landing on 20th April 1842. While in Hawaii, Dr. John McLoughlin (Chief Factor of the Columbia Fur District for the Hudson's Bay Company) boarded the ship. He sailed with them to the Columbia River. The Vancouver stopped at Fort George for some time where Dr. McLoughlin continued onto Fort Vancouver with his servants separate from the Vancouver's voyage inland. James worked as a labourer at the Fort but soon took over as dairy manager (1842-45) from Laurent Sauvie on Wappato Island just north of Portland, Oregon now Sauvie Island, Oregon.

James and Isabella went to California during the 1849 gold rush, retiring from the services of the HBC and leaving on 1st March 1849.

James and Isabella were to receive a "donation land claim" of 640 acres. James had started the process of obtaining the land they inhabited in 1853 but must have returned with poor health from California and unfortunately died of typhus before doing so. This was on 24th March 1854.

It is said that Jonathan Moar swam a horse across the Willamette Slough to seek help for James but was unfortunately too late. When he returned to the ranch, James had died.

James and Isabella had no children but James left his mark on the land. A trail that connects the Willamette Valley to the Tualatin Valley bears his name, "The Logie Trail".

Isabella subsequently married Jonathan Moar.