I am desperatly seeking my families connection in North Adams.

My grandfather, James William MURRAY, is a dead end for me, I would appreciate any help.

James William MURRAY, believed to have been born in North Adams the 15th day of April 1896.

Family legend states that James left North Adams at a young age, ranaway is actually what legend states. He ended up in Morristown New Jersey was taken in by or adopted by a family by the name of POWERS, James married my grandmother Margaret Agnes COONEY the 30th day of June 1919 at Assumption Church in Morristown New Jersey.

All my life I was told that James was a lumberjack from N. Adams before running away. I am seriously doubting that story, heres what I have compiled thus far:

James and Margaret are both buried at Holy Rood Cemetery in Morristown, New Jersey. The plot is a family plot, my uncle Leonard and James and Margaret's stillborn child are also buried in the family plot. This plot is shared with the POWERS family. One side of the stone is MURRAY the other side is POWERS. There is a mystery MURRAY transcribed on the MURRAY side of the stone, William MURRAY, 44 years, b. 1859; d. 17 March 1903. No one knows who William is.

Now what I know of the POWERS family:
Nicholas and Catherine Powers were married at Assumption Church in Morristown, New Jersey in 1871, they had a son James born in 1872, I know that James died in 1881. There is a daughter, Mary Jane, b. 17 August 1873; d. 27 November 1885. Mary Jane is the only POWERS family member whose transcription appears on the stone at Holy Rood.

Catherine POWERS maiden name is DALTON.

I have 3 seperate sets of parents for James on seperate documents:
Death Certificate lists William MURRAY and Mary DALTON POWERS.
Obituary lists Mr. & Mrs. Francis MURRAY.
Marriage records from Assumption Church list Stephen F. MURRAY and Mary CONNELL MURRAY.

I know that my grandfather didn't know a lot about his parents, he made two seperate trips to N. Adams, probably in the 1940's to find information about his parents.

I am leaning towards the fact that Mary DALTON was his mother, that would cement the POWERS connection to Catherine DALTON POWERS. But I don't want to make this a definate as of yet.

Seeing as how William MURRAY died in 1903 I doubt that James ranaway from home in N. Adams to Morristown, New Jersey at 7 years old. Another thing is that he lied about his age or didn't know his birthdate. The marriage record of Assumption Church states him as being 2 years older than my grandmother, when his death certificate clearly states his date of birth as 1896 and Margaret Agnes was born in 1893.

I am desperate to clear this up and would appreciate any input. The archives in Mass. cannot find either death for William or birth for James. New Jersey cannot find death for William. I am stuck.