My husband Charlie’s paternal grandparents were Charles Homer Murphy (son of Martin Murphy) and Dessie Church (daughter of Lucinda Murphy Church. Lucinda’s parents were John Murphy and Joanna Ullom. John was born 1820 in Wetzel County, Virginia (now West Virginia). His father was William Murphy, the subject of this post and my husband’s 3rd great grandfather. William is the furthest back I can document in this family. You can see the DNA connection in the tree below.
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You can see the blue hits showing my husband's DNA connection to William Murphy, b. 1790 |
Joanna’s father was Elijah Ullom. She was born 1830 in Pennsylvania. Charles’ parents were Martin William Murphy and Sarah Elizabeth Anderson. Martin was born 1853 in Marshall County, Virginia. Sarah’s parents were Lewis Anderson and Mariah Eckelberry. She was born 1859 in Littleton, a small community in Wetzel County. Martin’s parents were Samuel C. Murphy and Nancy Daugherty. Samuel was born 1825 in Monongalia County, Virginia. Nancy’s parents were John P. Daugherty and Catherine Brannon. She was born 1826 in Marshall County, Virginia. Samuel is the furthest back I can document in this family line. I write all of this because I wanted to show the link to Monongalia County and Joanna’s birth in Pennsylvania. Both show up in William’s story, my husband’s 3rd great grandfather.
So, are the two Murphy lines connected? It’s something I’ve pondered for years. I don’t know the answer to that question but thought it was time to work on William’s line and go from there. So, the purpose of this post basically to gather research into a timeline. If you’re researching this family, take this with a grain of salt. It’s just me trying to figure out what I have.
I had already found John and Joanna (Ullom) Murphy in the 1850 census living in Monongalia County, Virginia. The head of the household was a 60-year-old male (birth year 1790) named William Murphy born in Maryland. A search of this information turned up a William Murphy born in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland about 1790. Frederick is located approximately 164 miles from Monongalia County. That was my starting point.
1800: William and George Murphey lived in District 1 of Frederick, Maryland. William, the subject of this post, would have only been 10 years old at this point so this couldn’t be him. It does put Murphy’s in the area though. Could one be William’s father?
1810: P. Murphy, W. Murphy, and J. Murphy lived in Frederick Maryland.
1813 – 1815: The War of 1812 started on June 18, 1812. On June 8, 1813, a 21-year-old male named William Murphy, born in Frederick, Maryland, was enlisted for a period of five years by Lieutenant Johnson as a Private in the Army, 22nd U.S. Infantry, at Connellsville, Pennsylvania. The enlistment record notes that he was 5’10”, had gray eyes, and light hair and complexion. At the time, he worked as a forgeman, which Wiktionary defines as “a blacksmith on a large scale.” The following remarks were noted on the enlistment record:
Co. Book 276. Capt. Milliken’s Co. Drew Clothing Oct. Nov. Dec. 1812. Feb. July & Sept. 1813. Deserted from Oswego, Oct. 8, 1813. Transf’d to Capt. Poulk’s Co. Bk._M.R. of Capt. Saw---- Co. Dec. 31, 1813. Deserted Capt. Willis Poulk’s Co. Book 277. Joined at Queenstown. U.C. July 20, 1814 from desertion. Drew Clothing Sept. Nov. & Dec. 1814. _ D.R. Feb. 16 & I.R. Feb. 23, 1815. Present. I.R. of Capt. S. W. Kearney’s, Co. 2 Infy. June 30, 1815 present _ 22 Made 2.
The war ended on February 17, 1815. Of course, I could be all wrong and have the wrong William. There were three other William Murphy’s on the enlistment record, which unfortunately, doesn’t provide a description and birth information.
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Enlistment record p. 1 (click to enlarge) |
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Enlistment record p. 2 (click to enlarge) |
1820: William Murphey lived in Election District 1 of Frederick, Maryland. James, Patric [sic], and George Murphy were close by—perhaps two of the three Murphy men from 1810 above.
Date unknown: William marries (wife unknown) and I believe they had at least six children—Grafton Murphy, William Murphy Jr., John Murphy (born March 1820 and my husband’s 2nd great grandfather), Michael Murphy, Mary Ann Murphy, and Ezekiel Murphy. They move to Monongalia County, Virginia.
1830: William Murphey lived in the Western District of Monongalia County, Virginia. There were eight free white persons living in the home:
Males - Under 5: 1Males - 5 thru 9: 1Males - 10 thru 14: 2Males - 40 thru 49: 1Females - 5 thru 9: 1Females - 15 thru 19: 1Females - 40 thru 49: 1Under 20: 620 thru 49: 2Total Free White Persons: 8
The numbers match up but the sex doesn’t.
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1830 census schedule (click to enlarge) |
1840: Nothing found for this decade so far.
October 10, 1850: The Murphy family lived in District 37 of Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia).
William, 60, farmer, real estate $2000, born in MarylandJohn, 27, farmer, born in Virginia, cannot readJoanna, 21, born in Pennsylvania, cannot readEzekeal, 19, farmer, born in VirginiaCatharine Pethtel, 15, born in Ohio, attending school
The 1850 census didn’t record the marital status unless the person had married that year. There wasn’t a female living in the home that could be William’s wife. Had she already died? John is William’s son and I believe Joanna his wife, not William’s daughter. The age and birthplace match what I know for Joanna Ullom Murphy. Ezekeal was William’s son. Mary Ann married Robert Bradford Pethtel. They were enumerated with a 14-year-old daughter named Catherine, born in Pennsylvania, in the 1850 census for District 37, Monongalia, Virginia. Two other children were born in Ohio. The Catherine living with William Murphy was 15, born in Ohio. Are they the same girl?
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1850 census (click to enlarge) |
August 28, 1852: The following notice was published in the American Union out of Morgantown, West Virginia:
Virginia, ss—At Rules held in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Monongalia county on the first Monday in July 1852:
Joshua M. Davis and Margaret his wife late Margaret White, Daniel M. Gapen and Ann his wife late Ann White, John W. White and Joseph G. White, children of Grafton White the younger, deceased, who was a son of Grafton White, senior, heirs of said Grafton White, senior, deceased, Complainants, vs.
William White, Michael White, -- Butters and Hannah his wife late Hannah White, John Gidley, Thomas Hannen, William Murphy, Grafton Murphy, William Murphy, junior, John Murphy, Michael Murphy, Robert Petlitel and Mary Ann his wife, late Mary Ann Murphy, an Ezekiel Murphy, Defendants,
The object of this suit is to have a division of the lands of which Grafton White died seized, divided among his legal heirs at law, or sold as in the discretion of the court may seem best.
And the said Thomas Hannen, -- Butters, husband of Hannah Butters, and John Gidley, not having entered their appearance, and it appearing from an affidavit filed in this cause that they are not inhabitants of this Commonwealth, it is ordered that they do appear within one month after due publication of this order and do what is necessary to protect their interests. It is also ordered that this order be published four successive weeks in the Monongalia Mirror, a weekly newspaper published in Morgantown, Monongalia county, Virginia, and be also posted at the front door of the court house of said county of Monongalia, on the first day of the next county court of said county.
G. S. RAY, Clerk. G. R. C. Allen, for Compl’ts. August 21, 1852. 158-5t.
This record is where I come up with the names of William’s children. I could be wrong but several of them match up with other records.
June 4, 1860: Ezekiel Murphy, now the head of the family, lived in Wadestown, District 7 of Monongalia County, Virginia. He was first married to Sarah Stiles and then to Jerusha Church. I believe Harriet and Harvey’s mother was Sarah. William lived with him. There were several White families which harks back to the 1852 announcement above. Other researchers have listed Nancy White as William’s wife. I haven’t found anything to confirm that, but if it’s correct, could these be members of her family?
\Ezekiel Murphy, 28, farmer, personal estate $650, born in Virginia, cannot readJerusha Murphy, 29, born in Virginia, cannot readHarriet Murphy, 8, born in VirginiaHarvey Murphy, 6, born in VirginiaIvana Murphy, 3, born in VirginiaWm Henry Murphy, 2, born in VirginiaWilliam Murphy, 75, farmer, born in Maryland
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1860 census record (click to enlarge) |
The paper trail ends with the 1860 census record. William was 70 years old at the time. I’d love to know who William married and when. Are the children I’ve listed correct? Who were his parents? When did he leave Maryland? So many questions and obviously more work to be done. If you can help, I’d love to hear from you.
References
- Forgeman; https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forgeman.
- Public Notice, American Union, Morgantown, West Virginia, August 28, 1852
- U.S. Federal Census, District 1, Frederick, Maryland, 1800.
- U.S. Federal Census, District 37, Monongalia County, Virginia, 1850.
- U.S. Federal Census, District 7, Monongalia County, Virginia, 1860.
- U.S. Federal Census, Election District 1, Frederick, Maryland, 1820.
- U.S. Federal Census, Frederick, Maryland, 1810.
- U.S. Federal Census, Western District, Monongalia County, Virginia, 1830.
- William Murphy, U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798–1914.
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