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Samuel Murray, Sr. appears on the 1800 census of Buncombe Co. with the
following household: 1 male over 45, 1 male 26-45, 2 males 16-26,
2 males 10-16, 1 female over 45, 1 female 0-16, and 3 slaves. His
son, Samuel Murray, Jr. also appears, with one male 26-45, 1 female 16-26,
1 male 0-10, and no slaves.
Samuel Murray, Sr., was born 1 June 1739. His father William Murray,
and his grandfather John Murray, came to America from Scotland in 1732,
and settled on Swatara River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When
Samuel was about eleven years of age, he and his brother William migrated
to Newberry District, SC. Many years later they both moved to Buncombe
County, NC.
The first legal record for Samuel Murray, Sr., is listed in the office
of the Recorder of Deeds, Newberry, SC. On 2 Feb 1776, he purchased
a plantation on Indian Creek in the 96th District of Newberry County, where
he farmed successfully for many years and also reared a sizeable family.
During the War of the Revolution, Samuel Murray and his son James, as well
as his brother William, participated by hauling supplies, as attested from
records on stub entries for Revolutionary War Claims, showing they received
bounty for service. Samuel, Sr. also served as a Corporal in the
Second South Carolina Regiment commanded by Lt. Col. Marion, and James
Murray served as a Private.
After the land in South Carolina became unproductive, and at the age of
58 years, Samuel, Sr. moved to Buncombe County, NC. The first legal
record in NC is the purchase of a tract of 110 acres of land on Big Mud
Creek on 19 July 1797. F.A. Sondley wrote in "Origin of the Catawba
Grape and Other Sketches," that Samuel Murray, Sr. was one of the most
prominent residents of Buncombe County at the beginning of the nineteenth
century. In April 1805, the Buncombe County Court appointed Samuel
Murray, Sr. as one of the Commissioners for the purpose of procuring a
public square in the town of Asheville. This public square was obtained
on 23 Jan 1807, and was that in the center of Asheville on which stood
for more than one hundred years the successive court houses of Buncombe
County. A part of it now constitutes the park and adjoining streets
known as Pack Square.
Samuel Murray, Sr.'s property fronted the Buncombe Turnpike, the only passable
road which ran from Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC through Hendersonville,
NC. He operated a tavern and inn called "Murray's Inn," located about
one half mile from Fletcher, NC. Murray's Inn was later owned and
operated by his son, William, who acquired the property by deed in 1818,
and who continued to operate the Inn for a number of years.
Samuel Sr.'s son, James, accompanied him to Buncombe County in 1797, and
helped manage the plantation for him. James purchased 200 acres on
Big Mud Creek on 27 Jan 1806, and eventually accumulated 5,000 acres by
the time of his death in 1847. Thus, Samuel Murray, Sr. and his family
helped establish the independence of our Nation, and were amont the First
Families of Old Buncombe.
Samuel Murray, Sr., was born 1 Jun 1739 near Swatara River, Pennsylvania,
and married on 27 Oct 1763 to Elizabeth Rees. She died 1815 at Murrayville,
Buncombe Co., NC. He died 15 Dec 1817 at Murrayville, Buncombe Co,
and was a son of William Murray, and his wife Isabella Lindley.
Their children
were as follows:
1. William
Murray, b. 6 Sept 1764 Newberry Dist, SC; d. 8 Feb 1781, Newberry Dist.
2. James
Murray, b. 21 Mar 1769 Newberry Dist, SC; d. 30 Mar 1847 Tuxedo, Henderson
Co, NC; buried Freeman Cem, Henderson Co, NC. He married Margaret
Dugan on 22 Mar 1791 in Newberry Dist, SC. She was born 12 Apr 1772
Newberry Dist, SC, and d. 9 May 1840 Tuxedo, Henderson Co, NC, buried Freeman
Cem, Henderson Co. She was the dau of Thomas Dugan and his wife Margaret
_____ Dugan. James and Margaret had eleven children, as follows:
a. Samuel J. Murray, b. 13 Nov 1792, d. 1882, unmarried.
b. Mary Dugan Murray, b. 5 Mar 1795, d. 4 Dec 1875,
m. 1 Sep 1814, John Plumblee.
c. Thomas D. Murray, b. 18 Nov 1796, d. 1822, unmarried.
d. Elizabeth R. Murray, b. 13 Mar 1799, d. 1829, m. 1822
Meredith Freeman.
e. Nancy Ann Murray, b. 30 Apr 1801, d. ca 1855, m(1) 1819
E. Hightower; and m(2) 1839 A.M. Harrison.
f. Margaret P. Murray, b. 13 Sep 1803, m. 1824 Benjamin
Richardson.
g. Cynthia J. Murray, b. 26 Nov 1805, m. 1825 Jesse Osborne.
h. James Dugan Murray, b. 5 Jan 1808, d. 1872, m. 1832
Mary Ann Reese.
i. William Pinkney Murray, b. 5 May 1810, d. ca 1860;
m(1) 1839 Adeline Byers, and m(2) 1859 Margaret E. Buck.
j. Lila "Lilly" H. Murray, b. 28 May 1812, m. 1830 William M.
McCarrall.
k. Mary Matilda Murray, b. 26 Oct 1814, d. 6 Oct 1848
Dahlonega, Lumpkin Co, GA; m. 1833 Solomon Reese,
b. 30 Jul 1811 SC, d. 2 Jul 1850 MO.
| They were the
parents of William Pinkney Reese (1835 NC--1922 GA) who m. 1856 Mary
Matilda Stroud (1838 GA--1921 GA), dau of Peter Stroud (1807 NC--1872 GA)
and Lucinda Carter (1816 NC--1904 GA). William P. Reese and Mary Matilda
Stroud Reese were the paternal great-grandparents of Donald E. O'Rourke,
Sr., MD, the submitter of this family sketch. |
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3. Elizabeth
Murray, b. 25 Oct 1771 Newberry Dist, SC, d. 1793, m. John Wilson.
4. Samuel
Murray, Jr., b. 2 Oct 1774 Newberry Dist, SC.
5. Ann
Murray, b. 10 Nov 1776 Newberry Dist, SC.
6. Thomas
Murray, b. 2 Dec 1779 Newberry Dist, SC, d. 1852, m. Sarah "Sally"
Seawood.
7. John
Murray, b. 22 Jan 1782 Newberry Dist, SC, d. 1841, m. Flora Lance.
8. William
Murray, b. 15 Oct 1783 Newberry Dist, SC.
9. Robert
Murray, b. 10 Nov 1785 Newberry Dist, SC, d. 1 Dec 1857.
References:
1) Murray Genealogy and Family History Notebook No. 83 (1959) by James
E. Murray. 2) Pennsylvania Genealogies (1883, reprint 1969) by William
Henry Egle.
Additions and corrections to this First Family sketch should be addressed
to Dr. O'Rourke directly at the address given above.
--ALOB,
April 1981, Vol. 11, #4
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