LETTER OF J. W. MURPHY TO HIS AUNT, MRS. NARCISSA MERRIFIELD, OF OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA Burlington, Iowa January 26, 1924. Mrs. Narcissa Merrifield, 908 Meyer Street Oroville, California, Dear Aunt Narcissa: I received your nice letter some weeks ago and am now sending you a message of interest and love. I learn from your letter that you are married again, and infer that you are living out in the surburbs where you can keep chickens and make a garden. After Aunt Susan was 90 years of age she raised a good garden over at Luray and looked after a flock of chickens. She had read the Bible through forty-eight times, once after 90 years of age without spectacles. My sister, Mrs. Emma Cushman, is now living at 144 Sunset Boulevard, Modesto, California. My son was over at Burkesville, Kentucky, some months ago and procured a lot of information about our ancestry. Your mother was Elizabeth Gearheart. Her mother was Obedience Alexander, who married Peter Gearheart, your grandfather, at Marrowbone, Kentucky. I am enclosing you a history of the Alexander family, reaching back six generations to Scotland. Hundreds of our relatives are living in and around Burkesville and Marrowbone, and this history of the Alexander family was written and published by one of them 25 years ago. Am also enclosing you with this letter a bill of sale for a negro woman which your father purchased from your uncle in 1835 down in Kentucky. I am wondering if this negro woman is "Old Auntie"? Do you know anything about this? I am endeavoring to compile a history of our family. The farthest back I can go with the Murphy family lineage is to Francis Murphy, your grandfather, who died on his farm at Burkesville, Kentucky, in 1835. I am enclosing you a copy of his will, the original of which is on record at Burkesville. Where did your grandfather, Francis Murphy, come from when he moved to Kentucky? Did he come from Virginia; if so, what part of Virginia? Did he come from Ireland; if so, what part of Ireland? How far back do we have to go to find our ancestor, the Murphy who came from Ireland, adn what was his full name? Please answer all of these questions as nearly as you can. My four children grew to manhood and womanhood long ago and are married and settled, and besides having four grandchildren I have one great grandson. I was 67 years of age on January 10, 1924. My health is good and I am a steady worker. Myself and family send love to Aunt Narcissa. With affectionate regards I remain Your loving nephew, J. W. Murphy A DEED FROM THOS. AND SUSAN WASH TO FRANCIS MURPHY ------------- Original Record In Deed Book D, Page 152, Records Of Cumberland County, Kentucky This indenture made this 17th day of August in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and nineteen between Thos. Wash and Susy his wife of the one part, of Cumberland County and State of Kentucky, and Francis Murphy of the other part, of the same State and County, WITNESSETH: THAT, The said Thomas Wash and Susy his wife for and in consideration of the sum of Two Thousand One Hundred and Forty Dollars current money of the State of Kentucky, to them in hand paid the receipt whereof they do hereby acknowledge hath by bargained and sold and by these presents doth grant, bargain and sold and convey unto the said Francis Murphy, his heirs and assigns a certain tract or parcel of land containing two hundred and fourteen acres situated, lying and being in the county of Cumberland on the north side of Cumberland River and bounded as follows: Beginning on Walter Nunn's corner, elm, horn beam and hack berry, on the Bank of Cumberland River; thence up the river binding thereon South 34 degrees East, 102 poles, to two maples and a box elder; at the mouth of a branch; thence up said branch as it meanders North 74 degrees East 40 poles to a beech; thence a new line North 55 degrees East 22 poles to a walnut trere, dogwood and mulberry near a spring; thence South 53 1/2 degrees east 8 poles to a beech; thence North 49 1/2 degrees East 106 poles to two sugar trees and a black ash on the Bank of the branch; thence north 11 degrees East 248 poles to three beeches in the old line of said Military Survey; thence with that line North 60 degrees West 38 1/2 poles to Walter Nunn's corner a beech in said line; thence with his line South 13 degrees West 100 poles to a sugar tree and White Oak; thence South 43 degrees West 220 poles to the beginning. With its appurtenances, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said 214 acres of land with all and singular the appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appurtaining to them. The said Murphy his heirs and assigns forever, and to his and their only proper use, benefit and behoof, and Thomas Wash and Lucy his wife for themselves and their heirs and all persons claiming under them further covenant and agree to and with said Murphy and his heirs that the aforesaid tract of land and appurtenances they will warrant and forever defend from the claims of themselves and their heirs and from all and every person or persons claim or claims of any kind whatsoever. In testimony whereof the said Thomas Wash and his wife Susy have hereunto set their hands and affixed their seals this day and year above written. THOMAS WASH, (Seal) SUSY WASH. (Seal) --------------- Kentucky, Cumberland County, Sct. I, Milton King, Deputy Clerk of the County Court, for the County aforesaid do certify that Thomas Wash and Susy his wife parties to the within deed of bargain and sale from themselves to Francis Murphy came personally before me in my office on the 21st day of August, 1819, and acknowledged the same to be their act and deed privily examined her the said Susy, separate and a part from her said Husband, and she acknowledged that she freely and voluntarily relinquished all her right of dower in and to the within mentioned tract of land and premises without the persuasion or coersion of her said husband and that she did not wish to retract the same, and agree that the same should be received in my said office and that I have recorded the same together with this certificate in my office in Deed Book D., Page 152. Witnessed my hand this 19th day of November, 1819. MILTON KING. ---------------- THE LAST WILL OF FRANCIS MURPHY ------- ORIGINAL RECORD IN WILL BOOK C, PAGE 86, RECORDS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, KENTUCKY I, Francis Murphy, of the County of Cumberland, and State of Kentucky, (being) of sound mind and memory, and wishing to arrange my temporal matters and to dispose of my property in an equitable and just manner amongst my family, do make, constitute and ordain this my LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, hereby revoking all others, WITNESSED: FIRST: I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Ann Murphy, for her natural life the one-third of all of my estate, both real and personal, and it is my wish that in laying off her dower in my lands that it shall be so done as to give her the mansion house, garden, and so forth and in such manner as to operate equal on the respective parts of the lands laid off for my sons, Reull and Foster Murphy;---and in allowing her the third of my slaves, stock and household goods, I wish her to select such as she may prefer, and I do hereby give her the privilege. The personal estate allotted to my beloved wife to revert back to my estate at her death and to be divided as hereafter named between my children or their heirs. SECOND: I give and bequeath to my sons, Ruell Murphy and Foster Murphy, the lands and tenements at present owned by me or I may possess at my demise or diseeged to them and their heirs forever, subject to the dower of my wife, to be divided as follows, viz: To Ruell Murphy all that portion of the tract of land on which we at present reside lying north of a dividing line this day run and marked by W. C. Barton (in the presence of both Reull and Foster Murphy), being that part of said tract adjoining the land of W. Nunn's Est. and of which Reull Murphy have rerected a dwelling house and improvements, containing by survey, -------acres. ----To Foster Murphy all that portion of said tract lying south of said dividing line and adjoining the lands of Thos. Wash's Est. and being that part on which the mansion house is situated containing -------acres. The hill lands being south of the Cumberland River to be divided equal between them in such manner as they may agree on. Their respective parts of the land willed by these presents to be valued to them by Commissioners at a fair cash valuation and they are to account for the same in the distribution and division of my estate or property. THIRDLY: I give and bequeath my whole estate to be equallyl divided and allotted between and amongst my five children, viz: John Murphy, Reull Murphy, Nicholas Murphy, Foster Murphy and Missouri Murphy, or should either of them die previous to my demise to his or her heirs; my son John Murphy accounting for in said division the sum of one hundred and eighty-five dollars previously to this date given him; my son Reull Murphy for the sum of one hundred ($100) dollars given him previous to this; my son Nicholas the sum of One hundred and seventy dollars heretofore received by him, my son, Reull Murphy furthermore to account in said division for the amount of the valuation of the lands (not including the buildings and improvements put on the same by himself) hereby devised, and my son Foster the amount of the valuation of the lands hereby willed him and my daughter, Missouri, to account for the appraisement of the little negro girl Indith which I have given her. It is furthermore my wish that my slaves be held by my children and taken by them at valuation and that my estate be divided as early as convient after my death with as little cost as possible. I appoint my sons John Murphy and Foster Murphy my executors. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 11th day of April, 1833. FRANCIS MURPHY, (Seal) Signed and acknowledged in the presence of: Reubin Alexander, Nathan S. Strange, Wm. C. Barton. CODICIL. In allotting or laying the dower or thirds to my beloved wife Ann Murphy I wish her to have the one-third of the lands independent of the value of the mansion house. And on the value of Foster Murphy land do I hereby direct that house or houses thereon is not to be taken in the estimation of the valuation by the Commissioners, but he is to be placed on the same footing of his Bro. Reull, as I allow him the improvements for his extra services. In addition to the within will I have hereunto annexed the above codicil. Given under my hand the 11th April 1833. FRANCIS MURPHY Signed and acknowledged in the presence of : Reubin Alexander, Nathan S. Strange, Wm. C. Barton. ----------------- Kentucky, Cumberland County, Sct. I, Milton King, Clerk of the County Clerk for said County do hereby certify that the within last will and testament of Francis Murphy dec'd, together with his codicil annexed was produced in open court at the September term 1833, and proven by the oaths of Reubin Alexander and Nathan S. Strange two of the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to record and the same is truly entered of record in office in Will Book C, page 86. Given under my hand this 6th day of Dec., 1833. M. KING, Clk., By James Haggard, D. C. C. -----------------------