James & Malinda Murrah – 1870 US Federal Census

James & Malinda and their 4 children were enumerated in Aiken, Bell, Texas on 21 Jun 1870 on the 1870 US Federal Census.

Here is the record:

Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com

1870 Jun 21: 1870 US Federal Census, Texas, Bell County, Aiken; sheet 17A p5; Household 32, Family 37
1. J. N. Murrah, 37, male, white, farmer, personal property valued at $500, born in Alabama, male citizen over age of 21.
2. Malinda Murrah, 37, female, white, keeping house, real estate valued at $800, born in Tennessee.
3. James Murrah, 12, male, white, born in Texas, attended school for 5 months.
4. Jacob Murrah, 9, male, white, born in Texas.
5. Easter Murrah, 2, male, white, born in Texas.
6. Daniel Murrah, 1, male, white, born in Texas.

Things To Note:

• James Murrah was 37 years old in 1870, making him born about 1833 in Alabama.
• James Murrah owns personal property worth $500
• Malinda Murrah is also 37 years old in 1870, making her born about 1833 in Tennessee. (Place does not match what I currently have.) 
• Malinda Murrah owns real estate with a value of $800. (Where did she get this and why does she own it and not her husband?)
• James Murrah (son) was 12 years old in 1870, making him born about 1858 in Texas.
• Jacob Murrah was 9 years old in 1870, making him born about 1861 in Texas.
• Easter Murrah was 2 years old in 1870, making her born about 1868 in Texas.
• Easter Murrah was enumerated as a “male”
• Daniel Murrah was 1 year old in 1870, making him born about 1869 in Texas.

NEXT TO DO: Locate James & Malinda Murrah and family in 1880 US Federal Census

James & Malinda Murrah – 1860 US Federal Census

I have been looking for James & Malinda in the 1860 U. S. Federal Census. Even going page by page in Lavaca County, still no luck.

I am going to add this to my research list and come back to it. Hopefully, after gathering a little more information about this family, I will be able to pin them down.

Next To Do: Locate James & Malinda Murrah in the 1870 U. S. Federal Census.

Introduction to James & Malinda Murrah Family

Here is what I THINK I know about this family. AGAIN, some of this is undocumented! Unless you see documentation, PLEASE do NOT assume I am correct…

James Madison Murrah was born on 2 Aug 1833 in Alabama. He married Malinda Abegail Power on 19 Dec 1855 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas. Malinda was born on 12 Mar 1832 in Alabama. Her parents are Miles H. Power and Esther Kuykendol.

To this marriage was born 4 children:

1. James Buck Murrah was born 2 Aug 1856 in Lavaca County, Texas. He died on 17 Mar 1924 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas of heartblock.

2. Jacob Richard Murrah was born 26 Aug 1861 in Lavaca County, Texas. He married Fannie Hord on 12 Jul 1883 in Brown County, Texas. Jacob died on 13 Feb 1934 in Del Rio, Val Verde, Texas of Jaundice – Infected Gall Bladder.

3. Esther Abagail Murrah was born 17 Aug 1867 in Bell County, Texas. She later married Edward Hord. She died on 25 Apr 1939 in Del Rio, Val Verde, Texas of Gumma of the Brain (Neurosyphilis).

4. Daniel Murrah was born about 1870 in Texas.

This is a basic listing of what I know about this family. We have taken a look at James in the 1840 & 1850 US Federal Censuses while researching his parents. Because of this, we will begin with the 1860 census for this couple.

James Madison Murrah – Unanswered Questions!

As I look through the information I have and decide what I still need to learn, I have come up with a pretty good sized list of questions…

JAMES MADISON MURRAH

1. When and where was James Madison Murrah born? (I have he was born in Virginia, is this correct? If so, where in Virginia?)
2. Who were the parents of James Madison Murrah? (I have Thadeus Murrah and Caity Allen, BUT I have no idea where this information came from!)
3. When and where did James & Paron get married?
4. Why is there a gap in children between William & James?
   1. Is William really Paron’s child? She would have been about 14 when giving birth.
   2. Was James Madison Murrah married prior to Paron? If so, to whom?
5. Does James Madison Murrah have any siblings?
6. Why did his family move from Virginia to Alabama to Mississippi to Texas?
7. James Madison Murrah owned land in Alabama and in Mississippi, are their any records that go along with this?
8. When and where did James Madison Murrah die? (I have 1855 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas, but nothing to prove this information either. Why did he go to Texas after the death of his wife IF the information I have is correct)
9. Did James Madison Murrah have a will when he died? If so, how do I find a copy of it?
   1. Who got his land when he died?

PARON HOLLIDAY

1. When and where was Paron Holliday born? (I have she was born about 1811 in South Carolina, is this correct? If so, where in South Carolina?)
2. How can we prove her maiden name was Holliday (I have no proof of this currently, it is just what I was given!)
3. Who were the parents of Paron Holliday?
4. Did Paron have any siblings?
5. When and where did Paron Murrah die? (I have about 1851 in Yalobusha County, Mississippi.)
6. Also, there is that BIG question of did she really marry and have a child about the age of 14? Is William Wells Murrah her son?

Brainstorm time!!

While I am creating this very detailed research plan, I will begin following James Madison Murrah (Son) and his family through the census records to get an idea of their family structure a bit more.

TO DO: List what I know about James & Malinda Murrah and their family.

Land Patent for James Madison Murrah

I have found a Land Grant issued to James Madison Murrah in 1835 in Huntsville, Alabama.

Here it is:

obtained at ancestry.com

 

 

1835 SEP 4: James Madison Murrah was given a land grant 40 1/4 acres of land in Huntsville, Alabama. The land grant states that full payment has been made by the said James Madison Murrah.

 

 

 

To Do Next:

1. Make a list of questions still needing answered for James Madison Murrah and brainstorm ways to possibly answer them.

James Murrah Family – 1850 US Federal Census

I located James, Paron and their children in the 1850 census in Yalobusha County, Mississippi.

Extraction of Information from this census record:

1850 US Census; Mississippi; Yallabusha; North of Yalobusha River; p422 (Stamped); Lines 1-9; 18 Oct 1850.

1. James Murry, 50 years old, male, planter, $2000 real estate owned, born in Virginia.
2. Paron Murry, 39 years old, female, born in South Carolina.
3. James Murry, 17 years old, male, born in Alabama, attended school within the year.
4. Melvina Murry, 15 years old, female, born in Mississippi, attended school within the year.
5. Reuben Murry, 13 years old, male, born in Mississippi, attended school within the year.
6. Daniel Murry, 11 years old, male, born in Mississippi, attended school within the year.
7.Dorthula Murry, 9 years old, female, born in Mississippi, attended school within the year.
8. Richard Murry, 4 years old, male, born in Mississippi.
9. Rebecca Murry, 1 year old, female, born in Mississippi.

Other surnames listed on this same page:

• Tatum
• Doherty
• Brown
• Gardner
• Wilkes
• Hollady

As a side note, William Murry (Murrah) is listed as living in the house next door with Jno & Dumetta Tatum. I have no clue who these people are, but they were born in Alabama and are about 7 years older than William. Not sure if they are connected or not, but will keep an eye out for these people.

Next Step: Put together a timeline based on this census as a starting timeline to be added to as we find more documents.

Research Plan For James Madison Murrah

After spending the last few weeks digitizing my records and family group sheets, I decided it was time to get back to doing what I love… researching!

I began by putting together a beginning research plan. I also need to put together a time line of the events I have to help with this research. For the beginning stages of research I have the following databases that need to be looked at:

Family Search and Family History Library:

• Film 1508564: Index of bible records on file in the Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, June 1987
• Film 795931: Bible records index Family History Library Item 19
• Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950
• Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957
• Texas, Probate Records, 1800-1990
• US Federal Census Records 1820-1850
• Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910
• Texas records from bibles, probate records, wills, cemeteries, 1639-1954
• Original grantee-patentee Texas land titles
• Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007

 

Ancestry:

• U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 Ancestry
• U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918
• Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850
• Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
• U.S. War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858
• U.K. and U.S. Directories, 1680-1830
• Virginia Tax Records

 

Also do several internet searches and see what information is out there that could help.

This is my plan for beginning research, also next priority is to put together a timeline for James, Paron and their children to establish what areas in which time periods I should be researching in.

If you have any documentation, suggestions, ideas or corrections, please let me know! Thanks!

Introduction to the Family

Let’s start by meeting the family I am talking about.

James Madison Murrah was born about 1800 in Virginia. In about 1825 he married Paron Holliday in Alabama. Paron was born about 1811 in South Carolina. Paron died in about 1851 in Mississippi and James died in abou t1855 in Lavaca County, Texas. There were 8 children (that I know of) born to this couple.

William Wells Murrah (Born Dec 1825 in Alabama) married Unicy Powers in about 1854 in Lavaca County, Texas. They had 5 children.

James Madison Murrah (Born about 1833 in Alabama) married Molina Powers on 19 Dec 1855 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas. They had 4 children.

Melvina Murrah (Born about 1835 in Mississippi) married W. Henry McElroy on 17 Jan 1855 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas. They had 7 children.

Reuben Murrah (Born about 1837 in Mississippi) married Mary Eliza Burleson on 18 Oct 1860 in Fayette County, Texas. They had 1 child.

Daniel Murrah (Born about 1839 in Mississippi) married Cinthia Jane Green between 1869 and 1870 in Texas. They had 6 children.

Darthula Murrah (Born 13 Nov 1842 in Mississippi) married Robert Anderson Farley between 1855-1888 in Texas. They had 11 children.

Richard N. Murrah (Born 10 Dec 1848 in Ripley, Tippah, Mississippi) married Nancy Ann Moore on 20 Jun 1867 in LaGrange, Fayette, Texas. They had 8 children.

Rebecca Murrah (Born about 1849 in Mississippi) died before 1855.

If you have any comments, questions or see any errors please contact me!

Again, I have not gone through the documentation yet. Please do not assume that the people/dates/places listed here are absolute or correct. I will add sources as I go through what I have.